CSIS Program on Ethics

The CSIS Program on Ethics was created thanks to a 2012 endowment grant from Andreas C. Dracopoulos in honor of Dr. John J. Hamre. Originally tailored to the Center’s interns and young professionals, the program quickly expanded to benefit and include all staff. The program focuses on training employees on the ethical values and professional standards they are expected to uphold.

Beginning in the fall of 2013, a group of 10 young professionals at CSIS took part in a project investigating what ethics means in a think tank environment in Washington today. By the summer of 2014 the group produced a video and a Code of Ethics describing the professional and ethical ideals that should guide and inspire CSIS employees in their work.

The success of this effort led CSIS to establish a Council on Ethics and Professionalism, composed of a representative group of 10 staff members from different parts of the organization and different levels of service. This group meets on a quarterly basis in order to help ensure that ethical behavior is a living, breathing part of the Center’s daily life and work.