Diplomacy in Practice: Careers in Foreign Policy & International Affairs
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Event description
Join us for an intimate career conversation with former U.S. Ambassadors Robert Blake, Robin Raphel, and Gerald Feierstein, whose distinguished careers span decades of American diplomacy across South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. Drawing on their experiences as U.S. ambassadors and senior State Department officials, they will offer students a candid look at what a career in diplomacy actually entails—from negotiating with foreign governments and advancing U.S. policy priorities to navigating conflict, political transitions, counterterrorism, development, human rights, and crisis situations. Their careers have taken them from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Tunisia, and Yemen to assignments in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, and beyond, as well as senior policymaking roles in Washington. The conversation will explore how they entered the Foreign Service, the experiences and decisions that shaped their careers, what it means to represent the United States overseas, and how diplomatic careers evolve over time. Students will also have the opportunity to ask questions and hear practical advice about pursuing careers in the Foreign Service, international policy, national security, development, and related fields.
From the Speakers' Bio
Ambassador Robert Blake
Ambassador Robert Blake is a former career U.S. diplomat who served for 31 years in the Department of State and held senior positions across South and Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia from 2013 to 2016, where his work focused on climate and clean energy cooperation as well as strengthening U.S.–Indonesia business and educational ties. Previously, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs from 2009 to 2013 and concurrently as U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives from 2006 to 2009, advocating for democracy, human rights, and civilian protection during Sri Lanka's civil conflict. His diplomatic career also included service as Deputy Chief of Mission in India and assignments in Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, and Nigeria. He is currently a Senior Director at McLarty Associates in Washington, D.C., and holds degrees from Harvard College and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Ambassador Robin Raphel
Ambassador Robin Raphel is a former career Foreign Service officer with nearly four decades of experience across the Department of State, USAID, and Department of Defense, with particular expertise in South Asia and the Middle East. She was the first Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs and later served as U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia, Vice President of the National Defense University, and Deputy Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. Her overseas experience includes assignments in Pakistan, India, South Africa, Iraq, and the United Kingdom, and she later helped manage a major expansion of U.S. development assistance to Pakistan under Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. Ambassador Raphel remains actively engaged in international policy as a consultant and adviser and has participated extensively in informal "Track II" discussions related to Afghanistan and Pakistan. She holds degrees from the University of Washington, the University of Maryland, and Cambridge University.
Ambassador Gerald Feierstein
Ambassador Gerald Feierstein is a veteran American diplomat whose career has focused extensively on the Middle East, South Asia, counterterrorism, and U.S. national security policy. He joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1975 and served as U.S. Ambassador to Yemen from 2010 to 2013, during a consequential period for Yemen and U.S. engagement in the region. Over the course of his diplomatic career, he held numerous senior State Department positions, including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and leadership roles in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. His assignments also included responsibility for Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Arabian Peninsula, Nepal, and Egypt, giving him extensive experience working at the intersection of diplomacy, regional security, and counterterrorism. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Point Park College and an M.A. in International Relations from Duquesne University.
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