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ISS Student Spotlight | Mason Zantout

Wednesday

Meet recent ISS graduate, Mason Zantout

Mason hiking in front of a snow-capped mountain in Switzerland
  1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What inspired you to pursue a graduate degree in International Security Studies, and what areas of security or policy interest you most?
    I come from a background in U.S. Army Human Intelligence, where I directly supported the intelligence community through battlefield interrogations in Iraq and strategic debriefings while stationed in Germany. Through both my military service and personal travel, I’ve had the opportunity to engage with a wide range of political systems and cultures, which shaped how I view international security and governance. I pursued the International Security Studies program to strengthen my analytical thinking and communication skills, as my professional experience was primarily focused on intelligence collection. I wanted to build a more structured approach to interpreting complex security environments and translating information into clear analysis. My primary regional interests include Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, where I have both professional exposure and a continued interest in security dynamics and policy development.
     
  2. Can you share a research topic, project, or class that has been particularly meaningful or challenging for you so far?
    I found the Russian Foreign and Security Policy course particularly meaningful, as it introduced me to realist perspectives on geopolitics, including the work of John Mearsheimer and the concept of great power competition. Studying these frameworks helped bring greater clarity to both historical and current international events.
     
    The final project for the course focused on analyzing the 2022 Xi–Putin communiqué and developing a policy response from a Western perspective. This allowed me to apply theoretical concepts in a practical way, exploring different strategies to counter Sino-Russian alignment in the international system. The flexibility of the assignment encouraged me to think critically and approach the problem from multiple angles, which made it one of the most engaging experiences in the program.
     
  3. What skills or lessons have you gained through the ISS program, and how have these experiences shaped your personal and professional goals?
    Through the ISS program, I strengthened my ability to conduct in-depth research and produce clear, structured analytical work. While I had prior experience working with information in a professional setting, the program helped refine how I organize, interpret, and present complex material.
     
    The most significant takeaway for me has been the ability to connect academic concepts with real-world security dynamics. Rather than viewing theory and practice separately, I’ve learned to integrate the two, using academic frameworks to better understand and explain real-world phenomena. This has directly shaped my professional goals, as I aim to apply these skills in analytical, investigative, or intelligence-related roles where structured assessment and clear communication are essential.
     
  4. What advice would you give to new ISS students about getting the most out of the program?
    I would encourage new students to actively connect theory with both historical examples and current events. Academic frameworks are most useful when they are used as a bridge to understand how patterns in international security repeat over time.
     
    In many cases, current events are not entirely new, but rather echoes of past dynamics. By studying history alongside theory, you begin to recognize these patterns and develop a deeper understanding of why events unfold the way they do. Over time, you start to have those moments of recognition, realizing you’ve seen similar situations before, which is a strong indicator that the material is starting to click.