Soft Power on the Line: U.S. Influence in a Changing Worlds
Virtual Briefing Series
Thursday, March 13th, 2024 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
The Trump administration’s recent foreign policy decisions—including the pause on foreign aid, the closure of USAID, and an assertive approach to negotiations—have raised questions about the trajectory of U.S. soft power. In a world where power is increasingly diffuse and economic and political relationships are fuzzy, what will be the role of soft power in shaping international norms and achieving diplomatic goals? The cyclical nature of soft power, particularly in contrast to China’s expanding global footprint, underscores the need to contextualize these shifts within broader geopolitical trends.
Join us on Thursday, March 13, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET for a discussion with Professor Joseph Nye, University Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus and former Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and former Chair of the National Intelligence Council. His latest book A Life in the American Century traces the rise and transformation of U.S. power while contemplating the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. A leading thinker on soft power, Professor Nye will put Washington’s recent actions into context, highlighting how they have influenced America’s global standing. As countries navigate evolving trade dynamics and strategic realignments, this conversation will explore whether U.S. soft power can adapt to an increasingly competitive international landscape.
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SPEAKER:
Professor Joseph S. Nye Jr.
Joseph S. Nye, Jr., is University Distinguished Service Professor and former Dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He received his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Princeton University, studied at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, and earned a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard where he joined the faculty in 1964. In 2008, a poll of 2700 international relations scholars listed him as the most influential scholar on American foreign policy, and in 2011 Foreign Policy listed him among the 100 leading global thinkers.
From 1977-79, Nye was a deputy Undersecretary of State and chaired the National Security Council Group on Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In 1993-94 he chaired the National Intelligence Council which prepares intelligence estimates for the president, and in 1994-95 served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. He won Distinguished Service medals from all three agencies.
Nye has published fourteen academic books, a novel, and more than 200 articles in professional and policy journals. Recent books include Soft Power, The Powers to Lead, The Future of Power, Is the American Century Over?, Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump, and A Life in the American Century.
He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the British Academy, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and an honorary fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. He is the recipient of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson Award, the Charles Merriam Award from the American Political Science Association, France’s Palmes Academiques, Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun and various honorary degrees.
Image credit: Photo by Ben Mater on Unsplash
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