Eric Rosenbach, Co-Director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center
for Science and International Affairs
Eric Rosenbach is Co-Director of the Belfer Center and a Harvard Kennedy School
Public Policy Lecturer. He also heads the Center's Defending Digital Democracy
project.
As the Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter from 2015-2017, Eric
Rosenbach was one of the senior-most leaders of an organization with 2.8 million
personnel, a $585 billion annual budget and ongoing military operations in multiple
locations around the world.
Rosenbach was charged with managing some of the Department’s most sensitive
decisions and ensuring implementation of transformative changes in the
Department’s technology, budget, and talent management. He served as the
Secretary’s strategic advisor on the war strategy and global coalition to defeat ISIS,
the “rebalance” to Asia, and the effort to check Russian aggression. Rosenbach also
led the Department’s efforts to improve innovation by forging and managing key
initiatives such as the Defense Digital Service, the Silicon Valley-based Defense
Innovation Unit and the Defense Innovation Board.
Before serving as Chief of Staff, Rosenbach was the Assistant Secretary of Defense,
confirmed by the U.S. Senate, responsible for leading all aspects of the
Department’s cyber strategy, policy, and operations. His portfolio as Assistant
Secretary also included countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
space operations, antiterrorism, continuity of government and defense support to
civil authorities. Rosenbach led the Department’s efforts to counter cyberattacks by
Iran and North Korea on US critical infrastructure and deter Chinese theft of
American firms’ intellectual property.
Earlier, Rosenbach worked at the Harvard Kennedy School as the Executive
Director for Research at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. In
addition to running the Center, Rosenbach taught graduate-level classes on cyber
and counterterrorism. Prior to his work at Harvard, he served as national security

advisor for then Senator Chuck Hagel and as a professional staff member on the
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence where he led oversight of Intelligence
Community counterterrorism programs.
Earlier in his career, he worked as the Chief Security Officer for Tiscali, the largest
pan-European internet service provider, where he was responsible for all aspects of
the firm’s cybersecurity.
A former Army intelligence officer and Commander of a telecommunications
intelligence unit, Rosenbach led a team that worked closely with the NSA to provide
strategic intelligence in direct support of commanders in Bosnia and Kosovo. The
Director of Central Intelligence named Rosenbach's unit as the top intelligence
organization in the U.S. military for two consecutive years.
He was a Fulbright Scholar and holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown, Masters of
Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and Bachelor of Arts from
Davidson College.

The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard
Kennedy School of Government
The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is the hub of Harvard
Kennedy School's research, teaching, and training in international security and
diplomacy, environmental and resource issues, and science and technology
policy.Building on the vision of founder Paul Doty, the Center integrates insights
and research of social scientists, natural scientists, technologists, and practitioners
in government, diplomacy, the military, and business. The Center pursues its
mission in four complementary research areas:
A.) The International Security Program addresses the most pressing threats to
U.S. national interests and international security.
B.) The Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program analyzes ways in which
public policies influence S&T for security, energy efficiency, sustainability,
and economic competitiveness.

C.) The Environment and Natural Resources Program is the locus of Harvard's
interdisciplinary research on resource and environmental problems and
policy responses.
D.) The Diplomacy and International Affairs focus of the Center comprises the
Future of Diplomacy Project and also supports research and teaching on
global political relations through the Middle East Initiative, and the India
and South Asia Project.