Edward P. Joseph '81

SAIS Board of Advisors, Member

Edward P. Joseph is a non-profit leader, as well as a foreign policy lecturer, author and field practitioner. He is currently the executive director of the National Council on US-Libya Relations.

An expert on the Balkans, Edward served on the ground in each conflict-afflicted country, including arduous assignments in Bosnia during the war. He also served on shorter missions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Haiti. Edward is credited with having averted a violent confrontation between Serbia and Kosovo in April, 2012, with his negotiating skill and experience. His standout contribution won him praise from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the OSCE Secretary-General Lamberto Zannier.

As Executive Director of the Institute of Current World Affairs in Washington from 2014-17, Edward thoroughly revitalized a proud foundation established in 1925 to identify highly promising young Americans and send them on two-year immersion fellowships overseas. His tenure saw ICWA establish separate field partnerships with SAIS on Iran and China, among several innovations.

As the US-nominated Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, OSCE’s largest field mission comprising almost 700-staff members, Edward restored the organization’s relevance, encouraging staff to move from reporting to pro-active conflict avoidance. In April 2012, following a collapsed deal that left Kosovo and Serbia on the brink of armed confrontation, Edward negotiated an eleventh hour breakthrough in Belgrade. Edward then played a leading role in the ensuing frantic and successful preparations for Serbian elections in Kosovo – the high point in the Mission’s history.

Edward has brought his extensive field experience to SAIS Washington where he teaches conflict management, and writes and speaks extensively on foreign policy as a senior fellow with the Center for Transatlantic Relations. He has been published in most major media outlets including The New York Times, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy. His article, ‘The Balkans, Interrupted’ was selected as one of Foreign Affairs ‘Best of 2015.’ Edward appears frequently on television and radio as a commentator on international events.

Edward earned a J.D. from the University of Virginia, and a B.A. and M.A. from Johns Hopkins University and its School of Advanced International Studies, respectively. He served as a helicopter pilot in the US Army Reserve. He speaks and has worked professionally in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian and French, Italian and Spanish.