Former defense secretary will speak at Duke

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Nye will speak at the Sanford School of Public Policy Tuesday, March 23.

Nye, currently a professor at Harvard University, will speak about using cooperation and persuasion to influence international relations. His talk, titled “Soft Power and Obama’s Grand Strategy,” is part of the Karl von der Heyden Distinguised Lecture Series.

Nye coined the term “soft power” and is a pioneer of the concept. He published the book “Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics” in 2004 and is a former chair of the National Intelligence Council.

“Professor Nye is a one-of-a-kind master of multiple trades. His scholarly work has profoundly shaped the study of international relations,” Peter Feaver, Alexander F. Hehmeyer professor of political science, said in a statement Monday. Feaver is also director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies, a co-sponsor of the event.

Feaver, who is co-director of the American Grand Strategy program, another co-sponsor of the event, added that Nye’s work in leading policy roles has strongly influenced the conduct of international relations as well.