The Robert and Renée Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, also known as the Belfer Center, is a research center located at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States.
The Belfer Center | |
Named after | Robert A. Belfer |
---|---|
Formation | 1973 |
Type | Think tank |
Headquarters | 79 John F. Kennedy Street |
Location |
|
Director | Meghan O'Sullivan |
Parent organization | Harvard Kennedy School |
Website | belfercenter |
From 2017 until his death in October 2022, the center was led by director Ash Carter, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and co-director Eric Rosenbach, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense. Its current executive director is Natalie Colbert. The current director is Meghan O'Sullivan.
About
The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is the hub of Harvard Kennedy School's research, teaching, and training in international security and diplomacy, environmental and resource issues, and science and technology policy.
History
1970s
During the Cold War, Harvard biochemist Paul M. Doty was deeply concerned about the tense relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. Doty collaborated with Soviet scientists who shared his worries about the potential for nuclear escalation. In the early 1970s, Doty recognized a significant gap in academic offerings—universities were not providing courses on arms control and international security, crucial for preparing future experts in these fields. Motivated by this, Doty envisioned a program at Harvard dedicated to research and education in arms control and related issues at the intersection of science and international affairs.
In 1973, Doty subsequently founded the Belfer Center as the Program for Science and International Affairs within Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Following a grant from the Ford Foundation soon after, the program was re-established as the Center for Science and International Affairs, becoming the first permanent research center at the newly formed School of Government.
1980s
Throughout the early 1980s, the Belfer Center intensified its focus on arms control and disarmament, with a growing emphasis on the militarization of space. Its researchers also delved into the security implications of competition over energy resources, highlighted by a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored workshop on energy and security. Additionally, they began exploring the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advancements.
1990s
The Belfer Center played a pivotal role in efforts to dismantle and secure the hazardous nuclear, chemical, and biological remnants of the Soviet Union. The Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Act, a direct result of its work, became one of the most significant national security initiatives since World War II. Belfer supported the transition to a cooperative security order in the post-Cold War era, strengthened institutions within newly independent states, and worked to prevent nuclear terrorism.
In 1997, following further endowment, the center was renamed as the Robert and Renée Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in honor of Robert A. Belfer, founder of Belco Oil & Gas Corporation.
2000s
Following the September 11th attacks, they became an immediate resource for terrorism-related information and analysis for policymakers and journalists. Belfer Center experts were appointed to high-level security positions in the U.S. government and played leading roles on the 9/11 Commission.
2010s
In 2015, President Barack Obama appointed Ash Carter the 25th U.S. Secretary of Defense. A leading voice in national and international security, Secretary Carter spent his career at the Belfer Center and in public service, where he leveraged his expertise at the intersection of science and technology, global strategy, and policy. His appointment underscored the center's significant influence on U.S. defense and security policy.
2020s
Drawing on their historical focus on mitigating global security threats through rigorous research and policy recommendations, the Belfer Center emerged as a necessary voice in shaping the understanding of the war in Ukraine. In October 2022, they hosted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking one of his first U.S. engagements following the Russian invasion, further underscoring its pivotal role in global affairs.
In 2023, the Belfer Center celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Board of Directors
The Belfer Center Board of Directors benefits from the experience of Harvard-affiliated scholars and senior-level staff, who guide their activities and mission to advance research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world.
Current Members
- Graham Allison, Former Director, Belfer Center, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
- Senem Aydın-Düzgit, Pierre Keller Visiting Professor, Harvard Kennedy School
- Lotem Bassan-Nygate, Assistant Professor of Public Policy
- Linda Bilmes, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Matthew Bunn, James R. Schlesinger Professor of the Practice of Energy, National Security, and Foreign Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Nicholas Burns, Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard Kennedy School (on leave)
- Albert Carnesale, Chancellor Emeritus, UCLA and former Harvard University Provost
- Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment, Harvard Kennedy School
- William Clark, Harvey Brooks Professor of International Science, Public Policy, and Human Development, Harvard Kennedy School
- Dara Cohen, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- John M. Deutch, Emeritus Institute Professor, MIT and former Director of Central Intelligence
- Karen Dynan, Professor of Practice, Department of Economics, Harvard University
- Jason Furman, Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard University
- Jeffrey Frankel, James W. Harpel Professor of Capital Formation and Growth, Harvard Kennedy School
- Kelly Gallagher, Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy, Fletcher School, Tufts University
- Nancy Gibbs, Lombard Director, Shorenstein Center and Visiting Edward R. Murrow Professor of the Practice of Press, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Susan Hockfield, Professor of Neuroscience and President Emerita, MIT
- John P. Holdren, Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Juliette Kayyem, Belfer Senior Lecturer in International Security, Harvard Kennedy School
- Robert Lawrence, Albert L. Williams Professor of International Trade and Investment, Harvard Kennedy School
- Henry Lee, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Jennifer Lerner, Thornton F. Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Management, Harvard Kennedy School
- Fredrick Logevall, Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
- Zoe Marks, Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Tarek Masoud, Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations, Harvard Kennedy School
- J. Michael McQuade, Director of the Program on Emerging Technology, Scientific Advancement & Global Policy
- Steven Miller, Director, International Security Program, Harvard Kennedy School; Editor-in-Chief, International Security
- Rana Mitter, S.T. Lee Professor of U.S.-Asia Relations, Harvard Kennedy School
- Venkatesh Narayanamurti, Benjamin Peirce Research Professor of Technology and Public Policy, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Harvard Kennedy School
- Joseph Nye, University Distinguished Service Professor, Harvard University
- Meghan O'Sullivan, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
- Samantha Power, Anna Lindh Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Practice, Harvard Law School (on leave)
- Carmen Reinhart, Minos A. Zombanakis Professor of the International Financial System, Harvard Kennedy School (on leave)
- Meg Rithmire, F. Warren McFarlan Associate Professor in the Business, Government, and International Economy, Harvard Business School
- Eric Rosenbach, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
- Anthony Saich, Daewoo Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
- Dan Schrag, Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology and Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, Harvard University
- Robert Stavins, A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy & Economic Development, Harvard Kennedy School
- Lawrence Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor, Harvard Kennedy School; President Emeritus, Harvard University
- Roya Talibova, Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman Assistant Professor of International Relations
- Stephen Walt, Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
Former Members
- Lewis M. Branscomb, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Corporate Management
- Ashton B. Carter, Chair of International Relations, Security & Science faculty, physicist, who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense (until his death in October 2022)
International Council
The Belfer Center has an international advisory board of prestigious senior business leaders and former government officials who care deeply about - and financially support - its mission to advance research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world.
Former Members
- Michael Chertoff, Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
- Gregory C. Carr, Boston Technology Founder
- Tim Collins, Ripplewood Holdings Founder
- Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco Systems
- Nathaniel Rothschild, 5th Baron Rothschild, Atticus Capital Co-chairman
- Stephen Biddle, theorist setting U.S. counterinsurgency policy
- Pierpaolo Barbieri, Author, Founder of Ualá
- Paul Volcker, Former United States Chairman of the Federal Reserve
Controversies
In 2012, the Stanton Foundation provided funds for a paid Wikipedian in residence at the Belfer Center. This became controversial due to links between the Belfer Center and the Stanton Foundation (the directors of each are a married couple) and public concerns about conflict-of-interest editing on Wikipedia. The center is organized into subgroups with specific areas of focus.
A 2021 investigative report by student group Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard found that many of the center's climate initiatives were funded in part by fossil fuel companies, and that the center had allegedly taken several steps to cover up that fact.
References
- "About". Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
- "Natalie Colbert". Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- "Belfer Center - About". Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Harvard. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- "About Us | The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs". www.belfercenter.org. 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- "About: History | The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs". www.belfercenter.org. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs (BCSIA), International Relations and Security Network (ISN), Zurich
- Bryan Marquard & staff, Obituary: "Paul Doty, 91, presidential adviser on nuclear arms control", Boston Globe, 6 December 2011
- "History". Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- "About: History | The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs". www.belfercenter.org. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- "About: Our People: Board | The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs". www.belfercenter.org. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
- "International Council". Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
- Tim Sampson (14 April 2014). "One of Wikimedia's largest donors accused in paid editing scandal". The Daily Dot.
- Science News Staff (17 October 2011). "Super Science Suggestions: House Panel Lays Out Spending Preferences". Science Magazine. Retrieved Sep 14, 2014.
...Laura Diaz Anadon, a chemical engineer and director of the energy technology innovation policy group at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government....
- Jesse Jenkins (April 6, 2013). "Energy Facts: How Much Water Does Fracking for Shale Gas Consume?". The Energy Collective. Retrieved Sep 14, 2014.
...how much water does shale gas consume per unit of energy produced...a 2010 paper by ...Laura Diaz Anadon... of Harvard's Belfer Center has data on exactly that question ...
- "Student group says Harvard's financial ties to fossil fuels undermine academic integrity". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
- "Divest Activists Lambast Harvard's Remaining Ties to Fossil Fuel Industry in Research Funding, Governance | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
- Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard (2021). "Beyond the Endowment" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-10.
External links
- Official website
Author: www.NiNa.Az
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The Robert and Renee Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs also known as the Belfer Center is a research center located at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts in the United States Belfer Center for Science and International AffairsThe Belfer CenterNamed afterRobert A BelferFormation1973TypeThink tankHeadquarters79 John F Kennedy StreetLocationCambridge Massachusetts U S DirectorMeghan O SullivanParent organizationHarvard Kennedy SchoolWebsitebelfercenter wbr org From 2017 until his death in October 2022 the center was led by director Ash Carter former U S Secretary of Defense and co director Eric Rosenbach a former U S Assistant Secretary of Defense Its current executive director is Natalie Colbert The current director is Meghan O Sullivan AboutThe Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is the hub of Harvard Kennedy School s research teaching and training in international security and diplomacy environmental and resource issues and science and technology policy History1970s During the Cold War Harvard biochemist Paul M Doty was deeply concerned about the tense relations between the United States and the Soviet Union Doty collaborated with Soviet scientists who shared his worries about the potential for nuclear escalation In the early 1970s Doty recognized a significant gap in academic offerings universities were not providing courses on arms control and international security crucial for preparing future experts in these fields Motivated by this Doty envisioned a program at Harvard dedicated to research and education in arms control and related issues at the intersection of science and international affairs In 1973 Doty subsequently founded the Belfer Center as the Program for Science and International Affairs within Harvard s Faculty of Arts and Sciences Following a grant from the Ford Foundation soon after the program was re established as the Center for Science and International Affairs becoming the first permanent research center at the newly formed School of Government 1980s Throughout the early 1980s the Belfer Center intensified its focus on arms control and disarmament with a growing emphasis on the militarization of space Its researchers also delved into the security implications of competition over energy resources highlighted by a U S Department of Energy sponsored workshop on energy and security Additionally they began exploring the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advancements 1990s The Belfer Center played a pivotal role in efforts to dismantle and secure the hazardous nuclear chemical and biological remnants of the Soviet Union The Nunn Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Act a direct result of its work became one of the most significant national security initiatives since World War II Belfer supported the transition to a cooperative security order in the post Cold War era strengthened institutions within newly independent states and worked to prevent nuclear terrorism In 1997 following further endowment the center was renamed as the Robert and Renee Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs in honor of Robert A Belfer founder of Belco Oil amp Gas Corporation 2000s Following the September 11th attacks they became an immediate resource for terrorism related information and analysis for policymakers and journalists Belfer Center experts were appointed to high level security positions in the U S government and played leading roles on the 9 11 Commission 2010s In 2015 President Barack Obama appointed Ash Carter the 25th U S Secretary of Defense A leading voice in national and international security Secretary Carter spent his career at the Belfer Center and in public service where he leveraged his expertise at the intersection of science and technology global strategy and policy His appointment underscored the center s significant influence on U S defense and security policy 2020s Drawing on their historical focus on mitigating global security threats through rigorous research and policy recommendations the Belfer Center emerged as a necessary voice in shaping the understanding of the war in Ukraine In October 2022 they hosted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marking one of his first U S engagements following the Russian invasion further underscoring its pivotal role in global affairs In 2023 the Belfer Center celebrated its 50th anniversary Board of DirectorsThe Belfer Center Board of Directors benefits from the experience of Harvard affiliated scholars and senior level staff who guide their activities and mission to advance research ideas and leadership for a more secure peaceful world Current Members Graham Allison Former Director Belfer Center Douglas Dillon Professor of Government Harvard Kennedy School Senem Aydin Duzgit Pierre Keller Visiting Professor Harvard Kennedy School Lotem Bassan Nygate Assistant Professor of Public Policy Linda Bilmes Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer in Public Policy Harvard Kennedy School Matthew Bunn James R Schlesinger Professor of the Practice of Energy National Security and Foreign Policy Harvard Kennedy School Nicholas Burns Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations Harvard Kennedy School on leave Albert Carnesale Chancellor Emeritus UCLA and former Harvard University Provost Erica Chenoweth Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment Harvard Kennedy School William Clark Harvey Brooks Professor of International Science Public Policy and Human Development Harvard Kennedy School Dara Cohen Professor of Public Policy Harvard Kennedy School John M Deutch Emeritus Institute Professor MIT and former Director of Central Intelligence Karen Dynan Professor of Practice Department of Economics Harvard University Jason Furman Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard University Jeffrey Frankel James W Harpel Professor of Capital Formation and Growth Harvard Kennedy School Kelly Gallagher Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy Fletcher School Tufts University Nancy Gibbs Lombard Director Shorenstein Center and Visiting Edward R Murrow Professor of the Practice of Press Politics and Public Policy Harvard Kennedy School Susan Hockfield Professor of Neuroscience and President Emerita MIT John P Holdren Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy Harvard Kennedy School Juliette Kayyem Belfer Senior Lecturer in International Security Harvard Kennedy School Robert Lawrence Albert L Williams Professor of International Trade and Investment Harvard Kennedy School Henry Lee Senior Lecturer in Public Policy Harvard Kennedy School Jennifer Lerner Thornton F Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Management Harvard Kennedy School Fredrick Logevall Laurence D Belfer Professor of International Affairs Harvard Kennedy School Zoe Marks Lecturer in Public Policy Harvard Kennedy School Tarek Masoud Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations Harvard Kennedy School J Michael McQuade Director of the Program on Emerging Technology Scientific Advancement amp Global Policy Steven Miller Director International Security Program Harvard Kennedy School Editor in Chief International Security Rana Mitter S T Lee Professor of U S Asia Relations Harvard Kennedy School Venkatesh Narayanamurti Benjamin Peirce Research Professor of Technology and Public Policy Harvard John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Harvard Kennedy School Joseph Nye University Distinguished Service Professor Harvard University Meghan O Sullivan Director Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs Harvard Kennedy School Samantha Power Anna Lindh Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Practice Harvard Law School on leave Carmen Reinhart Minos A Zombanakis Professor of the International Financial System Harvard Kennedy School on leave Meg Rithmire F Warren McFarlan Associate Professor in the Business Government and International Economy Harvard Business School Eric Rosenbach Senior Lecturer in Public Policy Harvard Kennedy School Anthony Saich Daewoo Professor of International Affairs Harvard Kennedy School Dan Schrag Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology and Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering Harvard University Robert Stavins A J Meyer Professor of Energy amp Economic Development Harvard Kennedy School Lawrence Summers Charles W Eliot University Professor Harvard Kennedy School President Emeritus Harvard University Roya Talibova Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman Assistant Professor of International Relations Stephen Walt Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs Harvard Kennedy School Former Members Lewis M Branscomb Professor Emeritus of Public Policy and Corporate Management Ashton B Carter Chair of International Relations Security amp Science faculty physicist who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense until his death in October 2022 International CouncilThe Belfer Center has an international advisory board of prestigious senior business leaders and former government officials who care deeply about and financially support its mission to advance research ideas and leadership for a more secure peaceful world Former Members Michael Chertoff Former U S Secretary of Homeland Security Gregory C Carr Boston Technology Founder Tim Collins Ripplewood Holdings Founder Chuck Robbins CEO of Cisco Systems Nathaniel Rothschild 5th Baron Rothschild Atticus Capital Co chairman Stephen Biddle theorist setting U S counterinsurgency policy Pierpaolo Barbieri Author Founder of Uala Paul Volcker Former United States Chairman of the Federal ReserveControversiesIn 2012 the Stanton Foundation provided funds for a paid Wikipedian in residence at the Belfer Center This became controversial due to links between the Belfer Center and the Stanton Foundation the directors of each are a married couple and public concerns about conflict of interest editing on Wikipedia The center is organized into subgroups with specific areas of focus A 2021 investigative report by student group Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard found that many of the center s climate initiatives were funded in part by fossil fuel companies and that the center had allegedly taken several steps to cover up that fact References About Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Natalie Colbert Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Retrieved 2023 06 08 Belfer Center About Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Harvard Retrieved 18 January 2024 About Us The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs www belfercenter org 2024 09 12 Retrieved 2024 09 13 About History The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs www belfercenter org Retrieved 2024 09 13 Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs BCSIA International Relations and Security Network ISN Zurich Bryan Marquard amp staff Obituary Paul Doty 91 presidential adviser on nuclear arms control Boston Globe 6 December 2011 History Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Retrieved 2023 06 08 About History The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs www belfercenter org Retrieved 2024 09 13 About Our People Board The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs www belfercenter org Retrieved 2024 09 13 International Council Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Tim Sampson 14 April 2014 One of Wikimedia s largest donors accused in paid editing scandal The Daily Dot Science News Staff 17 October 2011 Super Science Suggestions House Panel Lays Out Spending Preferences Science Magazine Retrieved Sep 14 2014 Laura Diaz Anadon a chemical engineer and director of the energy technology innovation policy group at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Jesse Jenkins April 6 2013 Energy Facts How Much Water Does Fracking for Shale Gas Consume The Energy Collective Retrieved Sep 14 2014 how much water does shale gas consume per unit of energy produced a 2010 paper by Laura Diaz Anadon of Harvard s Belfer Center has data on exactly that question Student group says Harvard s financial ties to fossil fuels undermine academic integrity www wbur org Retrieved 2021 11 23 Divest Activists Lambast Harvard s Remaining Ties to Fossil Fuel Industry in Research Funding Governance News The Harvard Crimson www thecrimson com Retrieved 2021 11 23 Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard 2021 Beyond the Endowment PDF Archived PDF from the original on 2021 11 10 External linksOfficial website