AIAC SPONSORS AMBASSADOR STUART EIZENSTAT’S ADDRESS TO FACULTY AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL AND HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28-29, 2024 – New York, NY American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC) sponsored a series of lectures at Harvard University featuring Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, concerning his new book The Art of Diplomacy – How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements that Changed the World on October 28 and 29. These events included a dinner presentation by Ambassador Eizenstat to the members of the Faculty and Board of Directors of Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation at the Harvard Faculty Club on the evening of October 28 and a luncheon address the following day to the members of the Faculty and the Board of Directors of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Robert Mnookin, Esq., Chairman Emeritus of the Harvard Program on Negotiation and Dr. Megan O’Sullivan, Director of the Belfer Center, served as moderators for these events and AIAC Chairman L. M. Levie was invited to attend as an invited guest.
At the start of the dinner at the Harvard Faculty Club, AIAC Chairman L. M. Levie recited and presented the following poetic homage to Ambassador Eizenstat:
Each event included a vigorous question and answer session, during which Ambassador Eizenstat addressed questions concerning his methods to resolve past global conflicts, and his views on the best ways to resolve as the Gaza and Ukraine wars. He noted that conflicts may be “ripe for resolution,” depending on the stage, intensity of the conflict, and the exhaustion of the combatants. He also pointed to the Korean War Armistice Agreement as a model of an agreement which might resolve the Ukraine war.
The attendees to the luncheon at the Belfer Center included the following statespersons and scholars:
Dr. Graham Allison, Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School, Former Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy and Plans, U.S. Department of Defense.
Dr. Linda J. Bilmes, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University, Former Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget, U.S. Department of Commerce, Former Associate Director, U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Robert D. Blackwill, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, The Brookings Institution, Former U.S. Ambassador to India, Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Planning, Former Senior Director for Strategic Planning at the National Security Council.
William Clark, Professor of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Security Affairs, Former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa.
Natalie Colbert, Managing Director, The Milken Institute, Former Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Board, Former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Treasury Department.
Dr. John Deutch, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Former Director of Central Intelligence, CIA, Former Deputy Secretary of Defense, Former Under Secretary of Energy.
Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, Founding Director, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
Sarah Donahue, Senior Vice President, The Urban Institute, Former Chief of Staff to the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Former Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of State.
Sarah Flynn, Senior Fellow, The Aspen Institute, Former Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Former Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Dr. Jeffrey Frankel, James W. Harpel Professor of Capital Formation and Growth, Harvard University, Former Economic Counselor and Director of the Research Department, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Former Member of the Council of Economic Advisors under President Bill Clinton.
Dr. Ricardo Hausmann, Director, Center for International Development, Harvard University, Former Minister of Planning for Venezuela, Former Chief Economist, Inter-American Development Bank.
MacKenzie Heather, Senior Director, Policy and Research, The Center for Global Development, Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Former Deputy Director for U.S. Foreign Assistance and Policy.
Dr. John P. Holdren, Professor of Environmental Policy and Director, Harvard Kennedy School, Former Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Former Science Advisor to President Barack Obama, Former Professor at Harvard University.
Dr. Karl Kaiser, Adjunct Professor of Government, Harvard University, Former Director of the Transatlantic Academy, German Marshall Fund, Former Director of the Harvard University Center for European Studies.
Charles Landow, Vice Chairman of the Board, The Brookings Institution, Former Chairman of the Board, Brookings Institution, Founder of several philanthropic organizations.
Henry Lee, Director, Environment and Natural Resources Program, Harvard Kennedy School, Former Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Environmental Cooperation, Former Director of the Harvard Forest.
Dr. Robert Mnookin, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, Former Chair, Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Former Associate Dean for Clinical and Pro Bono Programs, Harvard Law School.
Dr. Joseph Nye, University Distinguished Service Professor, Harvard University, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Former Dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Former Chairman, National Intelligence Council.
Dr. Megan O'Sullivan, Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University, Former Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan under President George W. Bush, Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa, National Security Council.
