Grant Turner (’25): Impacting International Affairs

Grant has always been interested in international affairs, especially as seen from a wider perspective, and his lifelong study of this topic has helped him excel in research work at various think tanks.

In his current role at the Stimson Center, he has been involved with research and expert convenings on several critical topics, including counter-WMD issues and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. His work helps leaders in government and business make decisions and resolve differences.

Below, he shares how conversations with IWP professors, practice writing briefs for class, and research he did for IWP papers helped prepare him for the work he is doing today.

An Interest in World History

Grant grew up surrounded by people who helped him develop a deep interest in American and world history – from his first-generation Hungarian-American grandparents who had experienced the Great Depression and Second World War, to his father, who brought him to historical sites around the United States.

With a curiosity about how the world works and an interest in public service, Grant designed his undergraduate degree to give him a holistic view of world affairs, with a focus on diplomacy and peacekeeping.

He later chose his first M.A. program at the University of Cincinnati for its focus on action research – a research approach that includes research participants in iterative cycles of identifying the problems and questions, crafting a plan for addressing them, executing the plan, and reflecting on the outcomes. Grant hoped to apply this methodology to the realm of international affairs.

Grant pursued a second M.A. at IWP so he would have a credential specifically focused on national security affairs.

Learning from Practitioners at IWP

Grant chose IWP in part because of its focus on all the arts of statecraft and their integration – like the integration of instruments in an orchestra that must work together in harmony to make effective music. “This concept aligned well with my view on the importance of interdisciplinary studies,” said Grant.

He also chose IWP because its faculty had experience serving in many parts of government. “I always read and learn on my own anyway – so in a master’s program, I wanted the ability to interact with people who had served in the field,” he said.

During his M.A. program at IWP, Grant found the faculty to be helpful. They exposed him to a wide variety of professions in the national security realm, answered his questions, and shared career advice. He noted, “At IWP, the professors’ focus and passion are educating the students. They are there to continue their service.”

Research at D.C. Think Tanks

Grant got his start in the D.C. think tank world through an internship with the Jamestown Foundation. “The great thing about Jamestown is they have a massive network of experts and a focus on non-Western sources, so you get indigenous perspectives,” said Grant.

Jamestown had a small in-person office, so Grant was able to work on everything from research to administration to events. His supervisor helped introduce him to influential people in the international affairs world.

When his internship concluded, Grant worked at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), where he focused on the war in Ukraine and NATO’s restructuring.

Meanwhile, a leader at the Yorktown Institute discovered a paper Grant wrote for IWP and published online. Grant soon found himself working for Yorktown as a project-based research assistant, where he authored papers on neurowarfare, critical minerals, and the Three Seas Initiative, while also assisting with a recently published book on a US grand strategy for Eurasia.

Work with the Strategic Foresight Hub

Grant now works with the Stimson Center’s Strategic Foresight Hub, which gathers information from different sources to generate potential outcomes on various topics, ultimately giving companies and policymakers a framework for their own strategic planning.

One of Grant’s projects is called EDGE, which Stimson describes as “an initiative to support the G7-led Global Partnership to map, assess, and respond to WMD-relevant technologies.” This project is focused on seeing how emerging technologies will enable both the monitoring and countering of WMDs, as well as the ability of states and non-state actors to create them.

“We were able to bring together high-level people from governments and emerging technology companies to have discussions about threats, challenges, and practical solutions to mitigate threats before they become significant,” said Grant.

As part of his work on EDGE, he assisted with a paper titled “A Critical Juncture: Global Security and the Age of Converging Technologies.”

Grant also supported a roundtable on Ukraine, with the goal of informing the Ukrainian government about emerging foreign policy ideas in D.C. They brought together people with diverse perspectives, including those who were pro-Ukrainian and those who were sympathetic to Russia. Prof. Glenn Corn of IWP also joined the discussion.

Grant finds his work at Stimson rewarding. “I enjoy the scope of topics that I get to work on. I like juggling several projects to keep my momentum going,” he said. “I also like the focus on interdisciplinary work because I think a lot of problems we face at policy levels arise from misunderstandings or a lack of awareness from people of different backgrounds, both culturally and professionally.”

The IWP Education Applied to Think Tank Work

When asked how his M.A. program has supported his work at think tanks, Grant points to the opportunity to write papers for class that he could also publish. He published several of his IWP papers, including a shortened version of a paper for his Geography and Strategy class and a paper on North Korea for John Sano’s Writing for National Security Professionals class.

Grant also appreciated IWP’s focus on shorter, policy-oriented papers, as well as executive summaries. “As an academic type, I never had issues writing longer papers, but it is challenging for me to write shorter papers,” said Grant. These skills have served him well when writing for different audiences in the think tank world.

As he progresses in his career, Grant will continue to draw on the holistic education and practitioner insights he gained at IWP as he navigates complex global challenges. Whether researching emerging technologies, facilitating high-level discussions, or producing policy-relevant analysis, he approaches each task with the same curiosity and commitment to public service that first sparked his interest in international affairs.