How are the lessons of history linked to current events in your program? 

The past year has seen the return of two developments from the past that the current generation of students has not experienced in their lifetime: first, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has led to large-scale conventional warfare between two European countries, and second, the return of inflation and the efforts to deal with it through rising interest rates and possible recession following the economic damage of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 

The Stanford Master’s in International Policy (MIP) deals with issues such as these in different ways. Like many programs, we offer courses in both international security and in international economics, which give students a structured way of thinking about policy issues that they may not have encountered previously. But we also provide the skills that allow students to use these high-level concepts to solve real-world problems. Through a three-course sequence, we present students first with case studies that put them in the position of decision-makers and introduce them to the MIP Policy Problem-Solving Framework. The latter is a structured approach to identifying problems, searching for solutions, and devising an implementation strategy that takes account of real-world constraints and local context. From this base, they go on to a two-quarter capstone, in which they are linked to external partners with whom they work to solve actual problems—not just as glorified research assistants—but as real partners who need help thinking through problems and solutions.  

How is the role of technology in international politics changing?  

Over the past few years, we have seen the weaponization of social media and sophisticated cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure across borders. We are now engaged in a complex form of hybrid warfare with geopolitical competitors such as China and Russia, as well as with terrorist and criminal organizations. 
 

The MIP program offers a Cyber Policy track linked to the Cyber Policy Center at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute, which offers courses such as “Hacking for Security” that draw on the vast computer science resources at Stanford. Other courses look at issues like online platform content moderation, or work with the Stanford Internet Observatory that does real-time empirical research on how the Internet is being used for political purposes. In addition, many of our graduates find jobs with cutting-edge technology companies here in Silicon Valley, companies that are finding they need the kind of international expertise and policy awareness that our program provides. Technology is of course embedded in all aspects of the MIP program, and students can make use of Stanford’s rich resources in this area.

How are the mechanisms of policymaking changing to adapt to a post-pandemic world? 

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed challenges that too often stand in the way of effective policymaking. Three such challenges have become particularly salient over the course of this pandemic.  

The first is the prevalence of unreliable information. The increasingly rapid adoption of new technologies has facilitated the rampant spread of misinformation, clouding our ability to analyze societal problems that could benefit from policy solutions. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of sourcing credible data for effective policymaking. The second is the degree to which uncertainty and unpredictable factors can derail the best-laid plans. Planning ahead for various what-if scenarios, even unlikely ones, is now a necessary step for policymakers. Similarly, it has become essential to look at global trends to assess how various circumstances might impact current and future events. This is particularly important in the solution design and implementation stages of policymaking. The third challenge relates to the importance of comprehensive and feasible implementation plans. For instance, COVID vaccine rollouts in many places have illustrated how policy shortfalls or vague implementation plans can have dire consequences.  

The Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy (MIP) program trains students to address such challenges head-on. Our capstone program utilizes a framework that focuses on the entirety of the policymaking process, from problem identification and solution development to policy implementation. The program’s cyber policy and security specialization addresses issues of misinformation, disinformation, and the impact of technology on policymaking. Additionally, the MIP curriculum includes courses taught by former and current practitioners with direct experience dealing with a myriad of challenging policy issues. For instance, my course on trade and development analyzes trends and discusses how advancements in new technologies have affected the future of work, life, and policymaking, with a view to designing impactful and prescient policies.  

These components of the MIP program provide invaluable opportunities for discussing challenges at the forefront of global discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students graduate from the program well prepared to be effective policymakers in a post-pandemic world. 

How does your school promote new voices and new perspectives in its diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice (DEIJ) initiatives? 

Students at MIP were instrumental in advocating for change and a commitment to DEI within MIP and our home institute, the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). In June 2020, FSI convened a task force on Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) following MIP student demands for a concerted response to racial injustice. Among REDI’s stated goals are the pursuit of an anti-racist mandate, increasing the diversity of the FSI community, and programming and curricular proposals to achieve pedagogical reform. Two MIP students and I serve on the REDI task force.  

In parallel, MIP took concrete steps toward the recruitment and admission of the most racially diverse class to date and committed to making DEI trainings a formal part of programming for incoming students and to hold events on DEIJ themes. We look forward to continuing to build on these important efforts, now and in the future. 

How does your program look at international cooperation?

The parent institute from which our program draws its faculty looks at international affairs and international cooperation through an interdisciplinary lens. It encompasses the Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford Health Policy, and a new Cyber Policy Center, in addition to ones dealing with more traditional issues, such as international security, regional politics, and governance. Many of these faculty have had experience working on issues outside of the usual ones involving security or international economics; for example, on issues such as abating lead poisoning in Bangladesh or dealing with Russian election interference from inside one of the Silicon Valley platforms. We also need to understand the obstacles to international cooperation, which is why we have had a program over the past three years on global populism and have been teaching students about the politics of backlash against globalization.

