TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF NATIONAL SECURITY LEADERS
The Clements Center for National Security at The University of Texas at Austin draws on the best insights of diplomatic and military history with the mission to train the next generation of national security leaders. Established in 2013 with the support of distinguished policymakers and scholars, the Clements Center is a nonpartisan research and policy center uniquely positioned in Office of the President.
The Clements Center honors former Texas Governor Bill Clements and his leadership on national security during his service as Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1973-77. Clements managed the Pentagon and helped guide American national security policy during a critical time. He brought a deep appreciation for history to every aspect of his leadership, policies, and decision-making.
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A New Bachelor of Arts in Strategy and Statecraft
Introducing a bold new way to study power, war, and peace: The Clements Center for National Security now offers a Bachelor of Arts in Strategy and Statecraft—one of the few undergraduate majors in the country built entirely around the ideas and practice of national security.
Grounded in the classic texts of strategy, the history of war and diplomacy, and the real work of statecraft, the major trains you to think clearly and decide wisely when the stakes are highest, pairing a rigorous humanities education with the mentorship, internships, and connections of one of the nation's premier national security centers.
“Let us never send the President of the United States to the conference table as the head of the second strongest nation in the world.”
– Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill Clements, 1973
History’s Dead-Hand Grip: Politics, Statecraft, and “Lessons” of the Past
November 11, 2026
Joseph Ledford
| Clements Center Director of Research
Geopolitical Ripples: War, Connectivity, and the Remaking of Eurasia
November 12, 2026
Alexander Cooley
| Claire Tow Professor of Political Science at Barnard College
Comfort Women Justice in North Korea: Between Sovereignty and Civic Struggle
November 13, 2026
Cheehyung Harrison Kim
| Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
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