July 20-24, 2025
Overview
The Summer Wargaming Institute is a four-day "bootcamp"-style program hosted by the MIT Security Studies Program Wargaming Lab. The Institute's goal is to teach practitioners and scholars how to design and run wargames for research, training, and analysis.
Although there has been a resurgence in wargaming in the scholarly and policy communities, there are few opportunities to study the art and science of wargaming. The Institute provides hands on training that equips participants with the knowledge to develop wargames.
Classes are led by faculty from universities and think tanks.
About Us
The Wargaming Lab is a research group that seeks to build a deeper understanding of how to deter conflict and preserve peace through the innovative use of wargaming. The Lab—a part of MIT’s Security Studies Program (SSP)—strives to be a center of excellence that advances the practice of wargaming, disseminates policy-relevant research, and builds networks of scholars and practitioners.
Leveraging SSP’s expertise in security studies and MIT’s extensive network of scholars and national security practitioners, the Wargaming Lab conducts academic research on critical national security issues, engages policymakers, and informs public policy.
The Wargaming Lab designs and runs wargames, develops wargaming best practices, and convenes conferences and workshops that produce policy-relevant research and help train next-generation wargaming experts.
How to Apply
- Applicants must be PhD candidates or junior faculty in international relations, political science, or related fields or early to mid-career foreign policy/national security professionals.
- Interested participants should submit a curriculum vitae/resumé and a 500-word statement explaining how the Institute will advance their academic or professional work. These should be saved as a single pdf (name file “Last Name.pdf”).
- Submit applications to https://bit.ly/SummerWargamingInstituteApplication2025
- Deadline: Friday, March 14 2025
Details
- Date: July 20- July 24, 2024
- Location: MIT Endicott House, Dedham, MA
- The Wargaming Lab will provide tuition and all meals.
- The Wargaming Lab will provide travel and lodging for participants from academic institutions. Practitioners will need to cover their own travel expenses.