News: NSFA

Keels Inspires Next Generation National Security Leaders with support from Battelle

As national and nuclear security challenges intensified in the fall of 2025, the need for a stronger, more prepared workforce came into sharper focus. In response, the Howard H. Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, named Dr. Eric Keels assistant director of the Center for National Security and…
Dr. Krista Wiegand Receives Fulbright Specialist Award to the Philippines at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University

The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board awarded Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs Director Krista Wiegand a Fulbright Specialist Program award to complete a project in the Philippines at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU). Wiegand will spend the next month completing a project that aims to exchange…
Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs Awarded Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Grant to Host Japan-U.S. Diplomacy Academy

Knoxville, TN (Nov. 3, 2025) – The Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs (NSFA) at the University of Tennessee’s Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs has received a grant from the Japan-United States Friendship Commission (JUSFC) to host a Japan- U.S. Diplomacy Academy in Knoxville in the spring. NSFA will work in partnership with the University’s Japanese Studies program and the Center…
Muhammad Explores Tariff Implications for the US Distilled Spirits Sector

The University of Tennessee (UT) Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs (NSFA) Affiliate Andrew Muhammad has authored a policy brief examining the implications of recent tariffs on the distilled spirits sector in the United States. Muhammad’s research indicates that revenue gains from tariffs on spirits may not outweigh potential losses to businesses and consumers.…
Wiegand Receives Grant from the Stanton Foundation to Develop Nuclear Security Course

The University of Tennessee Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (Baker School) recently received a grant from The Stanton Foundation to support the development of a new course on nuclear security. Dr. Krista Wiegand, Baker School professor and director of the Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs, used the…
Baker School and Brookings Institution Discuss Foreign Affairs with Bob Corker

Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (Baker School) Professor Krista Wiegand opened the school’s final installment of a lecture series examining key issues at stake during the 2024 presidential election with a simple question. “Why should Americans care about foreign affairs? The question was posed to Bob Corker, a former…
NSFA’s U.S.-Japan Diplomacy Academy Fulfills State Department’s Grant Request

Imagine it is 2026. China and Russia have engaged Japan and the United States in combat over Taiwan and the situation is on the verge of escalating to an all-out war. You have been tasked with finding diplomatic and military solutions to prevent war while limiting the conflict’s effect on your country’s economy and national…
MOU Between Baker School & ORNL Paves Way for Collaboration

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – University of Tennessee Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (Baker School) Professor and Director of the Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs Krista Wiegand, PhD, joined Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Associate Laboratory Director Moe Khaleel, PhD, for a ceremonial signing of a new Memorandum of…
Foreign Affairs Forum Recap: The Dangers of Modern-Day Disinformation and Propaganda

The Center for National Security and Foreign Affairs’ (NSFA) 2024 – 2025 Foreign Affairs Forums series kicked off last week with Elis Vllasi, senior research associate and lecturer at NSFA, speaking on The Dangers of Modern-Day Disinformation and Propaganda. An expert in analyzing complex challenges emanating in the grey zone as a result of…
UT Students Experience Japanese Culture and Foreign Policy on Japan Ambassadors Trip

This summer 12 University of Tennessee, Knoxville, students followed in the footsteps of former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard H. Baker Jr. for the Japan Ambassadors trip. Based in Kobe and Tokyo, the immersive experience is designed to provide students with a unique view of U.S.-Japan relations and Japan’s cultural history. It is presented by…