Mai’a Cross, dean’s professor of political science, international affairs and diplomacy, and director of the Center for International Affairs and World Cultures, is one of the most accomplished scholars in the field when it comes to topics and issues of European and transatlantic foreign and security policy.
Her scholarship in international affairs has been nothing short of prophetic. A former Fulbright Scholar and Nobel Peace Institute Fellow, and current editor of the Journal of European Integration, Cross has kept a close eye on security developments across Europe for the better part of two decades. She heralded the creation of the European Defense Union in one award-winning book and detailed the threat posed by Russia in another, which was published a year before Russia invaded Ukraine.
Now, she’ll join the Council on Foreign Relations as a lifetime member. The council, a premier U.S. think tank, grapples with some of the most pressing issues facing nations, sponsoring a constant stream of “discussion, analysis and research” in the field of international affairs. The two kinds of membership include a life membership (for which Cross is now member) for “seasoned professionals,” and term membership for “young, rising leaders in international affairs,” according to the organization’s website. Cross was also a term member from 2014 to 2019.
