Johns Hopkins UniversityEst. 1876
America’s First Research University
Hal Brands
Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor
About
Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is also a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Twilight Struggle: What the Cold War Teaches Us About Great-Power Rivalry, Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China (co-authored with Michael Beckley), and The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age.
Hal has served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Strategic Planning and lead writer for the Commission on the National Defense Strategy for the United States. He is a member of the State Department's Foreign Affairs Policy Board and consults with a range of government offices and agencies in the intelligence and national security communities. His writings have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other outlets; he has lectured widely on foreign policy and global affairs to audiences in government, academia, and the private sector.
Hal has served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Strategic Planning and lead writer for the Commission on the National Defense Strategy for the United States. He is a member of the State Department's Foreign Affairs Policy Board and consults with a range of government offices and agencies in the intelligence and national security communities. His writings have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other outlets; he has lectured widely on foreign policy and global affairs to audiences in government, academia, and the private sector.
In the News
China Studying U.S. Strike for Lessons and Opportunities, Analysts Say
The Washington Post, January 6, 2026