Diplomacy in the Age of Coronavirus

Description

When the late British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was once asked by a young journalist the most difficult part of being a statesman, he retorted: "Events, my dear boy, events." Today's diplomats must contend with a dizzying array of unpredictable "events," from tweet storms to natural storms, from financial crises to refugee crises, all in the churn of a 24/7 news and social media cycle.

Even amidst those challenges, however, the traditional art of diplomacy – meetings, handshakes, summits, dialogues, and multilateral and bilateral gatherings – has remained a central feature of the diplomat toolkit. The global coronavirus pandemic that has rocked economies, societies, and polities across the world has also rocked diplomacy.

Every crisis leaves a legacy. What does it mean to be a diplomat or an ambassador during a global pandemic? How are diplomats adjusting to this new normal? What will be the diplomatic legacy and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic? How do we demonstrate that international connectivity is more effective than national distancing?

These are some of the key questions to explore in a virtual Dean's Forum with Eliot Cohen, dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and former senior counselor at the U.S. State Department, in conversation with Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United Nations.

The Dean's Forum is a regular feature of the School of Advanced International Studies community, and its speakers include the most significant figures in diplomacy, business, politics, and culture, from secretaries of state to CEOs of the world's leading companies. In our physical distancing era, the School of Advanced International Studies seeks to continue this vital dialogue through virtual forums.