MIT Seminar XXI is an educational program for national security professionals run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Originally for military leaders when begun in 1986, leaders from various government, non-government, and private organizations attend the seminar. The seminar runs annually from September to April in the national capital region. MIT president Susan Hockfield called it a "legendary program".[1]
The school began in 1986 with its first seminar meeting that September 12–14.[2] Its three founders were Suzanne Berger, Jake W. Stewart, and Mitzi Wertheim who wanted to improve on the national security community's perspective in the 1970s and 1980s.[2] Its initial design was to "provide a unique educational perspective for senior military and civilian officials and to afford an opportunity for frank and challenging exchanges of ideas between policymakers, university scholars, and Seminar XXI Fellows".[3]
Seminar XXI Program Directors included Suzanne Berger (1986–1993); Barry Posen, Myron Weiner, and Ken Oye (1993–1998); Ken Oye (1998–2000), and Robert Art (2000–2021).[2] As of July 2021, Dr. Kelly Greenhill became the seminar director.[4]
As of 2020, 2,530 fellows had graduated from the program.[4]
Prospective students must be nominated by a senior executive in their organization. Nominees apply to MIT's Seminar XII for consideration by the board comprising an executive committee and alumni. Selected students attend the following year's seminar.[3] The 2022–2023 academic year cohort comprised 82 students.[7]
Curriculum
A Seminar XXI cube.
The seminar educates national security professionals across multiple government and non-governmental organizations "with significant potential to move into key decision-making roles in the next 5–10 years".[5] As of 2023, the curriculum comprises nine sessions in the National Capital Region between September and May.[8] The curriculum for the 2022–2023 academic year included topics such as: Religion, Identity Politics, and Civil Wars; Realism, Liberalism, and China; Pandemic Security and COVID-19; Cybersecurity and Biosecurity; Japan, Europe, and South Korea – US Alliance Relationships; National Economies in a Globalized World; Iran, Turkey, and Israel; and U.S. National Security Policy.[7] Graduates receive a distinctive "Black Cube" on graduation inscribed with their academic year.[9]
MIT president Susan Hockfield called Seminar XXI a "legendary program".[1] The Seminar XXI director stated in 2010 that the seminar was successful due to five factors: its "innovative approach" in using multiple perspectives to understand foreign policy, its intended audience of current or rising leaders, its faculty of "world-renowned" experts, its loyal alumni, and efforts to maintain currency.[11]
"The Seminar XXI Program is first class in every way. The analytic problem solving skills and personal interaction with other students from across the U.S. Government, as well as several non-governmental organizations, has proven tremendously valuable for a professional military officer thinking through the complex security issues facing our country."
— General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (class of 2007).[16]
Admiral James Stavridis called it a "marvelous opportunity" with important networking opportunities that provided him "the solid underpinnings of how the world of foreign policy works".[17]
The Seminar has affected various members of the U.S. government interagency. Ambassador Harry Thomas called it a "unique opportunity" and "an enriching experience which allowed me to bring new proposals to the never-ending challenges we face in the Department of State.”[14]Foreign Service Officer Meghan Gregonis called the seminar a "first rate program" and noted that it "broadened my perspective, and ... sharpened my focus".[18]
Notes
↑ Admiral Stuart Munsch, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa also lists Seminar XXI in his biography.[13]
MIT Center for International Studies (2023). MIT Seminar XXI: Foreign Politics, International Relations and the National Interest: 2023–2024 Class. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MIT. "Admissions". MIT. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
Munsch, Stuart (22 July 2022). "Admiral Stuart Munsch". U.S. Navy. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
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