The National Security Policy Center (NSPC) is housed at the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. The Center provides evidence-based teaching, research, and policy engagement on pressing security issues facing the United States and the globe. We prepare students and security professionals for the challenging security issues of the twenty-first century. We seek to increase knowledge, build capability, develop relationships, and improve communication, both within the U.S. government, between the U.S. government and academics, and between the U.S. and foreign powers.
We work from the premise that, when it comes to the most challenging issues in international security, national interests must be taken seriously. The greatest threats to the security of the United States come not from disagreement, but from miscalculation. Peace and prosperity are best assured by facilitating informed communication that can convey goals and capabilities accurately and credibly. Toward this end, the NSPC builds “constructive counterparts,” across US government and among key international partners, who are trained in rigorous analytical methodology and informed by the best research. This will contribute to strategic clarity that will underpin successful US foreign policy.
The UVA Advantage
The University of Virginia offers a unique combination of academic excellence, a tradition of policy engagement, and a commitment to public service. Our proximity to Washington, D.C. allows easy access for policymakers, but the 100 miles between Charlottesville and Washington, D.C. also provide a buffer from the Beltway that facilitates thoughtful discussion. Finally, as a nonpartisan, academic institute, the NPSC provides credible and pragmatic research that avoids ideological and partisan bias.