Hosted by the North Africa Initiative of SAIS Foreign Policy Institute and the Middle East Institute Switzerland (MEIS)

Join us for an insightful hybrid panel discussion explores China’s historical engagement in North Africa, its current policies and strategies, and its future ambitions. This session features policymakers and experts from Washington D.C., Shanghai, Brussels and North Africa, and further addresses the implications of China’s North African engagement for US and EU foreign policy and strategic thinking.

Register via Eventbrite to attend in person,

Or watch our livestream on YouTube, no registration required.

About the Speakers

Adam K Webb, Co-Director of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, HNC Resident Professor of Political Science Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

Chuchu Zhang, Associate Professor of International Relations, Fudan University

Jonathan Fulton, Nonresident Senior Fellow for Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs and the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Yahia H. Zoubir, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Middle East Council on Global Affairs, Doha

Andrea Ghiselli, Assistant Professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA) of Fudan University and non-resident Research Fellow with the TOChina Hub and the Head of Research for the TOChina Hub’s ChinaMed Project

Victor J. Willi (Discussant), Co-Founder and Vice President Research of the Middle East Institute Switzerland (MEIS)

Moderator

Hafed Al-Ghwell, Senior Fellow at SAIS Foreign Policy Institute and Executive Director of the North Africa Inititiave

Join the North Africa Initiative of Foreign Policy Institute (FPI) at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University for a conversation with former Special Envoy for Sudan Ambassador Donald Booth, Dr. Nada Fadul, Vice Chair of the Sudanese American Public Affairs Association (SAPAA) and President of Sustainable Development Response Organization (SuDRO), and Fadi Abilmona, Regional Advisor for Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, and Yemen at the United Nations Development Programme's Regional Bureau for Arab State to mark the passing of one year of the civil war in Sudan. Our guests and experts will explore prospects for a successful democratic transition, the future role of the military, the ongoing humanitarian crisis and aid delivery, and long-term solutions for displacement. The conversation will be moderated by FPI Senior Fellow and Executive Director of NAI, Hafed Al-Ghwell.

Lunch provided.

Register via Eventbrite to attend in person,

Or you can watch our livestream on YouTube, no registration required

About the Speakers

Ambassador (Ret) Donald E. Booth

Donald E. Booth, a former member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, served as U.S. Presidential Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan from August 2013 until January 2017, during which he helped negotiate the 2015 Agreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan and secured changes in Sudanese policy that resulted in the lifting of bilateral sanctions in 2017. He was recalled as Special Envoy for Sudan in 2019 and helped facilitate international support for Sudan’s transitional government, Sudan’s removal from the U.S.’ “State Sponsor of Terrorism” list and conclusion of a peace agreement with armed groups from Darfur and other marginalized areas of Sudan. He retired in August 2021. Ambassador (Ret) Booth also previously served as Ambassador of the United States of America to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 2010-2013, Ambassador to the Republic of Zambia from 2008-2010 and Ambassador to the Republic of Liberia from 2005-2008. Prior to that, he was Director of the Office of Technical and Specialized Agencies at the Department of State's Bureau of International Organization Affairs where he negotiated international agreements and U.S. re-entry into UNESCO. He also served as Director of the Office of West African Affairs, Deputy Director of the Office of Southern African Affairs, and Division Chief for Bilateral Trade Affairs at the Department of State. He served as a desk officer in the Office of Egyptian Affairs and as Sudan and Uganda desk officer in the Office of East African Affairs. His State Department career also included postings as economic counselor in Greece (1996-98) and Romania (1989-91) and at embassies in Belgium, Liberia and Gabon.

Ambassador (Ret) Booth earned a bachelor's degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a master's degree in Business Administration from Boston University and a master's degree in National Security Studies from the National War College where he was a Distinguished Graduate.

