Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Center for International Security and Cooperation Stanford University


CISAC News



April 2, 2010 - In the News

Three CISAC honors students garner top awards

Class of 2009-10

Philippe de Koning, a student in the 2009-10 CISAC honors program, has been awarded both a Fulbright and Ford fellowship and has decided to accept the Fulbright. During this year's program, the IR major (with a minor in economics) worked as CISAC Co-Director Siegfried Hecker's research assistant. His honor's thesis is titled, "The Influence of North Korea and China on Japanese Militarization."

De Koning plans to go to Japan this September for a year to conduct independent research on Japanese security policy with a focus on Japanese nuclear disarmament policies. "The CISAC honors program has taught me how to look at security studies from an interdisciplinary perspective, awakened me to the changing definitions of international security, and stimulated more rigor in my thinking about security studes," he wrote in a email. 
Sam Stone, also, a current honor's student, will study Russian foreign policy, focusing on energy security and nuclear nonproliferation. Stone is an active member of the Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum (SURF), an initiative that brings together students from both countries to explore global issues. During his Fulbright year, Stone plans to continue working with SURF and travel widely throughout Russia, Central Asia and eastern Europe.
Class of 2010-11
Varun Srinivasan Sivaram, a double major in engineering physics and international relations, is one of 60 winners of a Truman Scholarship. Winners are selected based on their leadership potential, intellectual ability and likelihood of making a difference. Sivaram, a junior, plans to study the security risks associated with Indian nuclear energy expansion as an honor's student in International Security Studies. Hecker will act as his adviser. 

"I am excited to start research through CISAC, because it presents a great opportunity to combine my interests in science and in foreign policy," Sivaram said. "I look forward to working under prominent scholars in the field of international security and aiming to supplement the young literature on the security implications of renewable energy." Sivaram's career goal is to become an international climate negotiator.

In response to news about the award, Hecker said, "It's great to see such a talented field of undergraduates associated with CISAC."