AIAC funded and arranged for each director and faculty member to receive a copy of The Art of Diplomacy, personalized and autographed by Ambassador Eizenstat.
Ambassador Eizenstat also addressed students and alumni at Harvard Law School and Harvard Kennedy School in hybrid in-person and virtual classroom seminars.
Ambassador Eizenstat’s message is that prepared, patient, persistent, and courageous practitioners of negotiation can alter the course of geopolitics as well as business and law. Drawing from history and interviews of prominent public figures, Ambassador Eizenstat cited the key elements of effective negotiation and the critical attributes of highly successful negotiators.
Noted American statesman, diplomat, and attorney, Stuart Eizenstat served as the Chief Domestic Policy Adviser to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981, where he was instrumental in developing key domestic initiatives in energy, environment, and urban policy. During the Clinton administration, Eizenstat held several significant positions, including U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.
Throughout his career, Eizenstat has been a leading figure in addressing historical injustices, particularly concerning Holocaust-era assets. He played a crucial role in negotiating agreements for the restitution of property and compensation for World War II war crime victims, including resolving issues related to forced and slave labor.
Eizenstat has authored five books, including "Imperfect Justice: Looted Assets, Slave Labor, and the Unfinished Business of World War II" and "President Carter: The White House Years.," Beyond government service, he has worked with major law firms and think tanks, continuing to influence policy debates on global economic and security issues.
Stuart Eizenstat has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the French Legion of Honor, and the German Cross of the Order of Merit, recognizing his contributions to public service, diplomacy, and efforts to address historical injustices. In 2003, he received the Great Negotiator Award from Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation.
Ambassador Eizenstat’s schedule of talks arranged and sponsored by AIAC included the following:
September 4 – Presentation and Formal Reception at the Walbrook Club, London
October 3 – Presentation and Lunch at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Washington, DC
October 8 – Presentation at Columbia University School of Professional Studies, New York, NY
October 28 – Presentation and Formal Dinner with the Faculty of Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation at the Harvard Faculty Club, Cambridge, Massachusetts
October 29 – Presentation and Seminar at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Massachusetts
November 4 – Economic Club of New York Salon Series Event
Mr. Levie is a member of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Society of Harvard Law School, the Dean’s Council of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, the Harvard Faculty Club, the 1754 Society of Columbia University, and the Economic Club of New York Centennial Society and its Legacy Society. He is also a Trustee of the Explorers Club, with which the Walbrook Club of London enjoys reciprocity.
Mr. Levie commented, “I am both friend and admirer of Stuart Eizenstat, whose years of service to our nation and the world have been widely chronicled. My colleagues and I are deeply honored to enthusiastically recommend The Art of Diplomacy to current and future business and political leaders. As Ambassador Eizenstat has definitively demonstrated, we can and must endeavor to understand and resolve even the most complex and intractable global conflicts. In an era of mutually assured destruction, the very fate of our world rests on our sincere and diligent efforts to do so.”
About the Honorable Stuart E. Eizenstat
Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat is Senior Counsel in Covington & Burling LLP’s international practice. His work at Covington focuses on resolving international trade problems and business disputes with the U.S. and foreign governments, and international business transactions and regulations on behalf of U.S. companies and others around the world. He was an Adjunct Lecturer at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (1982-1991), where he taught a course on presidential decision-making. He has been a Guest Scholar at the Brookings Institution (1981) and the Woodrow Wilson Center (2001).
During a decade and a half of public service in six U.S. administrations, Ambassador Eizenstat has held a number of key senior positions, including Chief White House Domestic Policy Adviser to President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981); U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton Administration (1993-2001).
