The Program in American Grand Strategy is a flagship initiative at Duke University dedicated to better understanding US foreign policy and national security. Our central mission is to prepare the next generation of national security strategists by studying past generations and interacting with current leaders.
We aim to refine our critical understanding of America’s role in the world by cultivating cognitive empathy in all of our participants, thus deepening our comprehension of the key policies that shape our contemporary world. To this end, we bring a range of speakers who can present diverse viewpoints, focusing on the perspectives that have the greatest impact in shaping actual foreign policy – past, present, and future – as well as those that are not already well-covered in other Duke programs. When we host a speaker or advertise an event, AGS does not endorse nor vet in advance the speaker's remarks. Rather, we only invite speakers we believe have something worth hearing and preferably a viewpoint not already abundantly covered by other Duke programs. We commit to treating all with respect and creating a civil environment in which to discuss and debate important issues.
