Sisco Forum Announcement
Fletcher to Host Sisco Forum on Great Power Competition in the Polycentric World
The Fletcher School at Tufts University is honored to join The American Academy of Diplomacy (AAD) to host the annual Joseph J. Sisco Memorial Forum. The event will be held on September 15th, 2022, at the school's Medford, Massachusetts campus.
A series of conversations on pertinent themes in US foreign policy, the Sisco Memorial Forum was founded from a gift by the Sisco Family Foundation in memory of the late Joseph J. Sisco. Dr. Sisco served the U.S. State Department as Assistant Secretary for Middle Eastern Affairs and Undersecretary for Political Affairs, playing a major role in Henry Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East. The forum carries on his legacy by stimulating public discussion on the causes to which he dedicated his career.
This year's forum, titled "Great Power Competition in the Polycentric World," will address the emerging era of interstate rivalry. Discussion will examine shifts in the global economic and security order, with attention to U.S. policy and the role of the Global South.
After opening remarks from Fletcher Dean Rachel Kyte and AAD President Ambassador Ronald Neumann, a panel discussion will feature three former senior U.S. officials:
- Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal served for over 40 years career at the U.S. State Department. She is first African American woman career Foreign Service officer to be promoted into the Senior Foreign Service and the first to be nominated as an ambassador. Her ambassadorial assignments were as U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, to Kenya, and Micronesia.
- Ambassador Kathleen Doherty served the U.S. Department of State for 30 years, most recently as a dean of the Foreign Service Institute. She was U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe. Prior to entering public service, she worked as a journalist, writing for The Washington Post among other publications.
- Admiral James Foggo served as commander of United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples. Across a decorated career in the U.S. Navy, he was also director of Navy Staff and commander of the Sixth Fleet. He is currently dean at the Center for Maritime Strategy.
The program will be open to the public. Registration is found on the Fletcher website.
With a 90-year history leading the teaching and practice of diplomacy, The Fletcher School is proud to collaborate with AAD and deliver this timely and critical discussion. The partnership demonstrates a shared dedication to diplomacy and a commitment to addressing the world's most pressing challenges.
"Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Carol Sisco, the Sisco Family Fund, and donations from Academy members the Academy of American Diplomacy has, for almost twenty years, hosted this important forum for essential foreign policy conversations featuring some of the most prominent practitioners of the time," said Dean Kyte. "It is an honor for Fletcher to co-host this year's event, and we look forward to welcoming Ambassadors Neumann, Doherty, and Brazeal, along with Admiral Foggo, to our campus." The whole complexion of foreign relations is shifting in a polycentric world," said Ambassador Neumann. "This forum will give us an opportunity to take a very broad look at these changes."
The forum is part of a larger partnership between Fletcher and AAD, which includes collaboration on the production of the podcast series The General and the Ambassador, as well as additional programming to be considered for the 2022-23 academic year designed to support Diplomacy at Fletcher.
The American Academy of Diplomacy is an independent, non-profit association of over 300 former senior U.S. ambassadors and high-level government officials who have served with distinction in international affairs. The Academy's mission is to strengthen American diplomacy through outreach programs, awards, podcasts, research and public discussions, like the Joseph J. Sisco Memorial Forum.
Register for the event here.
Fletcher Media Contact: John Gunnison
AAD Media Contact: Maria Reissaus