In the Carter White House, he was the major figure in all the domestic legislative achievements of the Carter Administration. He also recommended to President Carter a Presidential Commission on the Holocaust, headed by Elie Wiesel, which led directly to the congressional approval of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
During the Clinton Administration, he had a prominent role in the development of key international initiatives, including the negotiations of the Transatlantic Agenda with the European Union (establishing the framework for the U.S. relationship with the EU); the development of the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) among European and US CEOs; the negotiation of agreements with the European Union regarding the Helms-Burton Act and the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act; the negotiation of the Japan Port Agreement with the Japanese government; and the negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, where he led the U.S. delegation.
Much of the interest in providing belated justice for victims of the Holocaust and other victims of Nazi tyranny during World War II was the result of his leadership of the Clinton Administration as Special Representative of the President and Secretary of State on Holocaust-Era Issues, while continuing to hold his other Senate-confirmed positions. He successfully negotiated major agreements with the Swiss, Germans, Austrian and French, and other European countries, covering restitution of property, payment for slave and forced laborers, recovery of looted art, bank accounts, and payment of insurance policies. He was the principal negotiator of the 1998 Washington Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art with 44 countries, which continues to be a basis for recovery and compensation for Nazi-looted art. His book on these events, Imperfect Justice: Looted Assets, Slave Labor, and the Unfinished Business of World War II, has been favorably received in publications like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Business Week, and Publisher’s Weekly. It has been translated into German, French, Czech and Hebrew.
In addition, during the Obama administration, he served as Special Adviser on Holocaust-Era Issues to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State John Kerry (2009-2017). During this period of his public service, Ambassador Eizenstat negotiated significant Holocaust-related agreement with the governments of Lithuania (2011), and with France (2014), regarding the deportation of Jews on the French railway. During this time, he was also the principal U.S. negotiator for the Terezin Declaration with 47 countries (2009), which strengthened the Washington Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art and urging measures to assist the social welfare of poor, elderly Holocaust survivors, and the agreement with over 40 countries on Best Practices and Guidelines for the Restitution and/or Compensation of Private (Immovable) Property Confiscated by the Nazis and their Collaborators Between 1933-1945. In the Obama Administration, he also served on the Defense Policy Board, for Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.
During the Trump administration, he was appointed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as Expert Adviser to the State Department on Holocaust-Era Issues (2008-2021).
In the Biden administration, he is currently serving as Special Adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Holocaust Issues. In this capacity, he played a major role in the negotiation of the Best Practices for the Washington Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art (2024), now supported by 25 countries. He was appointed by President Biden as Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council (2022-present).
Since 2009, he has served as pro bono Special Negotiator for the Jewish Claims Conference in negotiations with the German government, obtaining billions of dollars of benefits for poor Holocaust survivors, for home care, social and medical services, enhanced pensions, hardship payments, child survivor and Kindertransport survivors, special supplemental payments for the poorest of the poor, and worldwide educational benefits.
Ambassador Eizenstat has received more than eighty awards, including eight honorary doctorate degrees from universities and academic institutions. He has been awarded high civilian awards from the governments of France (two Legions of Honor awards in 2004 and 2024), Germany, Austria, Israel, Belgium and Lithuania, as well as from Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and the Alexander Hamilton Award from Secretary of the Treasury Lawrence Summers. In 2003, he received the Great Negotiator Award from Harvard Law School. In 2007, he was named "The Leading Lawyer in International Trade" in Washington, DC by Legal Times. His articles appear in The New York Times, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Foreign Policy magazine, and Foreign Affairs magazine, on a variety of international and domestic topics. He was the co-author of Andrew Young: The Path to History (1973), which chronicled how Andrew Young became for the first African American to win a congressional seat in the Deep South since Reconstruction following the Civil War.
His book President Carter: The White House Years (2018, 2020) is a definitive history of the Carter administration, which has been favorably reviewed by The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Review, National Interest, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Moment Magazine, and many other publications. His most recent book is The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements That Changed the World (20240,which has also won accolades from a variety of publications.
Ambassador Eizenstat grew up in Atlanta and was educated in its public schools. He was All-City and Honorable Mention All-American (Dell Sports Magazine) in basketball. He is a Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was inducted into the Order of the Old Well and Golden Fleece Society, and has an endowed chair in his name, The Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat Chair of Modern Jewish History. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School. He was married for 45 years to the late Frances Eizenstat and has two sons, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandson.
