Ayush GuptaI’ve really enjoyed my time at the IWP as a Civic Thought and Statecraft (CTS) Fellow. I came in not really knowing what my path forward would hold. Having had the time to explore different options, meet fellow interns with interesting ambitions, and just getting out into D.C. and seeing all of the options was really a cool and insightful experience.
One thing I really enjoyed was the CTS seminar. It’s rare to have a class without a grade where you’re there for genuine discussion and learning, and even more rare to have a class of students willing to do that work without any “reward,” per se. The IWP brought together a group of curious minds who were willing to engage in that dialogue, and, guided by Dr. Tim McCranor (who is a fantastic teacher), we had so many interesting and thought-provoking discussions around the table. Who knew how long one could talk about the Aristotelian properties of a pencil and somehow relate it to statecraft?
Also, the war games were really interesting. I grew up playing games like Civilization 6, so they came to me quite naturally, and it was so cool to see how much of the decision-making in these games is reflective of real-life decisions. My whole life, I was told that games are nothing but fantasy, but it turns out that real decision-makers have to deal with many of the same decisions I have to make in a game of Civ! Also, it really stressed to me the element of Realpolitik in statecraft — constructivism is a nice ideal to strive for, but when it comes to who owns what and who holds the power, it’s really all about realist potential and capabilities. Goodbye, my constructivism-loving youth!
Overall, it was a super fun experience. The briefings were a nice add-on to the program, which helped me develop my subject matter expertise on the intersection between defense and AI, as well as perfect my public speaking skills, especially for a short time frame. Thanks for the great opportunity (and lunches), and I hope to do more work building off of this experience in the near future!
Ayush Gupta
Georgetown University, Class of 2027
Civic Thought and Statecraft Fellow