R. Nicholas Burns

The Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Office Address
Littauer-374
Mailing Address
John F. Kennedy School of Government
Mailbox 54
79 JFK Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contact
Phone: 617-496-3255
Fax: 617-495-8963
Email: Nicholas_Burns@hks.harvard.edu
Assistant
Alison Hillegeist (617-495-2495)
R. Nicholas Burns

Profile

Nicholas Burns is Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is Director of the Future of Diplomacy Project and Faculty Chair for the Programs on the Middle East and on India and South Asia. He serves on the Board of Directors of the School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and is a Faculty Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

 

He is Director of the Aspen Strategy Group, Senior Counselor at the Cohen Group, and serves on the Board of Directors of Entegris, Inc. and the Advisory Board for Veracity Worldwide. He writes a biweekly column on foreign affairs for the Boston Globe and is a senior foreign affairs columnist for GlobalPost. Burns serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, the Atlantic Council, American Media Abroad and the Gennadius Library. He is a member of the Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He is Vice Chairman of the American Ditchley Foundation. He serves on the Panel of Senior Advisors at Chatham House: the Royal Institute of International Affairs and on the Board of the Associates of the Boston Public Library. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the Order of Saint John, and Red Sox Nation.

 

Professor Burns served in the United States Government for twenty-seven years. As a career foreign service officer, he was Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2005 to 2008; the State Departments third-ranking official when he led negotiations on the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement; a long-term military assistance agreement with Israel; and was the lead U.S. negotiator on Iran's nuclear program. He was U.S. Ambassador to NATO (2001-2005), Ambassador to Greece (1997-2001) and State Department Spokesman (1995-1997). He worked for five years (1990-1995) on the National Security Council at the White House where he was Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Affairs and Special Assistant to President Clinton and Director for Soviet Affairs in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush. Burns also served in the American Consulate General in Jerusalem (1985-1987) where he coordinated U.S. economic assistance to the Palestinian people in the West Bank and before that, at the American embassies in Egypt (1983-1985) and Mauritania (1980 as an intern).

 

Professor Burns has received twelve honorary degrees, the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award, the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service from the Johns Hopkins University, and the Boston College Alumni Achievement Award. He has a BA in History from Boston College (1978), an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (1980), and earned the Certificat Pratique de Langue Francaise at the University of Paris-Sorbonne (1977). He was a visiting Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in summer 2008.

 

Courses

Fall

  • IGA-110 Modern Diplomacy: Peace and War in the 21st Century

Spring

  • IGA-116 Great Power Competition in the International System

Media Expertise

R. Nicholas Burns welcomes media inquiries on the following subjects:

Additional experts may be found by clicking on each subject listed. You may contact faculty directly or if you need assistance contact the Communications Office at 617-495-1115.

Research

For a complete list of faculty citations from 2001 - present, please visit the Harvard Kennedy School Research Report Online.

Selected Publication Citations:

  • Book Chapters
    • Burns, R. Nicholas, Yoichi Funabashi, and Wolfgang Ischinger. The New US Administration: Meeting Challenges, Managing Expectations. Seeking Opportunities in Crisis: Trilateral Cooperation in Meeting Global Challenges. Brookings Institution Press: Trilateral Commission, Tokyo Plenary Meeting, 2009, 83-90.
  • Commentary
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Giving Thanks for the Brighter Future Ahead." Boston Globe, November 22, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Three Crises That Can’t Wait." The Boston Globe, November 8, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Romney’s Shift on Foreign Policy Creates Confusion." The Boston Globe, October 25, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Cuban Missile Crisis Holds Lessons for Presidential Race." The Boston Globe, October 10, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Murders in Libya Point to Need for Wise Leaders in US." Boston Globe, September 13, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "How Romney Can Win the Foreign Policy Debate." Boston Globe, August 30, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Diplomacy is the Best Tool for Iran." Boston Globe, August 16, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Mitt Romney Flunks His Foreign-Policy Tryout." Boston Globe, August 2, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "US Confronts New Perils in the Middle East as Election Looms." Boston Globe, July 19, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "The Return of Russia." Boston Globe, July 5, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "US Makes Asia a Priority." Boston Globe, June 7, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Two Challenges That College Graduates Will Inherit." Boston Globe, May 24, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Anchoring NATO with Leadership." Chicago Tribune, May 21, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Blame China, Not Obama or US, for the Plight of Activist Chen Guangcheng." Christian Science Monitor, May 3, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "The Rise of Turkey as a Superpower." Boston Globe, April 27, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Masters in The Art of Diplomacy." Boston Globe, April 13, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Why Europe Still Matters." Boston Globe, March 30, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Obama Delivers a Clear Message on Iran." Boston Globe, March 15, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Diplomacy Returns to US Arsenal." Boston Globe, March 2, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Dark Days in Mideast Test US Policy." Boston Globe, February 17, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "India’s Strategic Importance to the US." Boston Globe, February 3, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "What to Do About Iran." Boston.com, January 20, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Foreign Policy Credentials of the Republican Presidential Candidates." Boston Globe, January 6, 2012.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Iraq War Damaged US Credibility." Boston Globe, December 21, 2011.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Our Best Foreign Policy President." Boston Globe, December 9, 2011.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Arab Awakening, Act 2." Boston Globe, November 25, 2011.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "America’s New Isolationism." Boston Globe, November 11, 2011.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Victory for US Leadership." Boston Globe, August 23, 2011.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Why Isn't Peace on Anyone's Platform." Boston Globe, December 23, 2011.
    • Cohen, William S, Nicholas Burns, and George Robertson. "NATO on the Brink." The Hill, July 11, 2011.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "The Gamble In Libya." Boston Globe, March 22, 2011.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Where Do We Go From Here?" Foreign Policy, February 4, 2011.
    • Armitage, Richard L., and R. Nicholas Burns. "A To-Do List for Obama in India." Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2010.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "The Strength of Obama's Long Game With Iran." The Atlantic, August 19, 2010.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "The Strength of Obama's Long Game With Iran." Atlantic Monthly, August 19, 2010.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Ways Obama can Tend Bonds with India." Boston Globe, November 24, 2009.
    • Scocroft, Brent, Joseph S. Nye Jr., R. Nicholas Burns, and Strobe Talbott. "US, Russia Must Lead on Arms Control." Politico, October 13, 2009.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Obama's Opportunity in Iran." Boston Globe, October 1, 2009.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Working With Our Friends in Europe." Boston Globe, April 3, 2009.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "The Ascension." National Interest Online, January 6, 2009.
    • Burns, Nicholas. "We Should Talk to Our Enemies." Newsweek, October 25, 2008.
  • Edited Volumes
    • Burns, R. Nicholas, and Jonathon Price, eds. American Interests in South Asia: Building a Grand Strategy in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Aspen Institute, 2011.
    • Burns, Nicholas R., and Jonathan Price, eds. The Global Economic Crisis and Potential Implications for Foreign Policy and National Security. Aspen Institute, 2009.
  • Public Testimony
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Statement of Nicholas Burns Before the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs." Testimony to the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate, July 30, 2009.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "Statement of Nicholas Burns Before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations." Testimony to the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, May 6, 2009.
  • Research Papers/Reports
    • Armitage, Richard, R. Nicholas Burns, and Richard Fontaine. "Natural Allies: A Blueprint for the Future of U.S.-India Relations." Center for a New American Security, October 18, 2010.
    • Burns, R. Nicholas. "The Future of U.S.-India Relations." Presentation for the Center for the Advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania, November 2008.