Wintersession 2026 Courses (January 5 – January 9) Maxwell-in-Washington

Every weekday M (1/5) to F (1/9) 8:00PM-5:00PM

PAI 771 | Public Management of Technological Development | Guy Parmeter

Dates & Location
● November 19, 2025 - 4 – 5:00 PM | 209 Eggers Hall
● January 5-9, 2026 - 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Room 939 at the SU DC center at 1333 New Hampshire Ave NW
● January 30, 2026 – 9 – 11:00 AM | 209 Eggers Hall

This course explores how public institutions govern, adopt, and scale emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to serve the public interest. Students will examine the government’s evolving role as a regulator, user, investor, and ecosystem shaper in an era of rapid technological disruption. Through real-world case studies, guest speakers from leading AI and policy organizations, and a hands-on consulting simulation, students will analyze challenges and design strategies for responsible and mission-driven technology development. As part of the course, students will role-play as junior consultants participating in a fast-paced project sprint to develop policy in a condensed timeline. Working in cross-functional teams, they will be assigned to an interagency task force responding to a national crisis, such as energy grid stress or procurement failure. Teams will produce actionable recommendations based on stakeholder analysis, AI scenario modeling, and evaluation of legislative and regulatory levers.

Spring 2026 Courses (January 12 – April 29) Maxwell-in-Washington

DC COURSES: Following are the courses offered in Washington, DC for spring 2026.  All classes meet one evening a week from 6:00pm-8:40pm

PAI 996 | Master's Capstone | Donatienne Ruy and Rukmini Banerjee (EMIR students only)

Mondays 6:00-8:40pm

This is the capstone course and a core requirement for the EMIR degree. Students complete substantive research projects while embedded in one of the thematic or regional programs at CSIS. Students work directly with CSIS experts on capstone projects designed to hone and showcase their capacity for both cogent analysis of real-world problems and effective policy communication.

Based on interest, working teams of master's candidates conduct research reports to craft actionable policy analysis and recommendations on a complex issue area. Since valuable policy recommendations may be lost if they are not communicated well, teams also learn to transform their policy analysis into an online project that communicates their results with clarity, creativity, and compelling multimedia storytelling.

Professional development workshops on data collection, analysis, analytic writing, and presentation are covered to support students in the development of their projects and to help prepare them for personal career advancement.

Project teams receive mentorship and guidance from CSIS faculty and media advisors throughout the duration of their projects.  A final oral presentation and a written report to CSIS and the faculty advisor are the major course requirements.

EMIR candidates who successfully complete the capstone project will be able to:

• Understand complex and fast-changing international security and foreign policy issues;

• Analyze complex data sets to discern key patterns and trends;

• Formulate insightful analysis of an issue area and design appropriate policy recommendations or compare likely repercussions of different policies;

• Craft compelling policy narratives combining cogent analysis and creative data visualization;

• Communicate findings effectively both orally and across a range of multimedia platforms;

• Collaborate effectively on diverse teams to produce a high-impact product.

PAI 700 | Current Issues in US-Latin American Relations | Dale Crowell

Wednesdays 6:00-8:40pm

This course introduces students to the contemporary relationship between the U.S. and Latin America, offering the opportunity to discuss US policy in the region with current and former government officials, scholars, and non-governmental organization representatives.

Maymester 2026 Courses (May 14 - May 22) Maxwell-in-Washington

MAYMESTER:

PAI 700 | Natural Security: The Geopolitics of Power and Energy | Danica Starks, former World Bank and Multilateral Development Bank Group

Schedule:

Online Intro Session: Tuesday, April 14, 4-6pm on zoom

Thursday, May 14 - Friday, May 15 6PM- 8:40PM (Online)

Monday, May 18th – Friday, May 22nd 9AM – 4:30PM (with one hour lunch break)

Course Description:

In a world defined by cascading global pressures, energy has become the central axis of power, vulnerability, and opportunity. Natural Security explores how conflict, climate instability, economic volatility, and great-power competition are reshaping the global energy landscape. This course examines the strategic importance of natural resources, the evolving role of emerging technologies, and the geopolitical tensions that arise as nations race to secure energy supplies and transition to low-carbon systems. Students will analyze real-world case studies, assess national-security implications, and gain the tools to understand — and anticipate — how energy shapes global stability in the 21st century.