For further information, please see:
https://www.cov.com/en/professionals/e/stuart-eizenstat#layout=card
About the Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements that Changed History
Ambassador’s Stuart Eizenstat’s The Art of Diplomacy offers a deep dive into the nuanced world of international relations, exploring the multifaceted practice of diplomacy with both historical context and modern relevance. In this comprehensive work, Ambassador Eizenstat, a seasoned expert in diplomatic affairs, sheds light on the essential skills, strategies, and principles that underpin successful diplomacy in today’s complex geopolitical landscape.
The book begins with an exploration of the historical evolution of diplomacy, tracing its origins from ancient practices to the sophisticated mechanisms of contemporary international relations. Ambassador Eizenstat provides rich examples from various historical periods, illustrating how diplomacy has adapted to shifting power dynamics and technological advancements.
Central to The Art of Diplomacy is an examination of the core competencies required for effective diplomacy. Ambassador Eizenstat emphasizes the importance of negotiation skills, cultural intelligence, and strategic communication. He offers practical advice on how to navigate challenging negotiations, manage conflicts, and build lasting alliances while maintaining ethical standards and fostering mutual respect. The book also addresses the role of diplomacy in addressing global issues such as climate change, security, and economic development, highlighting how diplomats can influence policy and drive progress on these critical fronts.
Ambassador’s Eizenstat's writing is characterized by its clarity and depth, making complex concepts accessible to both novices and seasoned professionals. The book is interspersed with case studies and real-world examples that illustrate the application of diplomatic strategies in various contexts. These case studies not only provide practical insights but also provoke thoughtful reflections on the evolving nature of diplomacy.
The Art of Diplomacy serves as both a practical guide and a reflective analysis. It is designed to equip aspiring diplomats, policy makers, and global leaders with the tools they need to navigate the intricate world of international relations effectively. Ambassador Eizenstat’s work is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the critical role of diplomacy in shaping the global landscape and achieving diplomatic success in an ever-changing world.
Reviews of The Art of Diplomacy
''‘The Art of Diplomacy’ . . . [is] a set of case studies of the conduct of specific international negotiations that reads like an extended syllabus for aspiring ambassadors. These studies are often fascinating and, based as they are on extensive interviews with participants like former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the former C.I.A. director Leon Panetta, they contain a great deal of useful research material. By far the most interesting of them is Eizenstat’s firsthand account of his time negotiating with Swiss, German and Austrian authorities and commercial institutions to secure reparations and restitution for Holocaust survivors. . . . His account of these talks is animated by moral passion and gripping.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“An excellent new book . . . Powerful [and] important.”
—Wolf Blitzer, CNN
“In The Art of Diplomacy, the indefatigable former White House policy director, EU Ambassador, and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Stuart E. Eizenstat draws upon a near half-century of immersion of his own service under six Presidential administrations and recent interviews with eight Secretaries of State, four Secretaries of Defense, three CIA directors, and two Presidents, among others, to document how peacemaking and world-changing agreements can – sometimes – be achieved by persistent, creative, and single-minded U.S. diplomats. . . . Along the way, Eizenstat describes his own education and experiences as a diplomat, from the Carter years, where he was an eyewitness to the Egyptian-Israeli Camp David Accords, to his work in the Clinton Administration to counter climate change and promote trade agreements, and his personal mission, in and out of government, over decades to successfully help victims of the Nazis secure compensation for property stolen that ended up in Swiss banks, private collections, and auction houses. . . . Throughout, Eizenstat describes the benefits and risks of the use of the tools of the diplomatic trade and provides lessons learned. . . .Sharing the secrets behind successes and stumbles that remade the world, [The Art of Diplomacy is] essential reading about the art of making the impossible possible.
