Where is the 2026 Grand Strategy Summit being held?

The summit is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C.

When does the 2026 Grand Strategy Summit begin?

The event commences in the fall.

Who is organizing the Grand Strategy Summit?

The Richard Nixon Foundation is organizing this event.

2026 Grand Strategy Summit

Name: 2026 Grand Strategy Summit
Start: 2026-09-30T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-10-01T00:00:00Z
Location: Washington

Sep 30 – Oct 1, 2026Washington, United StatesIn-person

Registration open

The 2026 Grand Strategy Summit, hosted by The Richard Nixon Foundation, convenes in Washington, D.C. This event serves as a significant platform for discussions on global grand strategy. The summit aims to address complex international challenges and opportunities, fostering dialogue among participants regarding the future trajectory of global affairs.

Committees & topics

Topics
The Future of Foreign Policy in a Multipolar Era · Great Power Competition in the 21st Century · Diplomacy and the Crisis of Multilateral Institutions · The Global Economy and the Return of Industrial Policy · Global Energy Security and the Transition · Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance

Why it matters

The Grand Strategy Summit provides a crucial venue for examining the foundational principles and evolving dynamics of international relations. In an era marked by geopolitical shifts and emergent global issues, understanding and adapting grand strategy is paramount for national and international stability. The discussions at this summit can illuminate potential pathways for states to navigate an increasingly interconnected and volatile world.

This gathering is particularly relevant for those interested in the long-term strategic positioning of major powers and the implications for global governance. It offers an opportunity to analyze how different nations perceive and pursue their interests on the world stage, and how these individual strategies coalesce or conflict within the broader international system. Such insights are vital for anticipating future trends and developing effective foreign policy responses.

How to prepare

To prepare for the Grand Strategy Summit, participants should engage with core concepts of strategic analysis. A thorough understanding of the Power-Interest Grid can help in mapping the influence and motivations of various international actors. Additionally, exploring the concept of Dynamic Analysis will be beneficial for understanding how grand strategies evolve in response to changing global circumstances.

Consideration of Engagement Strategies is also key, as effective grand strategy often hinges on how nations choose to interact with allies, adversaries, and neutral parties. Examining the role of Hidden Stakeholders can provide a more nuanced perspective on the underlying forces that shape international decisions. Participants might also benefit from reviewing the historical context of grand strategy, particularly the approaches taken by various administrations in the host country, USA.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

United States

As the host nation, the USA is a central actor in discussions of global grand strategy, often advocating for a rules-based international order while adapting to new geopolitical realities.

Role in topic

The USA's grand strategy is a primary subject of discussion, encompassing its alliances, economic policies, and military posture. Its approach significantly influences global stability and the international balance of power.

China

CHN's grand strategy focuses on economic expansion, technological advancement, and increasing its global influence, often challenging existing international norms.

Role in topic

CHN's growing economic and military power makes its grand strategy a critical component of global strategic analysis. Discussions will likely center on its Belt and Road Initiative, its stance on regional security, and its long-term objectives for global leadership.

Russia

RUS's grand strategy emphasizes maintaining its sphere of influence, asserting its sovereignty, and challenging perceived Western dominance, often through assertive foreign policy actions.

Role in topic

RUS's strategic actions in Eastern Europe and its engagement with other global powers are key elements of grand strategy discussions. Its military modernization and energy diplomacy are significant factors in the international landscape.

India

IND pursues a multi-aligned grand strategy, balancing relationships with major powers while asserting its independent foreign policy and regional leadership.

Role in topic

IND's strategic autonomy and its role in regional security, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, are important considerations. Its economic growth and demographic trends also contribute to its increasing significance in global grand strategy.

Germany

DEU's grand strategy is characterized by a commitment to multilateralism, economic strength, and soft power, while increasingly engaging in security policy discussions within European and NATO frameworks.