How are the mechanisms of policy-making changing to adapt to a post-pandemic world?

Policy-making mechanisms have not been adapting particularly well to the conditions we can expect post-pandemic. There has been less international cooperation than in the 2008 financial crisis, with the United States checking out of most international institutions. The speed of decision-making has not kept up with the speed of change, and it has not remotely taken advantage of the kinds of technological tools that are now available to analyze problems and implement responses. Populist movements and leaders have challenged the very legitimacy of elite decision-making and regular process. Nonetheless, the forced adaptation of people around the world to quarantine conditions may show the way toward uses of technology to communicate and coordinate in unanticipated ways.

What skills are needed to help students prepare to manage crises and global risk?

In revamping our program last year, we have implemented a completely new sequence, including a leadership course introducing students to our Policy Problem-Solving Framework, in which they are put in the position of leaders facing difficult real-world problems through case-based teaching. We want them to go beyond analyzing problems and manipulating data to being able to formulate and implement solutions under real-world conditions. Unless students understand the importance of context, history, and culture, they will not be able to deal with the crises they will face later in their careers.

What leadership traits are needed to navigate in uncertain times? How does your school look to instill these qualities in your students?

Our leadership course is part of a sequence leading to a two-quarter capstone, in which teams of students are paired with international partners and given the opportunity to apply the Policy Problem-Solving Framework to an actual problem. The problem is not necessarily the one initially laid out by the partner but is negotiated with the student teams. One of the required leadership qualities is being able to manage an often complex relationship with the partner.

As the new director for the Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy (MIP), what is your vision for public policy education? How does the program embody this vision?

Many American public policy schools have focused on teaching students a set of quantitative skills that allow them to become policy analysts, which means you are the person writing the policy memo telling your boss what should be done. These skills are important, particularly in an age when evidence-based policy has come under attack from certain quarters.

But actually accomplishing policy change in the real world requires a broader set of skills having to do with the ability to implement policies in the face of political constraints. This requires the ability to manage stakeholder coalitions, neutralize opponents, communicate policies, and generate resources. Moreover, it often turns out that your boss wants you to analyze a precooked solution that solves the wrong problem, without ever being able to ask if you were asking the right question in the first place.

In the redesigned MIP program, we aim to teach both skill sets: to be a good policy analyst and to be a changemaker—a leader able to take policies and make them happen. We have developed a policy problem-solving framework that we think applies in many circumstances to help solve policy problems, whether in or outside government.

If you are interested in the background to this approach to public policy education, you can read more about it in my article “What’s Wrong with Public Policy Education.”

Disruptive technologies shift the way societies interact on a global level and have the potential to change the dimension in which conflicts occur. How does the MIP program equip students with the flexibility and adaptability to confront unfamiliar situations?

Our MIP program has a new track in cyber policy, build around the Freeman Spogli Institute’s (FSI) new Cyber Policy Center. Located in Silicon Valley, our program and Stanford have access to a wide range of expertise not just in technology but also in design thinking, cybersecurity, and issues concerning democracy and social media, as well as international relations specialists who have thought about issues such as hybrid warfare and other new forms of political competition.

The policy problem-solving framework I mentioned earlier can be applied to problems created by technology and as a general approach to dealing with new or unfamiliar situations. The interdisciplinary nature of FSI and the MIP program ensures that students will face problems with multiple sets of tools and can look at them from a variety of perspectives.

In an age defined by digital revolution, how does the program teach students to bridge the gap between policy leaders in areas that have access to technology and leaders in areas that may lack access?

The digital divide is not just a problem in the technological sphere. Technology and the globalization it has produced has created winners and losers along many different dimensions—technological, political, social, and cultural. I think our program is grounded in a set of political values that make students aware of the salience of these broad inequalities and hopefully will provide some methods that can help to overcome them. Further, the faculty include former and current practitioners who have direct experience dealing with these divides and the political wisdom to understand how they may be approached.

Stanford’s Ford Dorsey Program in International Policy (MIP) recently redesigned its curriculum. What was the impetus for this change?

We are firm believers that the program and its curriculum should be responsive with the ever-changing global landscape. We reevaluate our curriculum every ten years to make sure students are ready for leadership roles where they will engineer policy and spur innovation. In particular, our new curriculum reflects technology’s growing role in all dimensions of international affairs. It also provides more original learning experiences, including lab projects, interactive case method teaching, and mentorship from Stanford’s distinguished faculty. Under the program, senior faculty teach almost all courses in core and gateways courses for our new specialization tracks.

