Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
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Name	Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
Established	1943
Parent	Johns Hopkins University
Type	Private graduate school
Locations	Washington, D.C.; Bologna; Nanjing; Washington, D.C.

Contents

Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies is a graduate professional school of Johns Hopkins University specializing in international affairs, international relations, and regional studies. Founded during World War II and shaped by figures from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Dean Acheson, the school has ties to policymakers from Harry S. Truman through Barack Obama and maintains campuses in Washington, D.C., Bologna, and Nanjing. Its alumni and faculty have worked at institutions such as the United States Department of State, Central Intelligence Agency, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund.

History

The school was established in 1943 amid debates in Congress and initiatives connected to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Henry L. Stimson, with early leadership linked to Paul H. Nitze and Christian Herter. During the Cold War, faculty included analysts associated with the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and discussions leading to the NATO treaty, while alumni served in administrations from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan. In the post-Cold War era the institution engaged with issues related to the Gulf War, the Balkan Wars, and policy responses to events such as the September 11 attacks, with graduates taking roles in the Department of Defense, United Nations, and private sectors like Goldman Sachs and Booz Allen Hamilton. Expansion overseas produced programs in Italy and China responding to the rise of the European Union and engagement with the People's Republic of China.

The Washington campus occupies facilities near Dupont Circle and Embassy Row, proximate to the White House, the United States Capitol, and think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations. The Bologna Center in Italy is located in the historic center near the University of Bologna and institutions involved with the European Commission and NATO's Parliamentary Assembly. The Nanjing campus was developed in collaboration with local partners to interface with entities like the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and provincial governments, facilitating exchanges with embassies from United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. Facilities include lecture halls used for events involving figures from The Pentagon and seminar rooms hosting forums with representatives from the International Criminal Court, European Central Bank, and United Nations Development Programme.

Degree programs include a Master of Arts in international relations with concentrations touching on regions such as Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and functional fields intersecting with organizations like the World Trade Organization and treaties such as the Paris Agreement. The curriculum integrates coursework drawing on scholarship by professors who have worked with the National Security Council, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and includes capstone projects addressing cases like the Iran nuclear deal and the South China Sea arbitration. Joint programs and certificates have been offered in partnership with Columbia University, Harvard Kennedy School, and agencies including the Federal Reserve and United States Agency for International Development.

The school hosts research entities that collaborate with bodies such as the United Nations, the World Bank Group, and the International Monetary Fund, producing policy analyses on issues ranging from nuclear non-proliferation to cybersecurity and trade disputes involving the World Trade Organization. Centers have run projects on energy geopolitics tied to events like the OPEC oil embargo and climate initiatives connected to the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, while launching programs with partners including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the RAND Corporation, and the Mercator Institute for China Studies.

Faculty and alumni include cabinet members and ambassadors who have served under presidents such as John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton, as well as foreign leaders and ministers from countries represented at the United Nations General Assembly. Graduates have led institutions like the Federal Reserve System, the World Bank, and multinational corporations including ExxonMobil and UBS. Scholars affiliated with the school have authored works engaging with thinkers like Kenneth Waltz, Samuel P. Huntington, and Hans Morgenthau and participated in commissions such as the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Admissions evaluate applicants alongside competitors including Harvard University, Princeton University, and Georgetown University for programs in international affairs, considering experience in organizations like the Peace Corps, United States Foreign Service, and the Department of Defense. Student life features events with speakers from the State Department, the CIA, the European Parliament, and media partners including The New York Times and The Washington Post, plus student organizations engaging with issues related to treaties such as the Geneva Conventions and regional study groups focusing on the African Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations.