Evolution of the International Order
The virtual seminar on the “Evolution of the International Order” provides AHS members with a historical perspective on contemporary international affairs as well as an appreciation of what American leadership has achieved. Part I runs during the fall semester and its five sessions examine major historical ideas and events — the Peace of Westphalia; Congress of Vienna; and the Treaty of Versailles — out of which today’s international order was born. The sessions revolve around one of foreign policy’s classic works: Diplomacy by Henry Kissinger. The first session is the notable exception: it draws on Thinking in Time by Ernest May and Richard Neustadt to underscore history’s use and misuse by decision-makers.
Part II runs during the spring semester and builds on Robert Zoellick’s America in the World to examine the ideas and people behind American statecraft and diplomacy. Admitted students receive complimentary copies of Thinking in Time, Diplomacy, and American in the World.
Applications for the Fall 2025 virtual series program close September 17, 2025.