—The Cipher Brief
“A magisterial tome on the international negotiations that shaped modern American history, Stuart E. Eizenstat’s The Art of Diplomacy gets down to the brass tacks of foreign affairs. An ode to diplomacy’s power and fickleness, this book hopscotches from intimate, in-the-room portraits of what goes into diplomatic deals to expert accounts of the great American negotiators. . . . What sets the book apart is its prioritization of the individual actors who broker international decisions. In the search for “win-win” compromises, dinners, sporting events, and all manner of creative avenues for engendering trust and goodwill become paramount. Both a primer on how to negotiate and a niche history of the last eight decades in world politics, the book includes hundreds of interviews with top-ranking officials and memories of Eizenstat’s own experiences negotiating. It transitions from what could have been done better . . . toward pragmatic advice for approaching today’s raging international crises . . . generate countless insights. . . . Grand in scope and grounded in decades of experience, The Art of Diplomacy is a compelling work of political history aimed at the diplomatic negotiators of tomorrow.
—Foreword Reviews
“A useful roadmap to successful international negotiations. . . . Negotiations are a crucial part of statecraft, writes Eizenstat . . . [who] aims to distill key events in U.S. negotiations into lessons for the next generation of diplomats and students. . . . A valuable primer . . . Eizenstat covers a lot of ground, writing with the authority and clarity of experience.”
—Kirkus Reviews
About American Industrial Acquisition Corporation
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC) is a diversified industrial group with manufacturing and distribution sites in 24 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. AIAC has acquired and grown non-core subsidiaries and divisions of Boeing, Siemens, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Johnson Controls, Merck, Pfizer, Astellas, Visteon, Carlyle, Ahlstrom, Tolko, Groupe Suez, Groupe Rexel, and many other leading multinational corporations.
AIAC companies serve companies and governmental entities worldwide in all major sectors, including aviation, space, defense, automotive, truck, rail, marine, petrochemical, solar, nuclear, food, confectionary, beverage, civil engineering and infrastructure, commercial construction, mining, dredging, disaster relief, education, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. AIAC companies manufacture materials, components, assemblies, packaging, equipment, and finished products. In addition, AIAC companies are exclusive, authorized distributors of leading branded industrial and consumer products throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. AIAC is a leading manufacturer of building, street, and highway signage in Europe, signage and illumination structures in North America, and a distributor of electrical products throughout France.
Of note, AIAC purchased Boeing Canada in 2005 and has produced over 10,000 unique components for every Boeing jet plane ever since, reliably serving Boeing from manufacturing facilities in North America. A leader in ultra-high precision jet engine component manufacturing, AIAC companies produce 2,200 fan blades and blisks for each jet engine produced by GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, and Honeywell. AIAC companies produce the critical automotive wire and cable for Tesla, GM, Ford, Chrysler- Fiat, Toyota, and Nissan. In connection with its kraft paper manufacturing interests in Canada and the US, AIAC controls and sustainably manages 22 million acres of Manitoba, Canada forestland, an area equivalent in size to the nation of Hungary.
AIAC companies actively support exploration into outer space, manufacturing critical components for launching and propelling spacecraft and satellites. AIAC customers in this sector include NASA, the European Space Agency, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Boeing. AIAC companies also lead in the design and manufacture of undersea umbilical cables for worldwide oceanographic research.
About AIAC Philanthropy
AIAC and the AIAC Foundation support a wide range of nonprofit, nonsectarian, bipartisan organizations which promote international conflict resolution, disaster relief, economic development, environmental sustainability, and exploration.
AIAC’s beneficiaries in the fields of international conflict resolution and understanding and economic development include the Appeal of the Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation Inc., the Asia Society, the Atlantic Council, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - Gates Philanthropy Partners, the Bretton Woods Committee, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Carter Center, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Club of New York, the Foreign Policy Association, the Institut Française des Relations Internationales, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Crisis Group, the International Rescue Committee, the Japan Society, the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and the Trilateral Commission.