Role in topic

As a leading economic power in Europe, DEU's strategic choices regarding European integration, energy policy, and defense spending have significant implications for the broader Western alliance and global economic stability.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

The Future of Foreign Policy in a Multipolar Era

Foreign policy as a coherent discipline emerged from the Westphalian state system in 1648, matured through 19th-century European balance-of-power diplomacy, and was institutionalized after 1945 through the United Nations, Bretton Woods institutions, and a dense network of alliances. For roughly three decades after the Cold War, a U.S.-led liberal international order set the dominant template: open markets, expanding democratic norms, and rules-based dispute resolution. That order is now under strain. Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, China's assertive posture in the Indo-Pacific, the durable instability across the Sahel and Middle East, and the fragmentation of global supply chains have pushed states to recalibrate grand strategies around resilience, deterrence, and selective decoupling. The core dispute today is whether foreign policy should remain anchored in multilateral institutions and shared rules, or pivot toward transactional bilateralism, spheres of influence, and 'minilateral' coalitions such as the Quad, AUKUS, and the I2U2. Middle powers — India, Brazil, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Indonesia — increasingly practice 'multi-alignment,' refusing to choose sides between Washington and Beijing while extracting concessions from both. Simultaneously, domestic politics in major democracies have made foreign commitments more contested, raising questions about alliance credibility and the durability of treaty obligations. Where matters stand: foreign ministries are being asked to integrate traditional statecraft with industrial policy, technology controls, climate diplomacy, and sanctions regimes of unprecedented scope. The debate is no longer simply about ends but about whether existing instruments — diplomacy, deterrence, development, and economic statecraft — can be sequenced effectively in a world where speed, technology, and domestic legitimacy matter as much as raw power.

Key players

Great Power Competition in the 21st Century

Great power competition returned to the center of international politics in the mid-2010s, formally codified in the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy, which named China and Russia as long-term strategic competitors. The dynamic has roots in two simultaneous shifts: China's rise from 2% of global GDP in 1980 to roughly 18% today, accompanied by a sustained military modernization including a blue-water navy and the world's largest missile arsenal; and Russia's reassertion of military power in Georgia (2008), Crimea (2014), Syria (2015), and Ukraine (2022). The United States, after two decades focused on counterterrorism, has reoriented its defense planning, alliance architecture, and industrial policy toward sustained competition. The core dispute spans multiple theaters and domains. In the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the Korean Peninsula are the most acute flashpoints, with China asserting historical claims that clash with U.S. treaty commitments and freedom-of-navigation norms. In Europe, the war in Ukraine has become a protracted attritional conflict with implications for NATO's eastern flank. Beyond geography, competition extends to semiconductors (U.S. export controls of October 2022 and subsequent updates), critical minerals, undersea cables, space, and AI governance. Economic interdependence, once seen as a stabilizer, is increasingly viewed by all sides as a vulnerability to be managed through 'de-risking' or outright decoupling. Where matters stand: the competition is intensifying without clear guardrails. Military-to-military communication channels between Washington and Beijing have been intermittent, arms control with Russia has collapsed with the suspension of New START participation, and third countries are being asked to choose sides on technology and infrastructure. The central strategic question is whether a stable, competitive coexistence is achievable, or whether the system is drifting toward bloc confrontation reminiscent of the early Cold War.

Key players

Diplomacy and the Crisis of Multilateral Institutions

Modern diplomacy was professionalized by the Congress of Vienna (1815) and codified by the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic Relations (1961) and Consular Relations (1963). The post-1945 era added a dense layer of multilateral diplomacy through the UN system, regional organizations, and issue-specific regimes governing trade, arms control, human rights, and the environment. For decades, summitry, treaty-making, and quiet bilateral channels managed crises ranging from the Cuban Missile Crisis to German reunification and the Iran nuclear talks that produced the JCPOA in 2015. The core dispute today concerns the effectiveness and legitimacy of these institutions. The UN Security Council has been paralyzed on Ukraine, Syria, Gaza, and Sudan by permanent-member vetoes. The WTO's appellate body remains non-functional. Major arms-control treaties — INF, Open Skies, CFE, and effectively New START — have lapsed or been suspended. At the same time, diplomatic practice itself is being reshaped by social media, leaked communications, and the targeting of diplomats through expulsions and visa restrictions as routine signaling tools. Track-II diplomacy, mediation by middle powers such as Qatar, Norway, and Oman, and ad hoc 'contact groups' have partially filled gaps left by formal institutions. Where matters stand: there is broad agreement that the existing multilateral architecture is overstretched, but no consensus on reform. Proposals range from UN Security Council enlargement (the G4 and Ezulwini Consensus) to building parallel structures (BRICS+, SCO) to reinvesting in 'minilateral' coalitions. The diplomatic profession is also adapting to climate negotiations, AI governance, and pandemic preparedness — issues that require sustained technical engagement rather than episodic summitry.

