Johns Hopkins SAIS to host Douglas Lute, former United States Ambassador to NATO, for virtual conversation with Dean Eliot Cohen on May 14
MEDIA ADVISORY
On Friday, May 14, Johns Hopkins SAIS Dean Eliot A. Cohen will host Douglas Lute, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, for a virtual discussion focused on the Biden Administration’s plan to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 2021. Cohen and Ambassador Lute, who coordinated the war in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2009 as Deputy National Security Advisor, will examine whether the departure will aid the Afghan peace process or lead to increased conflict within the country.
Speakers
Eliot A. Cohen
Dean, Johns Hopkins SAIS
Douglas Lute
Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO
Chair, International and Defense Practices, BGR Group
Date and Time
Friday, May 14, 2021
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. EDT
Registration
This event is open to the public and media, with registration.
Media Contact
Jason Lucas
Communications Manager
Johns Hopkins SAIS
+1 (202) 663-5620
[email protected]
About the Speaker
Ambassador Douglas Lute is the former U.S. Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s standing political body. Ambassador Lute was appointed to this post by President Barack Obama in 2013. During his four-year stint, he was instrumental in designing and implementing the 28-nation alliance’s responses to severe security challenges in Europe. While serving in this role, he received the U.S. State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award. Ambassador Lute currently serves as chair of International and Defense Practices at BGR Group. He is also a senior fellow for the Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship at the Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
Ambassador Lute was a career Army officer who retired from active duty in 2010 as a lieutenant general after 35 years of service. In 2007, President George W. Bush named him Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor to coordinate the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. From 2009 to 2013, Ambassador Lute served in the Obama administration as Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for South Asia on the White House national security staff.
Before being assigned to the White House, Ambassador Lute served as Director of Operations on the Joint Staff, overseeing U.S. military operations worldwide. From 2004 to 2006, he was Director of Operations for the United States Central Command, where he managed U.S. military operations in 25 countries across the Middle East, eastern Africa, and central Asia. In earlier assignments, Ambassador Lute served as Deputy Director of Operations for the United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany; Assistant Division Commander in the First Infantry Division in Germany; Commander of U.S. Forces in Kosovo; and Commander of the Second Cavalry Regiment. Throughout his military career, he received numerous honors and awards, including three Defense Distinguished Service Medals.
Dean’s Speaker Series
The Dean’s Speaker Series is the highest profile speaker series at Johns Hopkins SAIS. The series will host a diverse array of prominent international affairs practitioners and business leaders for insightful perspectives and thought-provoking discussions on international relations, leadership and other relevant topics that impact our focus areas. This fall will feature distinguished experts around themes such as American Foreign Policy and the 2020 Election, International Order after Coronavirus, Targets of Opportunity in the Global Arena, and Race Relations, Civic Engagement and Global Social Movements. All events require pre-registration and are free and open to the public.
Johns Hopkins SAIS
A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today's critical issues. For more than 75 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school's interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today.
For more information, visit sais.jhu.edu or on Twitter @SAISHopkins
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