For over twenty five years the Senior Fellows Program has enabled government officials, research scholars, business, media and other private sector leaders worldwide to pursue a year of independent study at the Atlantic Council. Senior fellows benefit from an opportunity to reside in Washington, D.C.; to participate in the Council’s policy committees, working groups and roundtables; and to conduct their research.

The Council hosts senior fellows from the U.S. Departments of State and Defense (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and individuals from U.S. research institutes and universities. As a designated sponsor of the Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program, the Council also hosts individuals from overseas. In addition to the United States, the over 200 senior fellows to date have come from Armenia, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hong Kong, Georgia, Hungary, India, Japan, Lithuania, Pakistan, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Senior fellows generally have extensive professional training and experience, are recognized experts in their areas of research, and hold positions of responsibility in their field.

• Senior Fellows Seminar Series — bimonthly discussions of wide-ranging economic and security issues, which provide a forum to examine how other governments and societies think about specific issues and how they might respond to international and domestic developments.
  
  
• Senior Fellows Publication Series — provides an opportunity to work with Atlantic Council senior leadership and staff to define and develop research.

Current Resident Senior Fellows:

• Charles Gurney, United States State Department
• Lt. Commander Teresa Elders, United States Navy
• Lt. Colonel Michael Noble, United States Air Force
• Colonel Russel Grimley, United States Army

Featured Publications:

June 2007
A Road Map for Restructuring U.S. Relations with Cuba
By John Naland, Senior Fellow, The Atlantic Council of the United States

March 2007
Advancing U.S. Interests with the European Union
By Leslie S. Lebl, Senior Fellow, The Atlantic Council of the United States

October 2006
Intelligence Sharing: Getting the National Counterterrorism Analysts on the Same Data Sheet
By Colonel Daniel Putbrese, U.S. Air Force, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow

September 2006
Russia’s Shrinking Population and the Russian Military’s HIV/AIDS Problem
By Colonel Jeff Holachek, U.S. Army, Atlantic Council Senior Fellow

August 2006
China’s Rise and U.S. Influence in Asia: A Report From the Region
By Robert G. Sutter, Visiting Professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, non-resident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council

Following the publication of his most recent book, China’s Rise in Asia: Promises and Perils, Dr. Sutter embarked on a research trip in spring-summer 2006 which involved dozens of workshops to explore China’s rise and U.S. leadership in Asia. These workshops were attended by several hundred non-government specialists and elites in 21 cities of eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region; the trip also involved in-depth interviews with 75 government representatives in those countries.

December 2005
“The Future of NATO-Russia Relations: Or, How to Dance With a Bear and Not Get Mauled”
Lt. Colonel Gordon B. Hendrickson, USAF
2004-05 Atlantic Council Senior Fellow

“Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, NATO has enlarged its membership twice with countries formerly under Soviet influence and control, and the Alliance is now preparing to begin the process for a third expansion effort.  During this time, Russia has watched the borders of NATO creep ever closer to its own, but has generally been powerless to prevent it.  Although NATO has taken pains to include and consult with Russia regarding its actions and future plans, the Kremlin cannot reasonably be expected to continue to watch NATO’s expansion eastward without eventually pushing back hard.   Many significant issues and challenges must still be solved before enlarging the Alliance once again.  In light of this, NATO must work rigorously to continue to keep Russia engaged in a productive and mutually beneficial relationship as both sides work through the future obstacles that inevitably will arise in the NATO-Russia relationship.”

Lt. Colonel Hendrickson, who was recently selected for the rank of colonel, left the Council in July 2005 to serve as Special Adviser to the Vice President for National Security Affairs.  He wrote this report while in residence at the Council as a Senior Fellow.

August 2005
“Security Cooperation and Non-State Threats”
Colonel Albert Zaccor, USA
2004-05 Atlantic Council Senior Fellow

“The fight against terrorism and other non-state threats is the central security task of the early 21st century. Military operations, like those in Iraq and Afghanistan, are critically important in this struggle. Equally important, however, are the actions we take to build a lasting coalition united against non-state threats, and to assist our partners and allies to be able to contribute to the fight. This is especially true of the weak and failing states who are most threatened by terrorists and other transnational criminals and whose weakness indirectly threatens us. The U.S. can neither hope nor desire to single-handedly defeat these global threats. Security Cooperation provides a useful paradigm for the entire USG to craft a comprehensive and integrated strategy to provide our friends the tools they need to join us in this struggle.”

Current Non-Resident Senior Fellows:

• Borut Grgic, Institute for Strategic Studies Ljubljana
• Donald G. Gross, Independent Consultant
• Jung Soo Jang, Journalist
• Leslie S. Lebl, Independent Scholar
• Alejandro Reyes, Journalist and Visiting Scholar
• Dr. William Richard Smyser, Georgetown University
• Dr. Robert Sutter, Georgetown University

Senior Fellows Alumni — list of all previous Senior Fellows.