Key players

The Global Economy and the Return of Industrial Policy

The post-1945 economic order was built on the Bretton Woods institutions — the IMF, World Bank, and what became the WTO — and a broad consensus favoring trade liberalization, capital mobility, and limited state intervention in markets. Globalization deepened sharply after China's 2001 WTO accession, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty while hollowing out manufacturing in parts of the developed world. The 2008 global financial crisis, the 2018-2019 U.S.-China tariff war, the COVID-19 supply-chain shocks, and Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine collectively eroded faith in efficient, just-in-time global markets and ushered in an era of explicit industrial policy. The core dispute centers on the trade-off between efficiency and resilience, and between open markets and national security. The U.S. CHIPS and Science Act (2022) and Inflation Reduction Act, the EU's Green Deal Industrial Plan and Critical Raw Materials Act, China's 'Made in China 2025' and dual-circulation strategy, and India's Production-Linked Incentive schemes all reflect a broad turn toward subsidies, local-content requirements, and friend-shoring. Sovereign debt distress is rising across emerging markets — roughly 60% of low-income countries are at high risk of or already in debt distress — and Chinese, multilateral, and private creditors are struggling to coordinate restructurings under the G20 Common Framework. Where matters stand: inflation has moderated from 2022 peaks but interest rates remain elevated, the dollar's dominant role is being modestly chipped at by trade in local currencies and CBDC experimentation, and the WTO's dispute settlement system remains crippled. The central economic question is whether the world is fragmenting into competing blocs with parallel standards and payment systems, or whether a recalibrated, more security-conscious globalization can be sustained.

Key players

Global Energy Security and the Transition

Energy has been a central concern of grand strategy since the Royal Navy's conversion from coal to oil before World War I. The 1973 OPEC embargo institutionalized energy security as a Western policy priority, leading to the creation of the IEA and strategic petroleum reserves. The 21st century added two structural shifts: the U.S. shale revolution (2008 onward) turned America from importer to net exporter of hydrocarbons, and the climate imperative — formalized in the 2015 Paris Agreement and reinforced at COP28's 'transition away from fossil fuels' language in 2023 — set the world on a long, uneven path toward decarbonization. The core dispute combines short-term security and long-term transition. Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered the largest disruption to European gas supply in history, forcing a rapid pivot to LNG imports (primarily from the U.S. and Qatar), accelerating renewables deployment, and pushing prices into volatile territory. Simultaneously, the energy transition is creating new geopolitical dependencies: China dominates the processing of lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and the manufacturing of solar panels and batteries, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Chile, and Australia hold critical upstream resources. OPEC+ — particularly Saudi Arabia and Russia — retains substantial influence over oil prices through coordinated production cuts. Where matters stand: global investment in clean energy now exceeds investment in fossil fuels, but fossil-fuel demand has not yet peaked, and methane, grid, and permitting issues remain unresolved. Nuclear power is experiencing a policy revival in over 20 countries, including pledges to triple capacity by 2050. The central strategic question is how to manage a transition that is simultaneously too slow for the climate, too fast for incumbent producers, and too dependent on a small number of supplier states for critical minerals and clean-tech manufacturing.

Key players

Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance

Artificial intelligence moved from research curiosity to strategic priority over the past decade, driven by advances in deep learning (the 2012 ImageNet breakthrough), transformer architectures (2017), and the release of large language models such as GPT-3 in 2020 and GPT-4 in 2023. Compute, data, and talent have concentrated in a small number of U.S. and Chinese firms, while the underlying hardware — particularly advanced semiconductors — is produced through a globally distributed supply chain centered on Taiwan (TSMC), South Korea (Samsung, SK Hynix), the Netherlands (ASML), and the U.S. (Nvidia, AMD, Intel). The core dispute spans safety, security, and sovereignty. The U.S. has imposed escalating export controls on advanced chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China (October 2022, October 2023, and subsequent updates), while China has accelerated indigenous chip production and released competitive open-weight models. The EU passed the AI Act in 2024, establishing the first comprehensive risk-based regulatory regime. The UK hosted the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (November 2023), followed by Seoul (2024) and Paris (2025), producing voluntary commitments on frontier-model safety testing. The UN General Assembly adopted its first AI resolution in March 2024, and the Council of Europe opened the first binding international AI treaty for signature later that year. Where matters stand: there is no consensus on how to govern frontier AI internationally. Debates center on compute thresholds, evaluations, liability, military applications (including lethal autonomous weapons under the CCW process in Geneva), and the distribution of AI's economic benefits between Global North and South. The central question is whether AI will be governed primarily through national security frameworks and export controls, through industry self-regulation, or through new multilateral institutions analogous to the IAEA or ICAO — and whether such institutions can be built before capability outpaces oversight.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for 2026 Grand Strategy Summit.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Trump's Economic Reset

