Francis J. Gavin, Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor, Director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at SAIS-Johns Hopkins University, and Distinguished Scholar at the Strauss Center, authored an introductory essay to Texas National Security Review issue “It May Be Different than You Think.” The Texas National Security Review is a joint venture between the Strauss and Clements Centers. He introduces two qualities that scholars should embody, being both “annoying and promiscuous,” to disturb the status quo and engage intellectually in the field. Challenging people’s assumptions, their reasoning behind them, and embracing a myriad of approaches is vital to promote a well-versed understanding of international relations.

Gavin reflects on two critical past experiences: “The American policy toward Japan in the summer of 1945 and the supposed status of the United States as a declining power.” The emergence of American policy towards Japan, regarding the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, arose in “almost a semi-conscious way, from a variety of policy streams.” He revisits his assumptions and recognizes his conformed beliefs need to be more updated.

The second experience treads on a similar realization where Gavin introduces several pieces of evidence that support the United States’ growth in three critical sectors: energy, finance, and technology, and challenge the widely perceived notion of the U.S. as a declining power. Good scholarship questions conventional wisdom and longstanding beliefs to facilitate further learning and growth. Gavin concludes that curiosity and adaptability are trademarks of true scholars. In a world where complexity and uncertainty persist, it is necessary to “surround ourselves with pesky people with a wandering eye.”

If you would like to read more about Francis Gavin’s comments in the introductory essay, the article can be found here.