in the media

National Security and the Schoolhouse

Is scholarship relevant to the policymaker? Is the academy preparing people to go into the policy world?

by Stephen TankelRyan EvansErin Simpson, and Francis Gavin
published by
War on the Rocks
 on May 20, 2015

Source: War on the Rocks

The Schoolhouse series of the War on the Rocks podcast is concerned with the intersection between policy and the academy. Is scholarship relevant to the policymaker? Is the academy preparing people to go into the policy world? Guests grappled with these questions and more, telling their own stories of how they came be involved as scholars in the policy world, in the field in Afghanistan, and the private sector. This episode had Frank Gavin of MIT, Erin Simpson of Caerus Associates, and Stephen Tankel of American University. Gavin noted that the incentives for graduate students work against getting involved in policy early in their careers. Simpson discussed the role that her experience working in Afghanistan had in her intellectual and career development, and Tankel explained how a policy fellowship in the Pentagon made him a better researcher.

This podcast was originally published by War on the Rocks.

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.