Christian Ostermann is a historian specializing in Cold War international history. He serves as the program director for the History and Public Policy Program at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. His work focuses on newly available archival sources from Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia, helping to reshape understanding of superpower relations, regional conflicts and the end of the Cold War. Ostermann has edited and authored numerous books and scholarly articles and has been instrumental in fostering international research collaboration and archival access.
Crafting policy almost always involves engaging the past to understand the present and future. This course introduces students to the essential role that histories play in shaping public policy on both the domestic to international arena. For example, how did/do certain readings of history affect US immigration policy, responses to the 2020-2022 pandemic, international crisis management or human rights activism? As importantly, students will explore the ways a historical approach can provide policy analysts and practitioners with powerful tools as they make consequential policy decisions and work towards policy outcomes in the face of uncertainty, complexity, incomplete data and competing perspectives. Students will also have the opportunity to develop their own policy analysis or craft a policy/decision document employing a historical approach.
Schedule of Classes
Faculty: Christian Ostermann
The Critical Oral History Conference Series is a cornerstone project of the History and Public Policy Program. Based on the methodology first pioneered by scholars James Blight, Janet Lang and colleagues, the series represents the juncture between the fields of history and public policy.
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The Nuclear Proliferation International History Project (NPIHP) was founded in 2011 with the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Learn More about Nuclear Proliferation International History Project
For over three decades, the project has been a leading force in opening the historical record of the Cold War, supporting the full and prompt release of materials by governments on all sides of the conflict, and publishing an unprecedented collection of documents that have transformed how scholars understand the era.
Learn More about Cold War International History Project