Former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed the intersection of geopolitics, technology, climate, and public health in the current global climate at a public event at Dartmouth College on November 4. In conversation with Professor Jeffrey Friedman, he drew on his experience at the heart of the Biden administration, offering a detailed perspective on the critical challenges facing the United States.
The discussion covered a broad agenda, notably focusing on the strategic competition with China, the complexities of the Russia-Ukraine war, and the reasoning behind the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Sullivan also addressed the inherent moral dilemmas in foreign policy decision-making and cautioned against the overreliance on artificial intelligence in diplomacy, stressing the irreplaceable role of human judgment.
Currently a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, he also served as deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the Obama administration. Sullivan was direct and candid, answering difficult questions from students and providing attendees with a straightforward, behind-the-scenes look at contemporary national security strategy and the personal toll of service.
He didn’t just talk about the big politics, he talked about the human side of diplomacy and government service, which does take a toll.”
VIctoria Holt, Director of the Dickey Center for International Understanding
Earlier in the day, Sullivan met with our Great Issues Scholars, War and Peace Fellows, Tuck students, and the Rosenwald postdoctoral fellows.
Read Nicola Smith’s coverage of Sullivan’s visit for Dartmouth News here, and Ryan Joseph’s piece in the Dartmouth here.
(Photo: Eli Burakian, top, Naomi Wade)
