Eric Rudenshiold
Adjunct Lecturer
About
Dr. Eric Rudenshiold has extensive regional expertise on the Caucasus and Central Asia, Eurasia/Europe, and with multilateral organizations. He also is an expert on a range of foreign policy issues, including democracy and human rights, international affairs and development, and counter terrorism. From his work at the NSC, on Capitol Hill and at USAID, Eric brings hands-on knowledge of Washington’s institutional and political environment to the Caspian Policy Center. He served under the Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, with demonstrated ability to accomplish significant policy objectives.
Eric is a retired member of the senior civil service and a former National Security Council Director for Central Asia under two Presidents. At the NSC he received three awards of distinction and guided the U.S. inter-agency policy process on U.S. interests in Central Asia; national security issues including on counter-terrorism, Russia, Iran and China; and Trans-Caspian and Caucasus issues.
Prior to serving at the NSC, Eric served in a variety of capacities for the U.S. Agency for International Development from 2007 to 2018, including: acting roles as Deputy Assistant Administrator, Country Office Director, Director for South/Central Asia, Senior Officer in Charge for Central Asia, and Senior Adviser. He has received numerous Superior Honor and other awards during his tenure with the U.S. Government.
Eric also worked in 2014 as Staff Director for the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s House Democracy Partnership, honored in the Congressional Record as a “passionate advocate for democracy building and an expert on global political development.” He is a frequent speaker and lecturer, including at the Council on Foreign Relations, National Defense University, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Foreign Service Institute, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and National Intelligence Council. In addition, he taught graduate-level courses at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs from 2009 to 2018.
Before joining USAID, he served in senior diplomatic roles with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as with UNDP and a number of assistance implementers. Having lived and worked overseas for more than a dozen years, including in the former-Soviet Union, he has extensive experience across the Europe and Eurasia region. Eric also worked as a journalist and editor, has published in broadly and appeared as an expert on the BBC, CNN International and PBS NewsHour.
Eric is a retired member of the senior civil service and a former National Security Council Director for Central Asia under two Presidents. At the NSC he received three awards of distinction and guided the U.S. inter-agency policy process on U.S. interests in Central Asia; national security issues including on counter-terrorism, Russia, Iran and China; and Trans-Caspian and Caucasus issues.
Prior to serving at the NSC, Eric served in a variety of capacities for the U.S. Agency for International Development from 2007 to 2018, including: acting roles as Deputy Assistant Administrator, Country Office Director, Director for South/Central Asia, Senior Officer in Charge for Central Asia, and Senior Adviser. He has received numerous Superior Honor and other awards during his tenure with the U.S. Government.
Eric also worked in 2014 as Staff Director for the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s House Democracy Partnership, honored in the Congressional Record as a “passionate advocate for democracy building and an expert on global political development.” He is a frequent speaker and lecturer, including at the Council on Foreign Relations, National Defense University, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Foreign Service Institute, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and National Intelligence Council. In addition, he taught graduate-level courses at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs from 2009 to 2018.
Before joining USAID, he served in senior diplomatic roles with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as with UNDP and a number of assistance implementers. Having lived and worked overseas for more than a dozen years, including in the former-Soviet Union, he has extensive experience across the Europe and Eurasia region. Eric also worked as a journalist and editor, has published in broadly and appeared as an expert on the BBC, CNN International and PBS NewsHour.