Justin Vaïsse Appointed James Anderson Professor of American Foreign Policy and Senior Fellow, Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, at Johns Hopkins University SAIS

Bologna, Italy — Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe is pleased to announce that Justin Vaïsse will join the Bologna campus this summer as the James Anderson Professor of American Foreign Policy, with tenure, and as Senior Fellow at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs.

Vaïsse brings to SAIS a rare combination of scholarly distinction, strategic policy experience, and institution-building. He is the Founder and Director General of the Paris Peace Forum, an independent non-profit organization he created in 2018 under the impetus of French President Emmanuel Macron. Conceived as a platform to reinforce multilateralism and promote practical solutions to global challenges, the Forum convened 75 heads of state and international organizations and 6,000 participants at its inaugural edition, and continues to gather world leaders and civil society representatives each year.

Prior to founding the Paris Peace Forum, Vaïsse served for more than six years as Director of Policy Planning at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he advised the Minister and the President on strategic decisions and provided forward-looking analysis on international affairs.

From 2007 to 2013, he was Director of Research for the Center on the United States and Europe and a Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution. During this time, he initiated major projects including the Brookings Eurozone Survey and, in partnership with the European Council on Foreign Relations, the European Foreign Policy Scorecard—an annual evaluation of Europe’s performance on the world stage.

A historian specializing in international relations and American foreign policy, Vaïsse is the author or co-author of numerous academic books on the United States. His Neoconservatism – The Biography of a Movement (Harvard University Press, 2010) was described by The New York Times as “essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the contours of our recent political past.” His biography of former U.S. National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski was published in France in 2016 and in the United States in 2018 under the title Zbigniew Brzezinski – America’s Grand Strategist (Harvard University Press) and has appeared in several other countries.

A graduate of the École Normale Supérieure and Sciences Po, Vaïsse earned his Agrégation in history in 1996, his Ph.D. in 2005, and his habilitation in 2011. He previously served as a teaching assistant at Harvard University and as an adjunct professor at Sciences Po and at Johns Hopkins SAIS from 2007 to 2013.

“I am honored to be back at SAIS and to become part of the community in Bologna,” said Vaïsse. “Since 1955, SAIS Europe has served as a unique hub for the analysis of U.S. foreign policy and the transatlantic bond—a tradition enriched by the contributions of French scholars such as Jean-Baptiste Duroselle, Alfred Grosser, and Pierre Hassner. At a time when US-Europe relations are undergoing a historic reappraisal, I am looking forward to engaging with students and colleagues in rigorous, policy-relevant discussions about the future of U.S. foreign policy and its global implications.”

Dean James B. Steinberg, Dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS, welcomed the appointment: “Justin Vaïsse is one of the leading scholars of American foreign policy of his generation. His career bridges rigorous academic inquiry and public service at the highest levels of government and multilateral organizations, embodying the values that define Johns Hopkins SAIS: academic rigor, policy relevance, and global impact. We are thrilled to welcome him to this important role.”

Rector Renaud Dehousse, Rector of SAIS Europe and Vice Dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS, added: “Justin Vaïsse brings exceptional insight into American foreign policy at a pivotal moment for transatlantic relations, and his presence in Bologna will significantly strengthen the intellectual life and strategic debate at SAIS Europe.”

Vaïsse’s appointment further strengthens SAIS Europe’s longstanding commitment to the study of American strategy in a global context and to preparing students for leadership in international affairs.  He will begin his appointment in summer 2026.

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