About

The Future of Diplomacy Project is dedicated to promoting the study and understanding of diplomacy, negotiation and statecraft in international politics today. The Project aims to build Harvard Kennedy School’s ability to teach in this area, to support research in modern diplomatic practice and to build public understanding of diplomacy’s indispensable role in an increasingly complex and globalized world by engaging with leading practitioners who use innovative means of conflict prevention and resolution at the negotiation table and beyond. 


Report cover page

Major Report on the Future of the U.S. Foreign Service 

The United States Foreign Service is confronting one of the most profound crises in its long and proud history. At a time of pandemic, recession, and mounting global challenges, our nation’s career diplomats find themselves without the support, funding, training, and leadership they need to represent the American people effectively overseas and in Washington, D.C.  Ambassadors Nicholas Burns, Marc Grossman, and Marcie Ries argue in this report that the United States needs a strong and high performing Foreign Service to defend our country and advance its interests in the 21st century. That is why President-elect Biden and Congress should launch a major bipartisan initiative to revive, reform, and reimagine the Foreign Service. 

Past Fellows include:

  • Douglas Alexander, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2015-2022; former International Development Secretary of the United Kingdom
  • Ayaan Hirsi Ali, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2016-2019; activist, feminist, author, scholar and former politician
  • Robert Danin, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2017-2022; former head of the Jerusalem mission of the Quartet representative
  • Jeffrey DeLaurentis, former Diplomat-in-Residence with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2017-2018; former Chargé d'affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the United States, Havana
  • David Ignatius; former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2017-2022; foreign affairs columnist for The Washington Post
  • Dina Powell McCormick, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2018-2022; former Deputy National Security Adviser 
  • Cameron Munter, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2012-2019; former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan
  • Victoria Nuland, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2019-2020; current Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State
  • Farah Pandith, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2016-2023; former U.S. Special Representative to Muslim Communities
  • Thomas Shannon Jr., former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2019-2022; former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
  • Jake Sullivan, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2017-2020; current National Security Advisor for President Joseph Biden
  • Richard Verma, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2022-2023; current Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources at the U.S. Department of State
  • Edward Wong, former Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project from 2018-2022; diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times

Fisher Family Fellows Program

The Fisher Family Fellows program brings leading practitioners and thinkers to Harvard to consider the evolving discipline of diplomacy in the context of 21st century challenges. Fellows are in residence at Harvard for several weeks or months, during which time they conduct seminars with experts and students and engage in critical reflection on issues of their expertise with the wider Harvard community. 

Past Fisher Family Fellows*

2015-2016

  • Douglas Alexander, Member of UK Parliament and former Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
  • Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Secretary General of NATO

2014-2015

  • Celso Amorim, former Minister of Defense and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil
  • Christopher Geidt, Private Secretary to Her Majesty the Queen of UK and former Assistant
  • Karel de Gucht, former EU Trade Commissioner and former Foreign Minister of Belgium
  • Shivshankar Menon, former National Security Adviser of India
  • Farah Pandith, former U.S. Special Representative to Muslim Communities

2013-2014

  • C. Raja Mohan, Head of Strategic Studies and Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi
  • Javier Solana, former High Representative for the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy

2012-2013

  • Christopher de Bellaigue, South Asia and Middle East journalist and author
  • Anna Diamantopolou, Member of Parliament of Greece and Former EU Commissioner
  • Sir David Manning, former UK Ambassador to the United States
  • David Miliband, former UK Foreign Secretary
  • Soli Özel, Turkish journalist and professor
  • Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India
  • Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, 11th Secretary General of NATO and former Chairman of the North Atlantic Council
  • Josette Sheeran, Vice-Chairwoman of the World Economic Forum
  • Tim Shriver, Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics

2011-2012

  • Roger Cohen, Columnist for New York Times/International Herald Tribune
  • Nabil Fahmy, founding Dean of the School of Public Affairs at the American University in Cairo
  • Anne-Marie Slaughter, former Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State

2010-2011

  • Kai Eide, former UN Special Representative to Afghanistan
  • Marc Grossman, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
  • David Ignatius, columnist for The Washington Post
  • Said Tayeb Jawad; former Afghan Ambassador to the United States

Before 2010

  • Fernando Henrique Cardoso, 34th President of Brazil
  • Lee Kwan Yew, founding Prime Minister of Singapore

*Titles reflect the most recent position at time of the fellowship

 

 

 

 

Featured Research

A U.S. Diplomatic Service for the 21st Century

Ambassadors Nicholas Burns, Marc Grossman, and Marcie Ries co-authored a report, “A U.S. Diplomatic Service for the 21st Century,” published on November 17, 2020 as part of the American Diplomacy Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School.  These distinguished career Foreign Service Officers, shared their recommendations on how to rebuild, reform, and reimagine the U.S. Foreign Service so that America can have the strongest and most effective diplomatic service to defend our country and advance its interests. 

The U.S. Foreign Service is confronting one of the most profound crises in its long and proud history. Our nation’s career diplomats find themselves without the support, funding, training and inclusion in senior leadership positions they need to represent the American people effectively overseas, and to assist our elected leaders with policy advice and recommendations on key decisions.  There are challenges to be met inside the Foreign Service as well, including an honest self-assessment of the Service’s internal culture. Morale is low, and efforts to promote greater racial, ethnic and gender diversity have, to date, been inadequate.

Many of the most serious challenges the United States will face in 2021 and beyond will require our diplomats to take the lead.  The country deserves the strongest possible Foreign Service to deal with great power competition, coordinating globally on the pandemic, helping American companies succeed overseas during a brutal recession, mounting a major effort on climate change, negotiating an end to the Afghan and Iraq Wars, and assisting Americans citizens in every corner of the world who need the support of their government.


Recent Interviews and Articles


Featured Past Events

Follow

Thank you for subscribing.

Subscribe

Thank you for subscribing.














Harvard Kennedy School is committed to protecting your personal information. By completing this form, you agree to receive communications and to allow HKS to store your data. HKS will never sell your email address or other information to a third party. All communications will include the opportunity to unsubscribe.