History

The UW Asia-Pacific Army War College Fellowship program, based in the UW’s Jackson School of International Studies and funded by the Army, was founded in 2015 as a partnership among the University of Washington, the U.S. Army War College and Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). Fellows spend a year at the UW studying the politics, history, and culture of one or more countries in the Asia Pacific region.

UW Tacoma, which has close ties with JBLM, was part of the collaboration that launched the program. Since 2022, the program has been fully embedded in the Jackson School.

The fellowship grew out of a conversation between then Jackson School Director Reşat Kasaba and Lieutenant General Stephen R. Lanza, former Commanding General at JBLM in Tacoma. “Stephen told me that the Joint Base is going to be central as the military focuses more on China and the Pacific Rim, and that it is important for officers to know about Asia,” Kasaba recalls. “Given the strength of the Jackson School, he thought it would be great if we could create a fellowship program here.”

In October 2015, the inaugural year of the program, Major General (MG) William Hix visited the UW and met with leadership at the University of Washington. MG Hix’s visit served as an indication of the importance the U.S. Army attached to the role of the University of Washington in education of its officers.

While in residence, Fellows collaborate with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on U.S. military and global issues, specific challenges faced by the nation in rapidly changing times, and the role of the U.S. in the Asia-Pacific region. Fellows have composed award-winning essays on a range of topics therein, from the impact of water crises to digital communication & the People First strategy to the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP).

As of Autumn 2023, the UW has hosted a total of 16 Army War College Fellows.

The program brings a unique opportunity to the UW and wider community in the Pacific Northwest, to interact with the Fellows as they share their expertise inside the classroom and as guest speakers at the UW as well as think tanks, global NGOs, government, and corporate organizations in the area.

The military has a long tradition of educational fellowships. Participating institutions have been across the nation, and overseas. When the UW was selected in 2015, it was only the second university on the West Coast with such a fellowship, joining Stanford University.