Graduate Certificate in Public Policy: Defence and Foreign Affairs

Takshashila Institution

The Takshashila Institution is an independent centre for research and education in public policy. It works to build a generation of people who can think clearly about how India is governed and how it acts in the world. More than 10,000 alumni have come through its programmes and now work in government, technology, law, and civil society.

Role

This is a learning programme, not a paid job. The Graduate Certificate in Public Policy (Defence and Foreign Affairs) teaches you to read world events the way a policy analyst does, through geopolitics, strategic studies, and economics. Over 12 weeks you look at how military power shapes global affairs, how India makes its foreign policy, and how an ancient text like the Arthashastra still speaks to statecraft today. Every cohort brings together officers from the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy along with civilians, so the classroom itself carries many points of view. The programme is built around a working week: webinars fall on Saturdays from 9:30 to 15:30 IST, and you should plan for 7 to 10 hours a week. Everything is online, so you only need a steady internet connection.

Responsibilities

• Complete five weeks of core policy modules covering policy analysis, economic reasoning, and effective communication with the media
• Complete seven weeks of specialisation in strategic studies, international relations, the Arthashastra, and strategic economics
• Attend weekly Saturday webinars and two interactive virtual workshops
• Join the two day online academic conference in week five, with keynote sessions and breakout tracks led by practising experts
• Take part in Exercise Amrut, a three day online simulation where you step into the role of a global decision maker and handle fast moving geopolitical crises under real time pressure
• Study India's national security challenges, nuclear doctrine, high tech geopolitics, and the tools of statecraft
• Set aside 7 to 10 hours each week for reading, writing, and class

Requirements

• An undergraduate degree in any field
• Work experience is preferred but not required
• Comfort reading and writing in English
• Interest in defence, foreign policy, geopolitics, or public policy more broadly
• Willingness to commit 7 to 10 hours a week for 12 weeks, including Saturday sessions from 9:30 to 15:30 IST
• A stable internet connection, since the whole programme runs online
• Openness to working with people from very different backgrounds, including serving armed forces officers

Benefits

• A Graduate Certificate in Public Policy on completion
• Learning from faculty including Ambassador Latha Reddy, former Deputy National Security Adviser of India, Lt General (Dr) Prakash Menon, Nitin Pai, Pranay Kotasthane, Anupam Manur, Dr Kajari Kamal, Manoj Kewalramani, and Lokendra Sharma
• Entry to a network of over 10,000 Takshashila alumni across government, technology, law, and civil society
• A classroom that mixes serving military officers with civilians, which is rare and changes the conversation
• Many participants attend with employer sponsorship, and the team will share specifics your organisation needs
• If life gets in the way, admission can be deferred to one of the next two batches

Apply

Interested candidates can apply through the below link before August 23. For corporate sponsorship questions, write to [email protected]

Apply >

Follow our WhatsApp Channel to get notified about the latest jobs.