About the Institute

Founded in 1951 under the sponsorship of Dwight D. Eisenhower during his tenure as President of Columbia University, the Institute of War and Peace Studies (IWPS)
was created to promote understanding of the “disastrous consequences of war upon man’s spiritual, intellectual, and material progress.” Under its first director, William T.R. Fox, the Institute became one of the major research centers on international relations in the United States. 

 In March, 2003, IWPS was renamed the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies (SIWPS), in honor of Ambassador Arnold A. Saltzman (CC ’36).  Ambassador Saltzman has served as a diplomat in five different presidential administrations, with posts in Latin America and Eastern Europe.  Among numerous distinctions, his work on the International Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty earned him a Presidential Commendation.

From the beginning the Institute interpreted its role broadly. Over the years, researchers have probed the political, military, historical, legal, economic, moral, psychological, and

 
philosophical dimensions of international relations. Although the Institute does not take official positions on any public policy issues, individual members of SIWPS contribute to the general discourse on these topics by authoring articles in journals such as Foreign Affairs, discussing current issues with officials and journalists, serving as consultants to government departments and agencies, and testifying before Congressional committees.

The Institute itself has no separate teaching program; rather, its members conduct a wide variety of instructional activities through the Political Science Department and the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia. Institute members offer courses on American foreign policy, national security, international politics, political economy, environmental policy, and international organization.

In addition to offering courses, SIWPS Director Richard Betts coordinates the International Security Policy Concentration for SIPA.