The Stephen M. Kellen Term Member Program encourages promising young leaders in government, media, nongovernmental organizations, law, business, finance, and academia to engage in a sustained conversation on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. The program allows these younger members to interact with seasoned foreign-policy experts and participate in a wide variety of events designed especially for them. Each year a new class of term members, between the ages of 30 and 36, is elected to a five-year membership term. Committees of term members in New York and Washington, DC, advise the Council leadership and help create programs of particular interest to younger members.
The Term Member Program is supported by a generous gift from the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation.
In addition to taking part in the full range of Council activities, the term members also enjoy an array of special events with high-profile speakers, including an annual Term Member Conference, roundtables, trips to financial and governmental institutions around the country, and a one-week-long study trip abroad every two years.
This year's sixteenth annual Term Member Conference included plenary sessions on the Arab uprisings, Afghanistan, the state of the U.S. economy, and the 2012 U.S. presidential elections. Stephen W. Bosworth, until October the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy, keynoted the conference’s opening session by giving his candid thoughts about the future of U.S.-Korea policy while also reflecting on his career as a diplomat. The conference ended with a dynamic debate on the question “Should the United States cut military aid to Pakistan?” between teams consisting of two term members and led by CFR Senior Fellow Dan Markey and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Vice President George R. Perkovich, and moderated by Foreign Affairs editor Gideon Rose.
Concurrent breakout session roundtables with twelve Council Fellows and term members offered term members a chance for in-depth conversations on topics ranging from lessons from Afghanistan and Iraq, the role of central banks, the rise of China, U.S. defense spending, the future of South Africa, and non-communicable diseases, and also featured CFR Independent Task Forces on U.S. trade policy, education, and Brazil.
Seventeen term members participated in a three day trip to Atlanta, Georgia, which included briefings at CNN, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Coca-Cola as well as meetings with Andrew Young and Jimmy Carter. Other trips featuring high-level briefings included visits to the Naval aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, Marine Corps Base Quantico, U.S. Southern Command in Miami, and Joint Interagency Task Force–South in Key West.
For further information about applying for term membership, please contact Membership at applications@cfr.org or +1.212.434.9487.
Learn more about the application process and view a printable brochure.
Membership Application Deadlines: October 1 and March 1
Term Membership Application Deadline: November 1
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Membership in the CFR Corporate Program is tailored to meet the needs of your organization. To learn more, please visit the About Corporate page, view a printable brochure, and see our current list of members.
To find out if Corporate membership would benefit your company, contact the Corporate Program at corporate@cfr.org or 212.434.9684.
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