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The Next Generation of Foreign Policy
Wed, June 11th, 2025 -
Washington, DC
The 2025 Carnegie Endowment James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Conference, The Next Generation of Foreign Policy, is open exclusively to young professionals and students.
Accelerated by President Trump, the foreign policy environment in Washington is rapidly changing and the impact is being felt around the world. In a period marked by rising polarization and escalating global tensions, the upending of norms and shifting U.S. priorities has left many questioning what comes next. These changes are particularly top of mind for young people looking to enter the field. What is the future of American foreign policy? And what can the world’s youth, who will bear the consequences of the decisions made today, do now to work towards the world they want to live in?
On June 11, the Carnegie Endowment’s James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Conference will convene experts and policymakers for a half-day of in-person discussions, examining the shifting methods of effective diplomacy as multilateralism evolves in the digital era; how foreign policy experts can more effectively communicate the realities and stakes of the fractured geopolitical system; and what young people in the global majority can do to take on a larger role in shaping policy, both at home and abroad.
Young professionals and students are invited to join the Carnegie Endowment for this special half-day in-person conference, The Next Generation of Foreign Policy, to explore these and other issues. Lunch will be provided to attendees.
Panel
Wed. June 11, 20257:00 AM - 8:15 AM EDT
The Future of Face-to-Face Diplomacy
In an era of heightened geopolitical tensions, the rise of unilateral tendencies has challenged traditional models of public, private, and institutional diplomacy. As states pull back from venues of global engagement, the prospects of peaceful conflict negotiation and the settlement of multistakeholder agreements have become increasingly uncertain. From the splintering of once-stalwart trans-Atlantic alliances to the growing prevalence of non-alignment among members of the Global South, tried-and-true methods of diplomatic intervention have come under fire, raising urgent questions about their relevance, resilience, and capacity to resolve crises in a fragmented international order.
In this new climate, how can face-to-face diplomacy continue to provide value to policymakers across government and civil society? What new models are emerging in this shifting global order and what lessons can be learned from those of the past? And how can scholars and practitioners entering the foreign policy field adapt to, and shape, diplomacy moving forward?
Join Stewart Patrick, a senior fellow and director of the Global Order and Institutions Program at the Carnegie Endowment, for a lively panel discussion featuring Suzanne DiMaggio, senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment’s American Statecraft Program; Ashley J. Tellis, the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment's South Asia Program; and Craig B. Allen, senior counselor at The Cohen Group.
Suzanne DiMaggio
Senior Fellow, American Statecraft Program
Suzanne DiMaggio is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she focuses on U.S. foreign policy toward Asia and the Middle East.
Ashley J. Tellis
Former Senior Fellow
Ashley J. Tellis was a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Craig Allen
Senior Counselor, The Cohen Group
Ambassador Craig Allen joined The Cohen Group in 2025 after serving as the President of the US-China Business Council (USCBC) from 2018 to 2024, a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization representing over 200 American companies doing business in China. Prior to his leadership at USCBC, Ambassador Allen was the United States Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam from December 19, 2014, to July 2018.
Moderator
Stewart Patrick
Senior Fellow and Director, Global Order and Institutions Program
Stewart Patrick is a senior fellow and director of the Global Order and Institutions Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His primary areas of research focus are the shifting foundations of world order, the future of American internationalism, and the requirements for effective multilateral cooperation on transnational challenges.
Panel
Wed. June 11, 20259:30 AM - 10:30 AM EDT
Foreign Policy for Modern Audiences
With a fragmenting media ecosystem and a lack of trusted messengers, conveying information to both decision makers and the public has become an increasingly complicated endeavor. In the face of new mediums of communication and escalating global tensions, every communicator—from scholars and journalists to politicians and diplomats—must adapt their messaging and means for outreach. What are the emerging opportunities and challenges for foreign policy scholars and journalists as they seek to reach the public or decision makers? What will effective communication practices look like in the future of foreign policy?
For young professionals in foreign policy, these questions will shape both our careers and the ways that stakeholders outside of the foreign policy community understand our work. What distinct approaches can younger communicators bring to elevate discussions about policy? How can we craft our own voices and stand out in a rapidly changing media and information environment?
