Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and Wilson Center Announce New Partnership Focused on Olympic Sports Diplomacy and International Relations

In support of ongoing graduate research, the School of Public Policy eagerly announces a partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center) with the establishment of a Wilson Center Fellowship at Pepperdine SPP.

The strategic partnership reflects Pepperdine and the Wilson Center’s shared focus on providing a nonpartisan bridge between scholarship and policy. Under this new agreement, the Wilson Center will provide scholarship and research funding for up to four Pepperdine School of Public Policy students annually to work as Wilson Center Fellows. The first cohort of fellows will be selected in the fall of 2026.

For the program’s first two years, the fellowship will focus on sports diplomacy, aligned with the upcoming LA28 Olympic Games. Students will explore how international athletic competition can support diplomatic engagement and strengthen international relationships. 

In addition to academic research, the program will include a semester-long internship opportunity at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, providing fellows with direct exposure to policy practitioners, scholars, and global leaders.

“This Wilson Center Fellowship grant marks a major step forward in our relationship with the respected Wilson Center and provides incredible research and professional opportunities for our students,” said Pete Peterson, Dean of the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy. “This program also continues to build upon our vision of establishing SPP as a bicoastal policy school with creative partnerships and programs in Malibu and Washington, DC.”

Wilson Center President and CEO Natasha Jacome emphasized the importance of academic partnerships in strengthening policy-relevant scholarship.

“Partnerships like this one that connect talented students with our scholars and global reach are central to how the Wilson Center fulfills its statutory mission to translate ideas into policy,” said Jacome. “The initial focus on sports diplomacy underscores the innovative, forward-looking approach that defines this partnership.”

Additional details about the inaugural Wilson Center Fellows at Pepperdine SPP will be announced in the coming months.