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 2025 Courses (January 12 – April 30) 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 | TBD (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 | Frontier of Finance | Bejoy Das Gupta

Tuesdays 6:00-8:40pm

This course will focus on the fintech revolution under way and what it means for sustainable development and national security globally. It will explore cutting edge themes at the intersection of finance, technology, policy and development, as well as their cross border dimensions.

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.

PAI 895 | Managerial Leadership | TBD

Thursdays 6:00 - 8:40pm

This is the Leadership and Strategy in Global Affairs course and a core requirement for the EMIR degree. Objectives are to establish an understanding of the schools of leadership thinking, especially current trends, to practice requisite skills, and to plan for additional learning and development through assessment and action planning.

Course readings focus on leadership theory and practice and their application in the changing organizational environment in a global workplace. Case studies and groups discussion. 

Maymester 2025 Courses (May 12 - May 23) Maxwell-in-Washington

PSC 719 | Fundamentals of Post-Conflict Reconstruction | Renee de Nevers

The goal of this class is to familiarize students with the main concepts of post conflict stabilization and reconstruction, the various dimensions and goals of post-conflict work, the actors involved, the trade-offs and dilemmas they face, and the lessons learned from recent cases. The course address many of the key issues that frame debates in post-conflict reconstruction work: the tension between externally and internally generated recovery efforts; the challenges of civilian-military cooperation in post-conflict zones; the trade-offs between stability and liberty; the possibilities and weaknesses of peace and reconciliation efforts; and the quest for viable exit strategies for international actors. It will also examine the applied side of post-conflict reconstruction; the techniques and tools used by international intermediaries (states, IOs and NGOs) as well as local stakeholders to help societies in transition from violence to sustainable peace.