GOP Promotes Trump's Tax Savings on Deadline

Howard Lutnick's Senate Testimony on 2027 Bud

Akpabio vs Oshiomhole: 2027 Power Struggle

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

The Power-Interest Grid

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Advanced Negotiation

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

United States September 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

2026 Grand Strategy Summit

Sep 30 – Oct 1, 2026Washington, United StatesIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
The Future of Foreign Policy in a Multipolar Era · Great Power Competition in the 21st Century · Diplomacy and the Crisis of Multilateral Institutions · The Global Economy and the Return of Industrial Policy · Global Energy Security and the Transition · Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

United States

As the host nation, the USA is a central actor in discussions of global grand strategy, often advocating for a rules-based international order while adapting to new geopolitical realities.

Role in topic

China

CHN's grand strategy focuses on economic expansion, technological advancement, and increasing its global influence, often challenging existing international norms.

Role in topic

Russia

RUS's grand strategy emphasizes maintaining its sphere of influence, asserting its sovereignty, and challenging perceived Western dominance, often through assertive foreign policy actions.

Role in topic

India

IND pursues a multi-aligned grand strategy, balancing relationships with major powers while asserting its independent foreign policy and regional leadership.

Role in topic

Germany

Role in topic

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

The Future of Foreign Policy in a Multipolar Era

Key players

Great Power Competition in the 21st Century

Key players

Diplomacy and the Crisis of Multilateral Institutions

Key players

The Global Economy and the Return of Industrial Policy

Key players

Global Energy Security and the Transition

Key players

Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for 2026 Grand Strategy Summit.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Trump's Economic Reset

GOP Promotes Trump's Tax Savings on Deadline

Howard Lutnick's Senate Testimony on 2027 Bud

Akpabio vs Oshiomhole: 2027 Power Struggle

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

The Power-Interest Grid

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Advanced Negotiation

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

United States September 2026

By committee

2026 Grand Strategy Summit

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

The Future of Foreign Policy in a Multipolar Era

Great Power Competition in the 21st Century

Diplomacy and the Crisis of Multilateral Institutions

The Global Economy and the Return of Industrial Policy

Global Energy Security and the Transition

Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance

Resources

The Future of U.S. & China Conference 2026: A Shifting Global Order

Turkey's evolving role in a new global geopolitical and security order

Nations First Forum: Prospects for Transatlantic Cooperation and the Future of Nations

2026 Jordan Center Masters and Undergraduate Research Symposium

Pakistan Conference @ Harvard 2026

2026 AGS Geopolitical Leadership Summit

Frequently asked questions

2026 Grand Strategy Summit

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

The Future of Foreign Policy in a Multipolar Era

Great Power Competition in the 21st Century

Diplomacy and the Crisis of Multilateral Institutions

The Global Economy and the Return of Industrial Policy

Global Energy Security and the Transition

Artificial Intelligence and Global Governance

Resources

The Future of U.S. & China Conference 2026: A Shifting Global Order

Turkey's evolving role in a new global geopolitical and security order

Nations First Forum: Prospects for Transatlantic Cooperation and the Future of Nations

2026 Jordan Center Masters and Undergraduate Research Symposium

Pakistan Conference @ Harvard 2026

2026 AGS Geopolitical Leadership Summit

Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

The Future of U.S. & China Conference 2026: A Shifting Global Order

Turkey's evolving role in a new global geopolitical and security order

Nations First Forum: Prospects for Transatlantic Cooperation and the Future of Nations

2026 Jordan Center Masters and Undergraduate Research Symposium

Pakistan Conference @ Harvard 2026

2026 AGS Geopolitical Leadership Summit

Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

The Future of U.S. & China Conference 2026: A Shifting Global Order

Turkey's evolving role in a new global geopolitical and security order

Nations First Forum: Prospects for Transatlantic Cooperation and the Future of Nations

2026 Jordan Center Masters and Undergraduate Research Symposium

Pakistan Conference @ Harvard 2026

2026 AGS Geopolitical Leadership Summit

Frequently asked questions