Exploration-focused nonprofit organizations which AIAC actively support include the Explorers Club, the National Geographic Society, the Royal Geographical Society, the American Museum of Natural History and the Hayden Planetarium, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Space Society, and the United States Space Foundation.
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About Harvard Law School’s Harvard Negotiation Project
The Harvard Negotiation Project (HNP), established in 1979 by Professor Roger Fisher, co-author of Getting to Yes, is a foundational entity of the Program on Negotiation (PON) at Harvard Law School. Integrated into PON in 1983, HNP has been under the leadership of Professor James K. Sebenius since 2008. The Project is dedicated to practice-focused research, involvement in high-level deals and disputes, and education and training. HNP members and affiliates are actively engaged in the development and dissemination of innovative strategies to enhance negotiation and conflict resolution.
HNP undertakes a variety of impactful initiatives. These include exploring the influence of social media on negotiations, improving the functionality of the U.S. Congress through negotiation insights, and examining key negotiations in the music, sports, and entertainment industries. Additionally, HNP's international initiatives focus on conflict resolution and negotiation support in global contexts, such as the Global Negotiation Initiative and the Harvard International Negotiation Program. Through these efforts, HNP continues to advance the field of negotiation and equip practitioners with effective tools and strategies.
https://www.pon.harvard.edu/category/research_projects/harvard-negotiation-project/
About the Belfer Center of the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government
The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School is one of the world’s most influential and respected think tanks, focusing on the intersection of science, technology, and public policy as they relate to pressing national and global security challenges. Established in 1973, the Center was named after its benefactor, Robert Belfer, in 1997, recognizing his support for its mission of advancing a safer, more secure world. The Belfer Center leverages the intellectual resources of Harvard University and collaborates with an international network of scholars, policymakers, and industry experts to develop practical solutions to complex, global issues.
The Center conducts cutting-edge research across a wide range of fields, including nuclear security, cyber policy, climate and energy policy, biotechnology, and economic policy. Its work covers issues like preventing nuclear proliferation, preparing societies for climate change impacts, and managing the risks associated with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and gene editing. A hallmark of the Belfer Center’s approach is its interdisciplinary methodology, bridging technical expertise in science and engineering with insights from the social sciences to produce actionable policy recommendations.
The Belfer Center is home to several highly-regarded programs and initiatives, such as the Cyber Project, which explores cyber threats and promotes resilience in critical infrastructure, and the Environment and Natural Resources Program, which investigates sustainable energy options and environmental challenges. Another prominent initiative, the Project on Managing the Atom, focuses on nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament, and the safe use of nuclear energy. Additionally, the Technology and Public Purpose Project addresses the social and ethical implications of advancing technologies.
With a commitment to training the next generation of leaders, the Belfer Center offers fellowships, student research positions, and practical workshops. Its staff includes distinguished fellows from academia, former government officials, military officers, and scientific experts who bring hands-on experience in global diplomacy, security, and policy formulation. This combination of academic rigor and real-world insight enriches the Center's influence in shaping policy discussions.
The Center is also known for its regular publications, including policy papers, books, and articles that disseminate research findings and recommendations to policymakers, the media, and the public. Notable publications, like the Harvard Kennedy School Review and various white papers, are designed to provoke thought, inform debate, and inspire solutions at both domestic and international levels.
Through events, workshops, and conferences, the Belfer Center provides a forum for dialogue on critical global issues. It hosts high-profile speakers, such as current and former heads of state, Nobel laureates, and leading scientists, creating a vibrant intellectual community that fosters collaboration across disciplines and sectors. By advancing innovative research and engaging with global leaders, the Belfer Center seeks to shape policies that address the most urgent threats to humanity, contributing to a safer and more prosperous world for future generations.
Media Contact:
Isabel Carro-Toro, Vice President
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation
+34 689 295 827 (Spain)
+ 1 787 244 3175 (USA)
icarro-toro@aiac.com