Join Jane Darby Menton, a fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment, as she discusses effective foreign policy communication from a range of different perspectives, featuring Joshua Keating, a senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy, Dave Lawler, deputy managing editor at Axios, and Fergus Shiel, the managing editor at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
Fergus Shiel
Managing Editor, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
Fergus Shiel is the managing editor for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalist(ICIJ)s. At ICIJ, Shiel has overseen numerous award-winning projects, including the three largest global investigative journalism collaborations: the Pandora Papers, the FinCEN Files, and the Implant Files. Previously, he was an editor for The Age in Australia and a journalist in his native Ireland.
Joshua Keating
Senior Correspondent, Vox
Joshua Keating is a senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news with a focus on the future of international conflict. He has previously worked as a writer and editor at Slate, Foreign Policy, Grid, and the Messenger. He is the author of the 2018 book, Invisible Countries: Journeys to the Edge of Nationhood.
Dave Lawler
Deputy Managing Editor, Axios
Dave Lawler is deputy managing editor at Axios, overseeing coverage of national security and U.S. foreign policy. He previously ran Axios’ web coverage as director of programming, and before that served as world news editor and author of the Axios World newsletter. During his time at Axios he has hosted the podcast “How it Happened: Putin’s invasion” and reported for the “China’s Shadow Empire” project in partnership with the Pulitzer Foundation. Prior to Axios, Dave was Washington correspondent for the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Moderator
Jane Darby Menton
Fellow, Nuclear Policy Program
Jane Darby Menton is a fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and director of the Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference.
Panel
Wed. June 11, 202510:40 AM - 11:40 AM EDT
Conditions of a Changing Environment: Impact on Africa’s Youth
Set to continue its rapid growth through the 2050s, Africa’s youth are simultaneously influencing and being actively shaped by global currents while trying to find their place in a global political environment characterized by polarization, a changing climate, migration, lack of opportunity, and geopolitical unrest.
What are the most significant challenges, and opportunities, facing Africa’s youth population today and how might they evolve in the coming years? What should effective policy interventions look like in response to rising vulnerabilities, particularly those intensified by Western influence on the continent? And how can African youth shape their governments today to meet their needs in an uncertain future?
This expert panel featuring leading women scholars will reflect on the intersection of gender, education, and political participation, offering insights into how young Africans are building movements, shaping narratives, and asserting their place on the global stage. Tani Washington, Junior Fellow in the Carnegie Endowment's Africa Program, will be joined by Sarah Yerkes, a senior fellow with Carnegie's Middle East Program; Ebelechukwu Monye, a development specialist; and Tonija Hope Navas, the director of the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University, for this discussion emphasizing the significance of youth-led and female-informed approaches to tackling today’s complex global challenges.
Sarah Yerkes
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Sarah Yerkes is a senior fellow in Carnegie’s Middle East Program, where her research focuses on Tunisia’s political, economic, and security developments as well as state-society relations in the Middle East and North Africa.
Tonija Hope Navas
Director, Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center, Howard University
Tonija Hope is the director of the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University (HU) where she oversees the Center’s strategic vision, its wide-ranging international engagements including study abroad, international partnership development, global programming, and the management of the Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship for HU students.
Ebelechukwu Monye
Development Specialist
Ebelechukwu Monye is a storyteller and development specialist with several years of research and program experience and expertise in financial inclusion, digital access, and youth and education policies. She produces insightful quantitative and qualitative research that offers data-guided recommendations for addressing development challenges. Additionally, she co-hosts Grad School Buddy, a podcast that provides resources and career advice to help students from underserved communities navigate graduate school.
Moderator
Tani Washington
Former James C. Gaither Junior Fellow, Africa Program
Tani Washington was a James C. Gaither Junior Fellow in the Africa Program.
Keynote
Wed. June 11, 202512:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
A Keynote Conversation With Jake Sullivan
Dan Baer, senior vice president for policy research and director of the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment, sits down for a fireside conversation with Jake Sullivan, the inaugural Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order at the Harvard Kennedy School and former United States national security advisor, to discuss the future of U.S. foreign policy.
Jake Sullivan
Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order, Harvard Kennedy School
Jake Sullivan is the Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Senior Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He was the 28th Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (National Security Advisor) from January 2021 to January 2025. In the Obama Administration, he served as National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Biden, Director of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Moderator
Dan Baer
Senior Vice President for Policy Research, Director, Europe Program
Dan Baer is senior vice president for policy research and director of the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Under President Obama, he was U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and he also served deputy assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
About the Junior Fellows Program
Each year, through the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offers approximately 15 one-year fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated during the past academic year. They are selected from a pool of nominees nominated by several hundred participating universities and colleges. James C. Gaither Junior Fellows work as research assistants to Carnegie’s senior scholars.