"One of the most powerful decision-making exercises I have ever participated in."

— Career U.S. Naval Officer

“ A must for those wanting to understand the real-world pressures of policy-making.”

 — Civil Servant, UK Ministry of Defence

“An irreplaceable experience that sharpened my negotiation and decision-making skills and improved my situational analysis.”

– Ambassador-at-large, Lithuania

“I strongly recommend this weekend for mid-career or senior foreign policy practitioners involved in military, intelligence and diplomatic work."

— a serving British diplomat

 

About the Program

 

What is Red Horizon?
“Red Horizon: Force and Diplomacy in Eurasia” is an immersive global crisis exercise incubated at the Negotiation Task Force at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University to train participants in advanced negotiation and decision-making skills.

What is the program schedule like?
Red Horizon is a three-day workshop with additional briefings and individual preparation scheduled prior to these three three days. All program elements of Red Horizon 2020 take place virtually on the Zoom platform and through special Red Horizon email accounts.

3-day workshop: The workshop takes place from December 4, 2020 - December 6, 2020. On Friday, December 4, 2020, 3pm - 8pm EST participants will attend a lecture, have time to read over course materials, and ask questions. On Saturday, December 5, from 9am - 5pm participants will assume their assigned roles and negotiate a nuclear crisis scenario all-day in-character. On December 6, 2020, from 10am - 3pm participants will attend an exercise debrief lecture and discussion. This year, Red Horizon will be run entirely online through programs including Zoom and G-Suite. Full attendance throughout these three days is expected and required to earn your Certificate of Completion.

Individual preparation: All participants are expected to spend 2-3 hours reading their individual, confidential briefing instructions prior to the 3-day workshop. You will receive this information a week in advance.

Technical Briefing: Participants are required to attend or watch a recording of a technical briefing to be held on Monday, November 30, from 5pm to 6pm EST to familiarize participants with the technical elements of the workshop and orient participants in the Red Horizon universe. This briefing will be recorded and attendance at the live event is not required for participation in the December 4 - 6, 2020 workshop.

Political or Military Briefing: Additionally, two specialized meetings will be held on Tuesday, December 1, and Wednesday, December 2 from 5pm to 6pm EST to introduce participants to other essential aspects of the exercise. Depending on your role assignment you will only attend one of these sessions. These briefings will be recorded and attendance at the live event is not required for participation in the December 4 - 6, 2020 workshop.

A precise schedule including breaks will be disseminated to participants prior to the start of the program.

 

What sort of coursework is required? Is there anything that I will need to prepare in advance?

Participants will receive reading related to their role assignment prior to the workshop. While participants are advised to read over these materials in advance, participants will also be allotted time to complete this task during the program on Friday, December 4.

 

What is the Red Horizon certificate of completion?

All participants who complete the full program will receive a “Certificate of Completion” granted by the Negotiation Task Force, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University.

 

Is Red Horizon a part of a degree-granting program?

No.

 

Can I be granted Harvard University credits for this program?

No, with one exception: If you are a currently enrolled student at the Division of Continuing Education, please reach out to RedHorizon@fas.harvard.edu. We are working on offering Red Horizon 2020 for credit to DCE students.

 

When will I receive the program schedule?

The program outline is as follows: Friday, December 4, from 3pm - 8pm EST, Saturday, December 5, from 9am - 5pm, December 6, 2020, from 10am - 3pm. A more detailed schedule will be sent to participants in advance of the workshop.

 

How often is Red Horizon offered?

We aim to offer Red Horizon as an annual program hosted at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies each December.

 

If I participated in Red Horizon on campus in a previous year, will I still benefit from participating in this virtual version?

The Red Horizon scenario content is updated every year to improve the user experience. However, the learning objectives and broad picture remain the same. If you wish to participate in Red Horizon a second time, please contact our team at RedHorizon@fas.harvard.edu to inquire about the benefits of participation and the placement options available to you.

 

What is the expected attire for this program?

“Business casual” dress is recommended for the sessions on Friday, December 4, 2020 and Sunday, December 6, 2020. Business casual is defined as skirts/pants, open-necked shirts or blouses, and sweaters. For Saturday, December 5, 2020, the recommended dress is “business formal.” Business formal is defined as jackets and ties, and similarly appropriate attire for women (which may also include jackets and ties).

 

Registration & Payment

 

How do I apply? What are the admissions requirements?

All potential candidates are required to submit a short formal application that details professional background and interest in the program. You may apply to the program by clicking the “Register Here” button on the homepage and following the application link on this page.

 

How long does it take to complete my application?

No more than 30 minutes.

 

When can I expect to receive an admissions decision?

There are multiple program deadlines. Upon these deadlines, our team will review your application and release your admissions decision to you via email in the following days. Candidates may be “accepted,” “rejected,” or “waitlisted” to the program. Accepted participants will be given 10 business days to complete registration and payment. Waitlisted participants will be informed of a final decision at the following application deadline.
 

Is there any advantage to registering early?

Yes! Participants who register early may be able to take advantage of a lower ticket price. Early registrants will also be eligible to take advantage of certain for-purchase add-on options.

 

Is this program open to participants from outside the U.S.?

Yes. Participants have attended Red Horizon from around the globe; in fact, many of our participants come from outside the U.S.

 

Do you offer group discounts?

Yes! Please contact our team by phone at +1-617-496-2180 or by email RedHorizon@fas.harvard.edu to inquire about group rates.

 

Are there discounts available for students and other groups?

Yes! There are limited discounts available to certain groups. Click on the “Register Here” button on the Red Horizon homepage to learn more about the current rates being offered. Please note that these rates are extremely limited and will only be available until sold out.