Ambassador (Ret) Booth was an advisor to the Carter Center’s Sudan and U.S.-China-Africa Cooperation programs (2018-19). He was also a Carter Center volunteer election observer for the August 2017 Kenyan election. Ambassador (Ret) Booth is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and Diplomats Without Borders. Since August 2022, has been co-chair of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s “Sudans Working Group.” He has lectured periodically to university classes and volunteers regularly with Habitat for Humanity and Re-Building Together in northern Virginia.

Dr. Nada Fadul

Nada Fadul is a Professor of Medicine at the Division of Infectious Diseases and Assistant Dean for DEI Education Programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). She is the Medical Director of the UNMC’s Specialty Care Center (UNMC SCC) HIV Program and the Principal Investigator of the Ryan White Parts C&D grants. Dr. Fadul is the founder and President of the Sustainable Development Response Organization and founded the Sudan ECHO Center of Excellence. She currently serves as the Chair of the Awards Committee and a Board of Director for the HIV Medical Association. She is also a member of the Quality Improvement Committee of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and serves as an IDSA advocacy liaison where she meets with policymakers to advocate for HIV care and prevention. Dr. Fadul's research focuses on implementation science driven approaches to HIV care and health services research focusing on HIV disparities. She has received federal and private grant funding, published in peer-reviewed journals, presented her research at national and international conference, and mentored dozens of students and trainees. She is active in global health and currently runs the UNMC Sudan ECHO Global Hub, a telementorship platform which disseminates knowledge to healthcare professionals in underserved regions. Dr. Fadul’s local and global work emphasizes community engagement, cultural sensitivity, and health equity. She is active in advocacy for humanitarian issues facing Sudan and volunteers at several local and national community and professional organizations; She enjoys writing Arabic poetry, reading, and traveling with her family.

Fadi Abilmona

Fadi Abilmona is a Regional Advisor for Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Yemen, at the Regional Bureau for Arab States, United Nations Development Programme.

Hafed Al-Ghwell, Moderator

Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa Initiative at the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute (FPI).

Prior to his current role at the Foreign Policy Institute, Hafed Al-Ghwell has had a long, notable career serving in multiple distinct roles as a consultant, advisor, fellow and scholar in world-renowned think tanks, policy institutes and advisory bodies. At the Atlantic Council, Oxford Analytica, Maxwell Stamp Inc. and Foreign Reports, to list a few, Hafed Al-Ghwell specialized in the political economies of the Middle East and North Africa countries, government affairs, international relations, geopolitics and geostrategic risks. This wealth and breadth of experience dates back to his early days at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the 1980s, followed by a career spanning nearly two decades at the World Bank where he took on multiple roles in senior leadership and ultimately as an Advisor to the Dean of the Board of Executive Directors until the end of 2015. He was also a Director of External Affairs and Communication, and part of the senior management team at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government—in partnership with Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government until 2009.

Aside from being a featured Arab voice in the Washington, D.C., policy and consultancy circuit, Hafed Al-Ghwell is also a veteran commentator and widely published columnist. His perspectives and analyses are published and televised in several languages across a wide spectrum of international media, notably the Wall Street Journal, BBC, Financial Times and Arab News, the oldest English language daily in the Arab world.

Hafed Al-Ghwell is an alumnus of George Washington University, Harvard University and Stanford University. He is also a recipient of numerous accreditations from the World Bank Group's management executive programs, focusing on public policy and global economic development.

The North Africa Initiative (NAI) at Foreign Policy Institute (FPI) of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) are honored to host a panel of experts to discuss the institutionalization of peace in North Africa. The event would include speakers from Congress, the UN, and NGOs to discuss and evaluate solutions to policy that sustain peace. The solutions identified would be translated into a report to be submitted to the United Nations to further aid in peace obtaining efforts in the North African Region.　

Lunch will be provided.

Register on Eventbrite for in-person attendance.

Panelists:

The Honorable Ben Cardin, Senator from Maryland

Giordano Segneri, Governance and Peacebuilding Team Leader for Arab States, UNDP

Evan Patterson, Staff Assistant, U.S. House of Representatives Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN)

Regan Durkin, Director of HWPL Washington, D.C.

