HCSS mourns the loss of Joseph S. Nye Jr., a towering figure in international relations theory, who passed away on May 6 at the age of 88.
Professor Nye leaves behind a profound legacy – both as a scholar and a public intellectual – who fundamentally reshaped how we think about power, diplomacy, and global leadership. Best known for introducing the concept of soft power, Nye offered a compelling alternative to traditional, hard-edged notions of influence.
As Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, former Assistant Secretary of Defence, and a prolific author, Nye consistently bridged the worlds of theory and practice. His thinking has influenced generations of strategists, diplomats, and policymakers across the globe – including here with us in The Hague.
At The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), Joe Nye was instrumental in launching the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC) initiative in February 2017, as part of ongoing global efforts to enhance international security in cyberspace.
“It`s hard to overstate how much Joe meant to me, and how deeply I feel his loss,” says HCSS Senior Fellow Dr. Alexander Klimburg, who was previously the Director of the HCSS Cyber Policy and Resilience Program and the Director of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace Initiative (GCSC) Secretariat.
Joe was the heart and soul of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace. His support was instrumental—not just in shaping the initial proposal but also in helping recruit a remarkable group of Commissioners. It wasn’t just his personal advice on specific issues and personalities that helped; it was his ability to wade into the often messy sausage-making without ever compromising himself or his values.
We’ve collected some of his fellow Commissioners’ responses to his passing:
- David KOH: “Joe was a mentor and colleague. I first met him when he was Dean and I was at Harvard for my MPA course. It was an honour to subsequently work alongside him in the international cyber ecosystem. He was a giant of a man; he will be missed.”
- Motohiro Tsuchiya: “Joe Nye had huge impacts on me. I met him for the first time in 2001 at an academic conference in San Francisco. I gave him my paper and he read it in a flight returning to Boston and gave me a comment by email. I am still keeping his business card I got in 2001.”
- Marietje Schaake: “I share the deep appreciation for Joe as a true gentleman in his work and life. It is indeed a big loss. I continued to see Joe and corresponded with him, and he always spoke about his wife Molly (who passed late last year, 63 years of marriage) and sons. Of all his achievements in life his family was what he looked back on with most pride and joy. Let us all make sure that with Joe’s passing the very idea of soft power does not die as well.”
- Khoo Boon Hui: “I had the privilege of first meeting Professor Nye when I was a student at the John F. Kennedy School of Government over 40 years ago. Even then, his clarity of thought, intellectual generosity, and humility left an indelible mark on me. He had that rare ability to combine rigorous analysis with a genuine concern for the world and its people. His concept of “soft power” fundamentally changed how we understand influence and diplomacy, and it continues to shape international relations to this day. Professor Nye was, in every sense, a gentleman and a scholar. His legacy will live on through his contributions to the GCSC, his writings, his students, and people around the world who have been influenced by his ideas and example. Rest in peace, Professor Nye. The world is better because you were in it.”
- Bill Woodcock: “It was a pleasure and an honour to serve on the GCSC, and a few other boards, with Joe.”
- Sean Kanuck: “Let us pay tribute to a great scholar and wonderful human being! Joe Nye was truly worthy of admiration and emulation. From first meeting him as my college professor for Historical Studies A-12 in the early 1990s to collaborating with him on the Commission, Joe always brought wisdom, intellectual curiosity, kindness, and compassion. Despite his great success and celebrity, he always made time for teaching and his students. He was also both a true patriot and global citizen. I count him as a great mentor and inspiration to help pursue a better world for us all. With great respect and fondest memories … Joe, may you find eternal peace.”
- Wolfgang Kleinwächter: “It is such sad news. Joe combined in a unique way academic excellence with political wisdom. His “Soft Power” and “Power Shifts” theories from the early 1990s helped to develop the concept of the multistakeholder approach for the governance of the digital space at the eve of the 21st century. We will miss him.”
- Alexander Klimburg: “A dear mentor and friend, Joe Nye inspired us not only with his vision of a world shaped not solely by brute force, but by the soft power of attraction and conviction. He also inspired us with his character. Without a doubt, he was one of the kindest, most thoughtful, and most sincere people I have ever met. Working with Joe in 2014 was one of the most formative periods of my life—and not only intellectually. Observing him engage with others, always with unfailing kindness and thoughtfulness, even amid the harsh realities of elite academia and the national security world, was a masterclass in moral leadership. Joe shared of himself freely and generously. I am profoundly grateful to his family for allowing him to do so. We owe them an immeasurable debt. Thank you for sharing Joe with us. We – and the world – are all the better for it.”
Professor Nye’s work helped shape our understanding of strategic influence in an interconnected world. His intellectual clarity and moral compass served as a guidepost for responsible global engagement, particularly as hybrid threats and shifting power balances challenged the liberal international order he so vigorously defended.
Beyond his academic and policy achievements, Nye will be remembered for his humility, mentorship, and steadfast belief in the power of ideas to create a more just and peaceful world.
We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. The international community has lost one of its wisest voices – but his legacy will continue to inform and inspire.
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