Engaging America: Ambassadorial Perspectives on Public Diplomacy
The Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication, in partnership with the Institute for Middle East Studies, welcomes His Excellency Mr. Nazar Issa Abdulhadi Al-Khirullah for a conversation about the Republic of Iraq’s engagement with the U.S. public and how Ambassadors assigned to Washington DC connect with the broader American public.
Savvy diplomats understand that to succeed in advancing foreign policy goals in Washington it is not enough to communicate in strictly government-to-government channels; they must act as public diplomats, engaging a range of audiences to influence perceptions. The interplay between public diplomacy actions and policy goals is frequently addressed from a U.S. government perspective, or in treating foreign governments’ actions in a third country setting, but this series explores Embassies’ engagement with the U.S. public.
What does it take to be an Ambassador assigned by your government to Washington, DC? What sort of personality, background, and skills are required? Once assigned, how does an Ambassador prepare for their assignment, and once here, how do they continue a process of learning about their country of assignment? Most importantly, how does an Ambassador assigned to Washington connect with America outside the beltway? If every savvy diplomat is a public diplomat, then how do Ambassadors remain connected with the broader American public?
We hope you will join us for this in-depth discussion. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 29th at 5:30pm at the School of Media and Public Affairs (5th Floor studio).
Speaker
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His Excellency Mr. Nazar Issa Abdulhadi Al-Khirullah is the current Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the United States. He is an experienced diplomat and international policy expert with decades of experience in leadership and global relations. In 1994, he earned a Master's degree in International Policy for Resources and Development from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, he holds a higher diploma in Modern International Relations, as well as advanced studies in social science and social service. In 2001 - 2009, he led the British Institution of Refugees as Chief Executive Officer and advocated for displaced communities. In 2009 - 2010, he served as Ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headqaurters, where he contributed to Iraq's diplomatic and policy initiatives. His earlier roles include work at the British Gas Company in consumer relations and at Halifax Bank in accounting auditing. In 2013 - 2019, Ambassador of Republic of Iraq to the Arab Republic of Egypt In 2019 - 2020, Ambassador of Republic of Iraq to the Republic of France In 2020 - 2022, Senior Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations In 2022, Ambassador of Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
