Kirt Smith
2021 Next Gen National Security Fellow
Congressional Research Serivce
Kirt Smith works in the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division of the Congressional Research Service (CRS)—a unit of the Library of Congress that provides the U.S. Congress with authoritative, nonpartisan research and analysis. As the Asia Section Research Assistant, he supports projects for a wide range of committees, Members, and staff learning about Congressional priorities in the Indo-Pacific region.
Prior to his time at CRS, Kirt worked on a number of research initiatives in collaboration within institutions such as the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law.
Kirt spent over four years working and studying across Asia —first Japan, then South Korea, Thailand, and finally China. He holds a Master of Global Policy Studies from the Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas –Austin and a B.A. in French from the University of New Orleans.