What are the highlights of this redesigned program?

One of the most exciting updates to the curriculum is our redesigned capstone practicum, Engineering Policy Change, which students take in their second year. The practicum, which is taught by Francis Fukuyama and Jeremy Weinstein, partners small student teams with real-world organizations to tackle pressing policy problems. Students also have opportunities to assist with policy-relevant research within the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). Additionally, the curriculum provides flexibility—students can pursue their academic interests in a truly interdisciplinary way, including opportunities with Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Law School, and the design school.

How does MIP prepare tomorrow’s leaders to deal with the changing nature of conflict and peaceful resolution?

MIP students graduate with expertise in quantitative analysis, decision-making, and research methodology, among other skills that contemporary policymakers need. Since students can take courses in different departments and schools, many augment their policy skills with finance, computer science, management, language, and other fields. This interdisciplinary and collaborative environment gives our students the ability to translate between different fields and perspectives that they will encounter in their future careers.

Students study one of our five areas of specialization, which include Energy, Natural Resources, and the Environment; Global Health; Governance and Development; International Security; and our newest specialization, Cyber Policy and Security. This new specialization, as well as our overarching curriculum, is designed to address the growing importance that cyber and other factors have on international policy.

Keeping this ever-changing geopolitical landscape in mind, how does MIP offer students relevant networking and career opportunities?

Stanford and FSI are home to world-renowned scholars and researchers with incredible policy experience, from former ambassadors to key players in Silicon Valley. We have several faculty at FSI who have the rare combination of being leaders in their academic fields and experienced practitioners. FSI regularly hosts policymakers from around the globe and often arranges small, intimate meetings for our students. In addition, our students participate in site visits to gain exposure to policy and management departments within some of Silicon Valley’s most exciting enterprises.

Because MIP is a small and collaborative program, we have strong ties to our alumni, who routinely participate in career panels and visits and provide introductions, internships, and career opportunities for current students. Pragmatic real-world experience, combined with networking opportunities from different sectors and industries, equip our students to become leaders in international policy.

Michael A. McFaul is the former U.S. ambassador to Russia, 2012–2014; former senior director for Russia and Eurasia, U.S. National Security Council, 2009–2012; senior fellow, Hoover Institution; and professor of political science, Stanford University

What differentiates the Ford Dorsey Program in International Policy Studies (IPS) from other policy studies programs?

Stanford has a strong tradition of collaborating across disciplines, which creates a truly interdisciplinary learning environment. IPS students can fulfill program requirements at other Stanford professional schools, such as the Graduate School of Business, the Law School, the Graduate School of Education, the design school, and even the medical school. Over the next few years, we will be rolling out more joint-degree programs to take greater advantage of these opportunities. This interdisciplinary spirit is heavily influenced by Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial and innovative ethos. Unique courses such as hacking for defense and hacking for diplomacy afford our students opportunities to approach national security issues from a technological perspective. Courses that combine technology and international policy are unique to Stanford and differentiate us from traditional policy schools.

IPS recently underwent a reorganization, moving into the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). What changes are on the way as IPS settles into its new home?

With its diverse faculty, FSI creates greater opportunities for IPS students to work across disciplines and to receive an applied education. Over the past few years, we have worked to give students more experience with real clients in our practicum and in other classes. In the autumn quarter of 2018, there will be a new, stronger curriculum that will provide future public service professionals with even greater tools for their careers. Additionally, we will continue to grow the robust career development opportunities available to students.

What skills do students obtain in your program?

The IPS curriculum prepares students to address problems in diplomacy, governance, security, international economic policy, energy and environmental policies, and development. Our students tell us that they chose our program in order to get a firm grounding in analytical and quantitative skills. IPS graduates leave the program with expertise in quantitative analysis, policy writing, decision-making, and negotiation, among a host of other skills that contemporary policymakers need. Since students can take classes in different departments and schools at Stanford, many also obtain skills in finance, computer science, management, and other fields.

Our students must also study one of the five areas of programmatic concentration: democracy and development, energy and environment, global health, international political economy, and international security. In 2018, we are adding an additional concentration in cyber policy.

What networking and career opportunities can IPS offer to students?

At Stanford—and FSI in particular—we have a group of people with incredible policy experience. At FSI alone, there are four former ambassadors, while Stanford is home to former U.S. cabinet officials, policymakers from federal and state governments, and, of course, the Silicon Valley community. We also routinely host non-U.S. policymakers in our visiting diplomats programs. There is an increasing demand for tech companies to have effective government and international relations departments, and many of our recent graduates have accepted jobs at some of the Valley’s most exciting enterprises. IPS is not a traditional policy degree in many respects—we offer far more than that!

