Fletcher students dive into experiential learning activities across campus
Students at The Fletcher School find numerous opportunities to apply their education to real-world problem-solving, both on campus and around the world. Through immersive simulations and innovative capstone projects, students apply concepts they’ve learned in the classroom to complex problems in global affairs.
Participants in simulations worked in teams to make decisions, analyze multidimensional situations, and reach compromises with other teams with conflicting interests. Other students applied their capstone projects to the real world. These experiences gave students a taste of the pressure of rapidly evolving situations while helping to prepare them for careers in their chosen fields.
Solving Security Challenges in the Red Team Simulation
The Fletcher International Security Studies Program (ISSP) offers two Red Team simulations every year. Red Teaming is an approach to problem-solving designed to help organizations reach better decisions and overcome biases. This year, both simulations focused on a crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Each team represented one of four countries: Japan, Russia, China, and the United States. Students employed Red Team tools to decide how to respond to the crisis, focusing specifically on nuclear threats and domestic political issues.
"As a student of international security, I found these exercises helped bridge the gap between theory and practice by highlighting the real-world stakes behind the material we study. I worked as part of the Russia team to navigate our hypothetical crisis scenario. Brainstorming ideas and collaborating as a group were extremely engaging and rewarding. I began to appreciate the pressure and complexity involved in such crisis scenarios, which added realism to the setup. One of the key insights I gained from the Red Team was how groupthink can negatively affect decision-making and how important it is to recognize and mitigate these biases to arrive at a more balanced and effective decision. I liked the emphasis on developing strategic empathy and understanding the perspectives and motivations to make more informed, nuanced decisions. Professor David Logan's closing remarks on the consequences of the real-world decisions underscored the importance of approaching complex scenarios with seriousness and a strong sense of responsibility."
– Evin Vinoy, F27
"Red Team affirmed my desire to work in government and strategic planning. I am passionate about pursuing a career in nuclear security studies. This experience bolstered my subject matter expertise and helped me realize I want a career where I get to think through complex ideas in collaborative teams. I loved listening to everyone’s final presentations. It was especially interesting to see how the same decision-making guidelines led to such a wide range of approaches and outcomes. I also enjoyed working with my team and going through the creative and analytic process together to create a product we were all proud of."
– Talia Wilcox, F27
"Despite my background as a young Japanese diplomat who has worked on Japan-U.S. relations, I had the unique opportunity to represent China in the simulation. Viewing my own country from a Chinese perspective was incredibly valuable in broadening my outlook and deepening my thinking."
– Yosuke Aoyama, F27
Practicing Conflict Resolution in the Peace Games
The Peace Games were a full-day simulation in which students dealt with an unfolding international crisis in real time. Organized by Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) student Kennedy Carmichael, F26, as part of her capstone project, the simulation tasked teams with representing different types of international organizations such as national governments, private companies, and NGOs. Teams then negotiated with each other to reach compromises while ultimately working towards a peaceful solution.
"In my security studies courses, we consistently focus on military force and its application. The Peace Games gave me the opportunity to see the other side of the coin by offering greater context and a different approach to solving international issues. I can carry what I learned directly into the real world, where I find there is often too much focus on military force. The best part of the experience was interacting and working with the other teams. We may have had different goals and priorities, but we were all able to work together. This gave me a glimmer of hope that, even with the struggles we face on the world stage today, we can set aside our differences and work together."
– Andrew White, F26
"During the simulation, I was part of a humanitarian organization. As someone who briefly worked in the humanitarian sector and is studying humanitarian action, I found the negotiations had elements of the delicate, real-life negotiations for access that happen every day. I especially enjoyed our 'summits,' which brought together several teams to discuss thematic issues. We were able to practice negotiating with multiple teams simultaneously while trying to understand each team's true stake in the dialogue."
– A.J. Schumann, F27
Managing Natural Resources in the Climate Change Negotiation Challenge
In early April, Fletcher students had the opportunity to take part in a round-based climate simulation. Participants were assigned to one of six countries and given natural resources they could trade. The event was organized by both the Fletcher Energy & Environment Club (FLEEC) and the International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (INCR) Club. The simulation highlighted the interplay between climate change, ecosystem services, and geoengineering. Students got to make decisions and weigh tradeoffs, playing the role of negotiators and policymakers.
"I am studying environmental policy and writing my capstone on geoengineering, so the issues presented in the challenge are fundamental to my studies. The rise in global temperatures and the damage to ecosystems are issues I seek to address in my current capacity as a student and in my future capacity as an environmental leader. The development of the game and its mechanics tell a really cool story of working together across schools and disciplines."
– Josh Cohen, F26
"I haven’t been able to take many environmentally focused classes in my first two semesters at Fletcher, so I appreciated the chance to participate. The simulation taught high-level negotiation skills while remaining accessible to all levels of prior knowledge. In the future, I am hoping to work in the political risk sector, so understanding what factors of a climate negotiation are most relevant to a particular country is incredibly useful. I also really enjoyed the geoengineering twist and the guest speaker."
– Daniela Canales, F27
Reducing Harm at CARE USA
As a MALD student working part-time for the international humanitarian agency, CARE, Kelly Church, F19, wanted her capstone to be practical. As part of CARE’s digital impact team, she saw that their small team had incredible demand in overseeing 33 country offices. Inspired by her Fletcher coursework, Church built an analytical framework to help the team prioritize their attentions. After graduating, Church joined the team full time, and her team adopted the framework and strategies recommended by her capstone.
"I developed a four-weighted criteria evaluating the scalability, feasibility, costs and funding, and potential for impact, and then using the framework I assessed four large programs. As a result of findings from the framework, I recommended CARE focus on creating a responsible data policy and a program-focused digital intervention that would scale beyond just one country. It can be challenging to invest time and resources in the programs that have somewhat low demand and few visible quick wins, but that foundational work can really make an impact far beyond the wins of a flashy program. The capstone allowed me to spend time that I wouldn't have otherwise and be really intentional about the work. Creating and scaling the data policy across CARE greatly decreased the risks of CARE beneficiary data being used in unintended ways."
– Kelly Church, F19
Responding to Cyber Threats in the AI Simulation
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Simulation was organized in collaboration with the Vista Institute for AI Policy. In this simulation, groups of students acted as various departments of the U.S. government. Teams then had to respond to a challenge in which state actors threatened the country’s AI development and innovation. The governmental departments then needed to collaborate to craft a comprehensive policy response to the crisis.
"This simulation was truly a unique experience, as it allowed Fletcher students to apply lessons learned in Professor Josephine Wolff’s cybersecurity course. During the simulation, I represented the NSA alongside other amazing Fletcher students. One of my favorite memories from the simulation was when we, as NSA representatives, convened an inter-agency meeting and facilitated a dialogue across the different departments. As a State Department Charles B. Rangel fellow, I find that mock simulations like this one prepare me for the work I will do in the future. Practicing coordination with other departments and engaging in policy building provided key lessons I will take into the foreign service."
– Denise Sievert Geronimo, F27
"This simulation exposed us to the legal levers and regulatory pathways that can be used to maximize the adoption of innovative technology while minimizing cybersecurity and national security risks. As a future public servant, I found it useful to see social dynamics play out in a simulated crisis environment. Talking through the threat environment and potential responses with the military fellows was especially helpful, as they've seen these types of scenarios unfold in real life. It was also interesting to see how a group's agency mission impacted how people perceived problems and thought up solutions."
– Adriana Nazarko, F27
Read more about experiential learning at Fletcher.