Engaging Practitioners Lunch with Eric Rosenbach

CSS hosted Eric Rosenbach, co-director of the Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, on October 25 for the first Engaging Practitioners lecture of the fall semester. Rosenbach previously served as the Pentagon’s chief of staff and before that as assistant secretary of defense for global security, responsible for leading the department’s cyber activities and other key areas of defense policy.

CSS Director Monica Toft opened the session with a brief introduction and facilitated the conversation with Professor Rosenbach and the Fletcher students, Tufts undergraduates, and CSS research and PhD fellows in attendance. He discussed his diverse experience in the public and private sectors, and offered career advice for students interested in public service. After a distinguished career as an Army intelligence officer, Rosenbach worked in the private sector for a large European telecommunications firm. It was there that he gained valuable technology expertise, which led him to work in cyber policy later in his career.

Rosenbach emphasized the importance of both functional and regional knowledge in public sector careers. He said each student should develop two functional skills and become proficient in one region before graduation. He also discussed the sacrifices that high-level officials make in order to serve in the federal government. He spoke about the long hours and the lengthy overseas trips with Ash Carter, then secretary of defense, which took him away from his family for weeks at a time.

Rosenbach urged the group to consider the differences between political and civil service positions before choosing a career path. While civil service positions have the benefits of being apolitical and stable, political positions provide more opportunities for eventual advancement into leadership roles. In this vein, Rosenbach encouraged students to consider working on Capitol Hill after graduation, as it is an excellent way to develop political skills while gaining experience on critical issues.

CSS thanks Professor Rosenbach for his participation and for his frank and illuminating words of advice. Students can look forward to further CSS Engaging Practitioners lunches next semester, and should follow CSS on social media to learn more about upcoming events.