Advisor: Ambassador (ret.) John Heffern, Distinguished Resident Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship and Diplomacy, ISD & Beeck Center Fellow; Georgetown

Research topic: The Future of British Soft Power. Read the final report, "Steering HMS Global Britain," here.

Alistair Somerville is an M.A. Candidate in German and European Studies in the School of Foreign Service. He is examining possible avenues for the UK to re-orientate its diplomatic and economic role in the world after it leaves the European Union. This research draws on his broader academic interests, which range from public diplomacy and propaganda to the role of historical memory in shaping diplomacy and international relations. Alistair is also a research intern at ISD and is working on a research project on Hannah Arendt’s legal philosophy at Georgetown University Law Center. He is a 2018 British Universities North America Club Scholar and his studies are also supported by grants from the Scottish International Education Trust.

Prior to his studies at Georgetown, Alistair worked in education, first as a primary school teacher in his native UK, and then as a teaching fellow at a higher education non-profit in New York City. Alistair holds a first class B.A. in History and Modern Languages from Worcester College, Oxford University, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from University College London. He speaks German and French, and is trying to learn Russian!