On January 22, Dr. Christopher Chivvis ’89 spoke in the Science Lecture Hall as a guest of the International Relations Society (IRS).
Dr. Chivvis is the director of the American Statecraft Program and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington D.C.
His career has been dedicated to addressing challenges in U.S. foreign policy and national security. He has held leadership positions in RAND Corporation’s international security program and in the Department of Defense, and served as the U.S. National Intelligence Officer for Europe.
His commentary has appeared in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, National Public Radio, and other news outlets.
Dr. Chivvis began his talk on January 22 by considering what defines victory in a conflict, drawing from historical examples. He then argued that the focal point of U.S. foreign policy had shifted from “the era of great power competition” to “counter-terrorism.”
Dr. Chivvis advocated for the study of international relations, which he believes prepares students for the professional world. He said, “Some of the people who are most important in foreign policy in the Biden administration were actually at the Carnegie Endowment before they went into office. That is one of the main ways that ideas flow from think tanks into government.”
Mr. Mike Fitzgerald, faculty advisor to IRS and instructor in history, said, “Lots of kids with an interest in international relations have the misconception that it only has a place in the academic world, but, in truth, it’s vital in many professional positions.”
Helena Inzerillo ’25, co-head of IRS, said, “It was interesting to hear Dr. Chivvis share his insights on how he believes the global political landscape will change over the next ten years, especially as many of the world’s biggest countries have important upcoming elections.”
