From the Director

As Secretary of Defense from 2015 to 2017, I served a mission vital to global peace and prosperity. I met often with foreign leaders, generals, senators, and CEOs. And because the military’s excellence depended largely on selfless people and unrivalled technology, I prioritized diversifying our pool of talent and deepening our sources of innovation. 

Today, I’ve moved from the Potomac to the Charles, but my cause continues. As Director of the Belfer Center, I serve an organization committed to a more secure, peaceful world. We regularly host top figures in business, government, the military, and academia. And together with Co-Director Eric Rosenbach, we aim to diversify our scholarship and deepen our ties with leaders in science and technology. 

This fall reminded me of the Center’s unmatched convening power. During just two weeks in October, we hosted four former Cabinet officers (Jeh Johnson, Ernest Moniz, Samantha Power, and Penny Pritzker), two U.S. Senators (Lindsey Graham and Mark Warner), and a former Israeli Prime Minister (Ehud Barak). Underscoring our ambition to train future leaders and advance policy-relevant knowledge, these decision-makers came not just to speak, but also to listen and learn from our students and scholars.  

We did not become an indispensable resource for public policy solutions or the world’s No. 1-ranked university think tank by accident. Graham Allison, who is still actively teaching and writing, deserves our enduring gratitude for his extraordinary vision and tireless work. 

The energy, service mentality, and curiosity of our students is a major reason I returned to Harvard. I remain indebted to some of this school’s intellectual giants who mentored and inspired me decades ago—and I intend to pay it forward.

Eric and I are convinced that the intersection of science and technology and global affairs will define the 21^st century. That nexus will guide my own research in the years ahead, beginning with an effort to leverage the forces of disruption on behalf of jobs and opportunity for all Americans, and helping to build out our important work on China and cybersecurity.

When Henry Lee and John Holdren bring students to Iceland to learn firsthand about climate risks in the Arctic; when Calestous Juma helps African farmers feed a hungry continent; when Nick Burns distills diplomatic wisdom from legendary Secretaries of State; or when Meghan O’Sullivan uncovers the impact of America’s energy windfall, the world sees our devotion to advancing research, ideas, and leadership.

The commitment of our supporters, experience of our scholars, range of issues, depth of insight, and collaboration with MIT and sister centers across Harvard make the Belfer Center special. We’re not just a collection of scholars, students, and staff; we’re a community that embodies both greatness and goodness. Eric and I are so pleased to come home—and to serve this center’s remarkable purpose.