What are the distinguishing features of the Ford Dorsey Program in International Policy Studies (IPS)?

We are a small program (25 students per year), which helps create a strong sense of community and common purpose. At the same time, we are embedded in a great research university. Students are able to take full advantage of the wide range of classes across Stanford while completing IPS’ core curriculum.

Our model is also different from that of our competitors. We believe the best solutions to international policy problems should come from a range of perspectives and disciplines, rather than the traditional disciplines of economics or political science. Our students can take classes almost anywhere at Stanford, including the Graduate School of Business, Stanford Law School, the School of Education, and Stanford’s very popular d.School. As a result, we have a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to the study of global policy challenges and solutions.

Lastly, the IPS program includes a heavily subsidized spring break trip, a funded summer internship between the first and second years of the program, and a second-year practicum exercise where students provide real-world policy recommendations for clients like the World Bank, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the US Department of State, to name but a few. This past spring break, students traveled to India and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And last year, they met with Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar.

What skills do students obtain in your program?

The IPS curriculum provides students with rigorous preparation to address problems in diplomacy, governance, security, international economic policy, and related issues.

Our students tell us that they chose our program in order to get a firm grounding in analytical and quantitative skills. Core quantitative courses include calculus-based statistics, econometrics, international trade or international finance and microeconomics or cost-benefit analysis. Our student must also undertake a depth of study in one of the five areas of programmatic concentration, which include: Democracy and Development, Energy and Environment, Global Health, International Political Economy, and International Security and Cooperation.

IPS graduates leave the program with a range of skills including those in quantitative analysis, policy writing, decision-making, and negotiation. Additionally, since students are able to take classes in different departments and schools at Stanford, many also obtain skills in finance, computer science, and management, among other fields.

Who are leading faculty members in your program?

One of the biggest strengths of our program is our ability to draw on faculty not just from within our program, but from around Stanford. A student can study security and conflict with James Fearon in the Political Science Department or democratic development with Larry Diamond at the Hoover Institution, as well as Francis Fukuyama at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford. In addition, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice teaches in our program, as do two former US Ambassadors Michael McFaul and Karl Eikenberry (Russia and Afghanistan, respectively). In this way, we are able to combine theory and practice in our classes.

What makes the Ford Dorsey International Policy Studies Program (IPS) unique?

One thing that distinguishes IPS is that we are embedded in a great research university. We are a smaller program (25 students per year across two years), which helps create a strong sense of community and common purpose. At the same time, students are able to take full advantage of the wide range of classes across Stanford, in addition to completing IPS’s core curriculum.               

Another distinguishing feature is that we are not a big school. Our model is different from that of our competitors. We believe the best solutions to international policy problems should come from a range of perspectives and disciplines, rather than just the traditional disciplines of economics or political science. Our students can take classes almost anywhere at Stanford, including the Graduate School of Business, Stanford Law School, the School of Education, and Stanford’s very popular d.school. As a result, we have a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to the study of global policy challenges and solutions.

Finally, the IPS program includes a heavily subsidized spring break trip (in 2014 to Argentina with faculty leader Francis Fukuyama, and in 2015 to Myanmar with faculty leader James Fearon), a funded summer internship between the first and second years of the program, and a second-year practicum exercise where students provide real-world policy recommendations for clients like the World Bank, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the U.S. Department of State, to name but a few.

What skills do students obtain in your program?

The IPS curriculum provides students with rigorous preparation to address problems in diplomacy, governance, security, international economic policy, and related issues.

Our students tell us that they choose our program in order to get a firm grounding in analytical and quantitative skills. Core quantitative courses include calculus-based statistics, econometrics, international trade or international finance, and microeconomics or cost-benefit analysis. Our students must also take a gateway course in one of the five areas of programmatic concentration, which include Democracy and Development, Energy and the Environment, Global Health, International Political Economy, and International Security. IPS graduates leave the program with a range of skills including quantitative analysis, policy writing, negotiation, and public speaking. Additionally, because students are able to take classes in different departments and schools at Stanford, many also obtain skills in finance, computer science, and management, among others.

Who are leading faculty members in your program?

One of the big strengths of our program is our ability to draw on faculty not just from within our program, but from around Stanford as well. A student can study security and conflict with James Fearon in the Political Science Department, or democratic development with Larry Diamond at the Hoover Institution, as well as Francis Fukuyama at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford. In addition, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice teaches in our program, as do two former U.S. Ambassadors (to Russia and Afghanistan respectively), Michael McFaul and Karl Eikenberry. In this way, we are able to combine theory and practice in our classes.