 

What if I register but can no longer attend the event? What is the refund policy?

Cancellation of participation will incur a fee anytime after payment and a portion of the cost of my ticket will be retained by the host. Cancellation rates for "General Admission," "Government/ Military," and "Student" are as follows: Cancellation between Sept. 1, 2020 - Sept. 30, 2020 = 90% refund, Oct. 1, 2020 - Oct. 31, 2020 = 50% refund, Nov. 1, 2020 - Nov. 22, 2020 = 10% refund, Nov. 23, 2020 and later = 0% refund. Cancellation fees for other types of tickets is 90% the ticket rate (10% refund) between Sept. 1, 2020 - Nov. 22, 2020. Cancellation for other types of tickets made on Nov. 23, 2020 and later is 100% (0% refund). Cancellation of "add-on merchandise" will be honored with 100% refund for the "Hard-Copy Briefing Packet" before Nov. 14, 2020, for the "Hard-Copy Certificate of Participation,"  "Negotiation Performance Assessment," and the "Strategic Negotiation Briefing" before Nov. 23, 2020. After these dates, refunds for the aforementioned "add-on merchandise" shall not be honored. Please contact for questions. No full refunds will be granted unless the event is cancelled.

 

What is included in the program fee? What exactly are the add-ons?

The program fee includes your program tuition for the three days as well as your electronic certificate of completion.

 

Optional for-purchase add-ons include:

 

Hard-Copy Briefing Packet — $75 (including shipping)*: Each Red Horizon participant receives an electronic folder filled with general briefing information on the Red Horizon scenario and confidential instructions related to the role assignment. Hard-copy versions of this briefing packet can be shipped to participants. Each hard-copy briefing packet includes a folder, all briefing documents, and customized access badges, name tags, and tent cards. Deadline: must register before November 13th, 2020. 

 

Hard-Copy Certificate of Completion — $35 (including shipping)*: Each Red Horizon participant receives an electronic Certificate of Completion issued by the Negotiation Task Force, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University. Hard-copy versions of the Certificate can be shipped to participants. 

 

Negotiation Performance Assessment — $95: Receive feedback on your Red Horizon negotiation performance. This detailed assessment will contain information on your negotiation behavior from your Red Horizon negotiation partners and can be used to enhance your understanding of how others perceive you as a negotiator and improve your awareness of your negotiation strengths and weaknesses.

 

Strategic Negotiation Briefing — $195: Join this small group Zoom briefing on Tuesday, November 24th from 5pm - 6pm EST on advanced negotiation strategies and techniques led by the NTF Director, Dr. Arvid Bell, to help prepare you for the Red Horizon exercise. This event is limited to no more than 10 participants. This session will not be recorded.

 

*Orders can only be shipped to addresses within the 48 contiguous United States, excluding P.O. boxes.

 

When is payment due?

Once accepted, payment is due upon registration through our payment portal.

 

Is financial aid available?

No. Financial assistance is not available for the Red Horizon program.

 

If I can’t make the program, can I send someone in my place?

This option is not automatically guaranteed, but it may be possible in some cases. Please contact us at +1-617-496-2180 or RedHorizon@fas.harvard.edu to inquire about your options.

 

What if I have to miss a portion of the program?

To receive a program certificate of completion, you must attend the entire program. 

 

Technology

 

Is any special tech or computer software required to participate? For example, do I need a webcam?

Participants will be supplied with a Red Horizon Gmail account in advance of the exercise. All email correspondence during the exercise (on December 5) will be conducted through this account. Participants will also be required to access Zoom at points during the program. If you do not have a Zoom account, you may make one for free at Zoom.us. Participants are expected to participate in video Zoom calls during the exercise and workshop.

 

Certain accommodations may be made for those with disabilities. Please contact our team at +1-617-496-2180 or RedHorizon@fas.harvard.edu to inquire.

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Will this event be recorded?
All participants will have the option to consent or decline to authorize Harvard University to record your participation through photograph or video. These recordings will be for organizational and marketing purposes.

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Policies

 

What are the cancellation policies for this event?

Cancellation of participation will incur a fee anytime after payment and a portion of the cost of your ticket will be retained by the host. Cancellation rates for "General Admission," "Government/ Military," and "Student" are as follows: Cancellation between Sept. 1, 2020 - Sept. 30, 2020 = 90% refund, Oct. 1, 2020 - Oct. 31, 2020 = 50% refund, Nov. 1, 2020 - Nov. 22, 2020 = 10% refund, Nov. 23, 2020 and later = 0% refund. Cancellation fees for other types of tickets is 90% the ticket rate (10% refund) between Sept. 1, 2020 - Nov. 22, 2020. Cancellation for other types of tickets made on Nov. 23, 2020 and later is 100% (0% refund). Cancellation of "add-on merchandise" will be honored with 100% refund for the "Hard-Copy Briefing Packet" before Nov. 14, 2020, for the "Hard-Copy Certificate of Participation,"  "Negotiation Performance Assessment," and the "Strategic Negotiation Briefing" before Nov. 23, 2020. After these dates, refunds for the aforementioned "add-on merchandise" shall not be honored. Please contact RedHorizon@fas.harvard.edu for questions. No full refunds will be granted unless the event is cancelled.

 

How does the COVID-19 pandemic affect this event? Is there any chance that it will be cancelled?

We do not anticipate cancelling this event. In the event of cancellation, participants will be notified and granted a full refund.

 

Attendance

Participants are admitted on the understanding that they will devote their full time to the program. Accordingly, full attendance at all is required to receive the Certificate of Completion.

 

Media

All participants will have the option to consent or decline to authorize Harvard University to record your participation through photograph or video. These recordings will be for organizational and marketing purposes.