Russell A. Berman

Russell A. Berman, the Walter A. Haas Professor in the Humanities at Stanford University, is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and co-chair of the Working Group on Islamism and the International Order. He holds dual appointments in the Department of German Studies and the Department of Comparative Literature, focusing on politics and culture in Europe and the Middle East. Berman served as chair of the Senate of the Academic Council at Stanford and as a Senior Advisor on the Policy Planning Staff of the State Department during the Trump administration.

Education:

• BA (1972) from Harvard University
• Doctorate (1979) from Washington University

Research Interests span US foreign policy, terrorism, international affairs, and the intersection of cultural studies with security strategy. His work examines how European political theology and Middle Eastern dynamics influence global stability, with a focus on post-9/11 jihadist evolution and US military exit strategies.

Scientific Awards include the Mellon Faculty Fellowship, Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, and the Bundesverdienstkreuz. His publications address critical policy issues, such as Enlightenment or Empire (Winner of German Studies Association Outstanding Book Award, 2000), In Retreat: America's Withdrawal from the Middle East (2014), and recent analyses on Lebanon’s collapse, NATO’s future, and the implications of US Afghanistan withdrawal.

Advising and Grants highlight his leadership in academic governance and policy formulation, including his role in shaping US strategic thinking through the Hoover Institution’s Working Groups and publications in Hoover Digest, Defining Ideas, and The Caravan.

Labs and Teams include the Middle East and the Islamic World Working Group (Chairman), Military History in Contemporary Conflict Working Group (Participant), and contributions to the Human Prosperity Project and Global Policy and Strategy Initiative.