Jonathan Wilkenfeld

Jonathan Wilkenfeld "is Director for the Center for International Development and Conflict Management as well as a professor and prior chair of the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland. As the director of CIDCM, Wilkenfeld leads the Center’s efforts in translating social science research into accessible and useful information for practitioners and policy-makers working in the fields of conflict management and development.

"He is a specialist in foreign policy decision making and crisis behavior, as well as in the use of simulation in political science. Since 1977, Wilkenfeld has served as co-Director (with Michael Brecher) of the International Crisis Behavior Project, a cross-national study of international crises in the twentieth century. The project has served as the basis for systematic research into a range of crucial foreign-policy issues, including state motivations during times of crisis, conflict management practices, and protracted conflict trajectories.

"He also guides CIDCM’s training initiative, which provides decision-makers with interactive training experiences in the fields of conflict behavior, negotiation, and crisis management. The development of the International Communication and Negotiation Simulations (ICONS) Project grew out of his long-term interest in integrating technology and simulation techniques into the teaching of negotiation and international politics. Under his direction, the ICONS Project won numerous awards for innovation and excellence, including in 1994, the Distinguished Program Award presented by the Maryland Association for Higher Education for the ICONS instructional model, and in 2001 the University of Maryland Award for Innovation in Teaching with Technology.

"His most recent books include A Study of Crisis (1997 and 2000, with Michael Brecher); Negotiating a Complex World (1999 and 2005, with Brigid Starkey and Mark Boyer); and Mediating International Crises (2005, with Victor Asal, David Quinn, and Kathleen Young). This latest work focuses on the use of experimental techniques to study the mediation process in international crisis negotiations and how decision makers learn from previous crisis experience."


 * Advisory Board, Baha'í Chair for World Peace

Program and Grant Administration
Accessed July 2008:

8Folke Bernadotte Academy (Sweden), “Mediating Intrastate Crises,” 2007-2008.
 * Principal Investigator, "Interstate Behavior Analysis Project." Sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. July 1, 1974 to September 30, 1977.
 * Principal Investigator, "Cross-National Crisis Analysis Project." Sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. October 1, 1977 to September 30, 1978.
 * Research Associate, "International Crisis Behavior Project." Sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 1978-1980.
 * Co-Principal Investigator, "Mapping of International Crises Project." Sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 1980-1983. Continuation grant, 1983-1985.
 * Project Director, "Program in Global Issues." Sponsored by U.S. Department of Education, 1981-1984.
 * Project Co-Director, "Computer Simulation in Multi-Lingual International Studies." Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, 1983-1985.
 * Project Co-Director, "Computer Assisted International Studies and Translation Program." Part of Project FULCRUM at University of Maryland, funded by IBM, 1984-1987.
 * Project Co-Director, "National Simulation in International Studies and Translation Project," grant to National Council on Foreign Language and International Studies, by U.S. Department of Education, 1985-1988.
 * Project Co-Director, "International Crises in the Contemporary Era." Sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 1985-1987.
 * Project Co-Director, "International Business Resource Center of Maryland." Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, 1986-1988.
 * Investigator, "Data Development in International Relations: International Crisis Behavior," National Science Foundation, 1986-1988.
 * Project Co-Director, "International Business Negotiation Project." Sponsored by U.S. Department of Education, 1988-1990.
 * Co-Principal Investigator, "Technology Transfer and Curriculum Ware Development Project." Funded by IBM, 1989-1990.
 * Project Director, ICONS, University of Maryland College Park Enhancement Funds, 1989- present.
 * Project Director, Maryland Summer Center for International Studies, College Park. Sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education, 1990 -.
 * Project Director, Maryland State Initiative in International Education. Sponsored by State of Maryland, 1990 -.
 * Project Director, "Simulacion Interamericana per Teleproceso," Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Organization of American States, 1990.
 * Project Director, "A Strategic Model of Negotiations for Autonomous Agents," National Science Foundation, 1992-95.
 * Project Director, "Regional Negotiations Centers Project," United States Institute of Peace, 1992-1993.
 * Project Director, "International Negotiation Seminar Project," US Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education, 1992-1995.
 * Project Director, "Simulation Interamericana per Teleproceso," Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, Organization of American States, 1992-93.
 * Project Director, "Maryland Summer Center for International Studies," Maryland State Department of Education, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996.
 * Project Director, "Crisis Negotiation Environment Project," United States Institute of Peace, 1995-97.
 * Project Director, "Negotiation and Cooperation in Multi-agent Environments," National Science Foundation, 1995-1998.
 * Project Director, “The ICONS Classroom Technology Project: Area Studies Curriculum for Africa and the Americas,” US Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, 1996-1999.
 * Project Director, “The Political Psychology of Crisis Negotiations: An Experimental Design,” National Science Foundation, 1999-2000.
 * Project Director, “Reaching Agreements More Effectively: Strategies and Learning Techniques,” National Science Foundation, 1999-2002.
 * Project Director, “Cognitive Complexity and Mediation Styles in Crisis Negotiation,” Sun Microsystems, 1999-2000.
 * Project Director, “Technology Accelerators Project: Content Driven Strategies for Minority Serving Institutions,” US Department of Education, FIPSE, 1/1/01-12/31/03.
 * Project Director, “Negotiation Tools for Trainers,” US Institute of Peace, 6/1/00-11/30/01.
 * Project Director, “Information Acquisition in Improving Agent Performance,” National Science Foundation, 2002-2005.
 * Project Director, “Core Support for CIDCM,” Hewlett Foundation, 1/05-12/05.
 * Co-PI, “Center of Excellence for Behavioral and Social Research on Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism,” Department of Homeland Security, 2005-2008.
 * Principal Investigator, “Changing Attitudes Across Religious Communities,” Department of Homeland Security, 2006-2008.
 * Co-PI (with Johanna Birnir), “Minorities at Risk: Addressing Selection Bias Issues,” National Science Foundation, 2007-2007.