June 28, 2018
Masako Toki
The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) continues its commitment to providing nonproliferation education opportunities for promising undergraduate students. For most undergraduate students, the opportunity to study specialized nonproliferation issues is rare. CNS’s Summer Undergraduate Nonproliferation Internship Program for selected undergraduates is a unique way to further our mission of combatting the spread of weapons of mass destruction by educating the next generation of nonproliferation experts. This year, CNS welcomed thirteen talented undergraduates from top universities in the United States and Canada to our program.
The 2018 group is a diverse set of undergraduates from a variety of backgrounds and specializations. Though most CNS summer interns major in international relations and political science, this year’s majors extended to neuroscience, computer science, geology, religion, Slavic studies, and biochemistry. Students are selected through a rigorous and competitive application process. Program participants hail from top institutions, including Middlebury College, Brown University, University of Georgia, American University, Colby College, University of Southern California, George Washington University, Wellesley College, and the University of Montreal.
Interns receive invaluable job training, work closely with CNS experts, and attend an engaging lecture series on issues relating to the spread and control of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and regional nonproliferation issues including Eurasia, East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. Lectures focus on nuclear security, current challenges in nuclear disarmament, export controls, open-source tools for nonproliferation, and more. The summer interns will also experience hands-on training with using “new tools” for nonproliferation—such as geospatial analysis, crowdsourcing, and 3D modeling—a recent emphasis of CNS researchers and teachers.
Beyond learning from CNS experts, students will also have the opportunity to meet with top international experts and leaders in the field, such as Dr. Tariq Rauf, a former top official at the International Atomic Energy Agency, who will once again join the summer undergraduate program to share some of his extensive experience in nonproliferation and disarmament.
As a part of efforts to promote nonproliferation education among the next generation,CNS started the Summer Undergraduate Internship Program in 1997, and the Davis United World College Fellowship in Nonproliferation Studies in 2006. Since then, interns and Davis UWC fellows have come from a variety of majors, including biology, chemistry, international relations, East Asian studies, nuclear engineering, mathematics, political science, peace studies, computer science, psychology, Russian area studies, Slavic studies, and economics. The program also accepts highly qualified international students. The program runs from early June through late August.
This year’s Summer Internship is funded by the Tom and Sarah Pattison Fund and the Earle Family Fund for International Education.
For more information please see the summer undergraduate nonproliferation program website.
Summer 2018 Interns with CNS Director Dr. William Potter and Project Manager Masako Toki
