Joseph Nye graduated Summa Cum Laude from Princeton University. After studying philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University, he obtained a doctorate from Harvard University. He now is Professor Emeritus at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In 2005, he was voted one of the ten most influential professors in international relations.

In his book “The Paradox of American Power” (2002), Joseph Nye considers that no nation has ever had as much cultural, economic and military power as that wielded by the United States of America. Yet never has a nation been so globally interdependent. He explains his concepts of “hard” and “soft” power, the latter being translated as “the gentle approach” or “the power to convince”, and argues that maintaining and maximizing soft power is fundamental if the United States is to remain the world leader.

“Soft power” is not a way of describing the nature of the power wielded in the global economy. It describes a particular type of resource among others, but one that has become predominant. Command power, the ability to change what others do, can be based on coercion or incentive (through the promise of reward).

Joseph Nye pursued a career in politics, first as Deputy to the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security in the Carter administration, then as Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs in the Clinton administration. He is recognised as one of the foremost liberal thinkers on foreign policy.