Shifrinson Featured as Alumni of Interest by MIT SSP
Joshua Shifrinson, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was recently profiled by his alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Security Studies Program.
In the profile, Shifrinson discussed career achievements and offered insights as an alumni of the program. From the text of the profile:
2)What is your current position/title?
I am currently an Assistant Professor of International Relations with the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. Previously, I served as an Assistant Professor of International Affairs with the George HW Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University.
3) As is often the case for SSP alums, when you finished your dissertation you had an important choice to make between a position in the policy world and an academic career. What inclined you toward the option you chose? Do you have any advice to share with current SSP students as they weigh their career choices?
It was a tough call between academia or government service. When I was finishing (2012-2013), the government was in one of its limited hiring periods, meaning, there were somewhat constrained options for government service. At the same time, as someone interested in grand strategy, diplomatic history, and military operations, it seemed tricky to find the right fit: the State and Defense Department’s don’t quite hire “grand strategists,” just as opportunities for a civilian in the military operations world were few and far between. I was certainly interested in government service, but couldn’t seem to find the right fit.
At the same time, reflecting on my time at SSP and benefitting from a few lucky fellowships, I realized that I really wanted the freedom to think big thoughts and tackle important issues that come with the academy. I got the (perhaps parasitic) bug. Although it wasn’t a slam dunk case, when the opportunity arose to try my hand on the academic job market, I threw my hat in the ring. The rest happened over time.
For current students, I’d say: speak your mind and don’t just aim for the projects that seem marketable or doable in a finite amount of time. As scholars, we’re trained to value big ideas and arguments. Let that be the guide to both research and conversations. Don’t simply toe the party line or go for an easy win – swing for the fences.
Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson’s teaching and research interests focus on the intersection of international security and diplomatic history, particularly the rise and fall of great powers and the origins of grand strategy. He has special expertise in great power politics since 1945 and U.S. engagement in Europe and Asia. Shifrinson’s first book, Rising Titans, Falling Giants: How Great Powers Exploit Power Shifts (Cornell University Press, 2018) builds on extensive archival research focused on U.S. and Soviet foreign policy after 1945 to explain why some rising states challenge and prey upon declining great powers, while others seek to support and cooperate with declining states.