Hemispheres, The Tufts University Undergraduate Journal of International Affairs, is the oldest academic publication of its kind. In 1975, under the direction of an energetic group of students including Shashi Tharoor, the future undersecretary-general of the United Nations, the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts established the Fletcher Forum of World Affairs. Motivated by the Fletcher Forum’s success, in 1977 students in the Tufts undergraduate program in International Relations established their own academic journal of international affairs. In 2017, Hemispheres celebrated its 40th anniversary as the premier publication of one of the most prestigious international affairs programs in the country.
Throughout its history, Hemispheres has remained committed to publishing research-length articles, photo-essays, and editorials of the highest academic caliber. The Journal has become a reflection of our changing world. In the 1970s, Hemispheres principally focused on Cold War issues, discussing the validity of neo-realist, bipolar relations and Realpolitik. In the spring 1978 issue, renowned international affairs theorist Stanley Hoffman (Harvard) argued about the merits and failures of “Eurocommunism.” In the fall 1982 edition, Kosta Tsipis (MIT) and Robert Pfaltzgraff (Tufts) debated options of “how to enhance American security and prevent a nuclear holocaust.” The 1990s witnessed a redirection in Hemispheres’ aims, shifting away from a technical focus in favor of raising awareness within the Tufts community of contemporary international issues. Now nearing the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century, Hemispheres has shifted its role once again, this time as a premier voice in undergraduate international affairs education, research, and debate. We are proud that Hemispheres is distributed both in print at major research libraries and online via EBSCO Host, a first for journals of its kind.
Hemispheres 