Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Charting a course for your future in policy schools, development, and tech
How we help you find your direction with The Policy Compass
Guidance
Discover Public Policy Schools
Discover Public Policy Schools
Thinking about policy schools, whether at the undergrad, master's or PhD level, is exciting and can be challenging, and that's why we're here to support you as you start this journey. We want you to succeed, and to do this, our approach is to have an open conversation where we get to know more about you, your needs, interests, passions, and more. We like to ask lots of questions because it'll help you articulate your ideas and enable us to identify your strengths and areas of growth and discover what you care about and why.
Discover Public Policy Schools
Discover Public Policy Schools
Discover Public Policy Schools
We help demystify the landscape of public policy schools and programs to bring focus to a complex process. There is no universal checklist for selecting schools because where you want to go is based on your capabilities, interests, and passions, as well as opportunities for personal and professional growth. We help you ask the right questions and identify what different schools offer and which ones are best placed to elevate your growth.
Application Development
Discover Public Policy Schools
Application Development
The application is your opportunity to tell your story so let's make it count. Test scores quantify specific reasoning and quantitative capabilities but do not say anything about you. This is where we will help you demonstrate your passion for a cause, a problem you want to solve or an idea you want to pursue because it can potentially advance the public good. We will help you tell your story in a compelling way that speaks to who you are and what you care about most.
Interview Preparation
Interview Preparation
Application Development
Interviews can be daunting, but we like to make them fun because they give you an opportunity to bring your story to life. Think about your challenges, how you overcame them, and what your spirit of perseverance reflects about your desire to tackle a problem, advance a cause, or build support for a policy position. These points are more than questions because they go to the heart of who you are and why you do what you do, not something else.
Career Development
Interview Preparation
Career Development
Let's consider what opportunities can help you raise your profile, competitiveness, and impact in the policy space you're committed to and want to pursue. Your time at a policy school will involve internships, which can serve as a springboard to advance your career. We will work with you to think ahead and be strategic about your internships that can lead to full-time employment. You might want to secure a placement in a tech start-up, a policy lab, an NGO delivering vital humanitarian aid, or a think tank conducting conflict analysis, all of which are firmly within our portfolio of expertise.
Writing for Impact
Interview Preparation
Career Development
Get your work published, stand out and build your portfolio to enhance your visibility and impact for policy school applications and beyond. We have extensive experience writing articles for publication because they help establish your credibility and influence the policy and research landscape. We have published in top-tier digital channels and high-impact academic journals, including Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, The Diplomat, The National Interest, Nikkei, The Strategist, The Lowy Interpreter, and several more. Let us help you articulate your ideas with clarity and purpose and achieve high impact.
Get to know Dr Nishank Motwani, Founder and CEO
My story
My education and career have never been linear and that’s led to accidental discoveries and changes in remarkable ways. These experiences have enabled me to support undergrad and postgraduate students gain admission at elite schools, earn full scholarships, find jobs, and tell their story with purpose and impact.
I have significant experience working at the intersection of security, strategy, and technology and have a passion for policy-oriented research and education that has practical utility and effect. I have over 20-years’ experience leading policy and research organizations encompassing multidisciplinary teams in the United States, Australia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East.
My education reflects growth, discovery and impact
I graduated from Harvard Kennedy School with a Master’s in Public Administration focusing on national security, tech policy, leadership and governance. At Harvard, I was an Edward S. Mason Fellow and carried out research at the Belfer Center for Science and Technology working on regulating big tech. These research-to-action projects resulted in co-authored publications on digital platform regulation to counter mis- and disinformation, online radicalization and recruitment, and violent extremism.
My academic credential includes a PhD in International Security from the Australian Defence Force Academy where I examined protracted conflicts, and dual Master’s in Strategic Studies and Diplomatic Studies (with High Distinction) from the Australian National University (ANU). At ANU, I was awarded the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Research. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Economics from Northeastern University which led to a career in management consulting before I changed track to defence and security policy.
Policy and purpose
My professional experience is extensive and includes roles of significant responsibility and impact. I am currently working on deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, strategic competition, transnational threats, and governance challenges. I regularly engage with elected leaders, practitioners, diplomats, researchers, civil society, and defence personnel which has allowed me to contribute to policy debates and enrich my understanding of the multiple dynamics at play.
Generating effect through research
I directly link my policy advisory work and research with practitioners to generate effect. I have published over 50 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, edited books, and online channels such as War On The Rocks, Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, The Interpreter, The Strategist, CTC Sentinel, East Asia Forum, the Nikkei among others.