Hafed Al-Ghwell (Moderator), Executive Director of the North Africa Initiative (NAI) and Senior Fellow at the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute (FPI).

The Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is honored to host Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar and Advisor to Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, on “Qatar: A Strong Mediator and its Strategic Role in the Middle East”.

Qatar has ascended to a remarkable position within the turbulent geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. Endowed with vast natural gas reserves, the once desert nation has leveraged its newfound wealth to establish itself as a crucial actor in regional affairs.

Qatar's strategic deployment of resources has transcended mere economic influence, propelling it towards a distinctive role as a mediator in seemingly intractable conflicts. From facilitating dialogue between disparate factions in a war-torn land to brokering fragile truces amongst historical adversaries, Qatar's adept diplomatic maneuvering has earned it both plaudits and scrutiny.

Join FPI Senior Fellow and Executive Director of the North Africa Initiative Hafed Al-Ghwell as he engages Dr. Al-Ansari in an insightful conversation on Qatar's strategic maneuvers amidst regional discord, its balancing act between diverse alliances, and its pivotal role as a bridge between Washington and the region.

Register for in-person attendance on Eventbrite or follow the livestream on Youtube.

About the Speakers

Dr. Majed Mohammad Hassan Abdullah Al-Ansari, Advisor to H.E. Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar.

Dr. Al-Ansari worked previously as Director of Qatar International Academy for Security Studies (QIASS) and Director of Policy Department at the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) of Qatar University (QU). During his work at the university, he also served as an assistant professor at QU’s Department of International Affairs. Al-Ansari started his career as a researcher in international relations at the office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2005. He also took on various roles in multiple civil society institutions. He wrote regularly in Al Sharq and Al Arab national Newspapers between 2006 and 2022. Dr. Al-Ansari serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic Studies at Qatar Armed Forces and is a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

Dr. Al-Ansari obtained his MA and Ph.D. degrees in the social change from the Cathy Marsh Institute at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and a BA in Political Science from Leeds University in the United Kingdom, and contributed to many edited academic books such as the book "Contemporary Qatar" published by the Center for Studies in The Gulf and Springer House, and the book “The Countries of the Arab Gulf” published by the Arab Center for Research. He also published many papers in academic journals such as the Journal of Balkans and Near Eastern Studies, in addition to numerous press articles and media posts.

Hafed Al-Ghwell (Moderator), Senior Fellow at the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute (FPI).

Prior to his current role at the Foreign Policy Institute, Hafed Al-Ghwell has had a long, notable career serving in multiple distinct roles as a consultant, advisor, fellow and scholar in world-renowned think tanks, policy institutes and advisory bodies. At the Atlantic Council, Oxford Analytica, Maxwell Stamp Inc. and Foreign Reports, to list a few, Hafed Al-Ghwell specialized in the political economies of the Middle East and North Africa countries, government affairs, international relations, geopolitics and geostrategic risks. This wealth and breadth of experience dates back to his early days at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the 1980s, followed by a career spanning nearly two decades at the World Bank where he took on multiple roles in senior leadership and ultimately as an Advisor to the Dean of the Board of Executive Directors until the end of 2015. He was also a Director of External Affairs and Communication, and part of the senior management team at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government—in partnership with Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government until 2009.

Aside from being a featured Arab voice in the Washington, D.C., policy and consultancy circuit, Hafed Al-Ghwell is also a veteran commentator and widely published columnist. His perspectives and analyses are published and televised in several languages across a wide spectrum of international media, notably the Wall Street Journal, BBC, Financial Times and Arab News, the oldest English language daily in the Arab world.

Hafed Al-Ghwell is an alumnus of George Washington University, Harvard University and Stanford University. He is also a recipient of numerous accreditations from the World Bank Group's management executive programs, focusing on public policy and global economic development.