Rumsfeld Fellows’ Program Encourages Regional,  International Cooperation

Related Expert: David Soumbadze, S. Frederick Starr, Svante E. Cornell

Launched in 2008, the Rumsfeld Fellowship Program hosts rising young leaders from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan and Mongolia in the U.S. to promote better understanding and stronger relations among the people of their respective countries, as well as between America and the region. The Program aims to foster dialogue and an exchange of ideas among exceptional young professionals working across all sectors and encourages increased regional cooperation.

The spring 2017 class of Rumsfeld Fellows meet in AFPC Headquarters with CACI Chairman and
AFPC Distinguished Fellow for Eurasia Fred Starr for a welcoming session.
The group will meet with numerous policy-makers, business leaders, journalists, academics,
military personnel and regional experts during their six-week U.S. visit.

The spring 2017 session of the Rumsfeld Fellowship program welcomed to the U.S. a diverse group of 13 Fellows in mid-April. Throughout their six-week program, the Fellows will attend a series of private, high-level meetings with top policy-makers, business leaders, journalists, academics, military personnel and regional experts exposing them to inside perspectives on  decision and policy-making processes in the U.S. The group will also spend a week traveling to additional cities including Des Moines, IA; Hartford, CT; and Philadelphia, PA for meetings with local businesses and officials, providing them a view of the U.S. beyond the nation’s capital.

In the Program’s final week, the Fellows will participate in a group presentation at a CACI public forum, where they will engage with representatives from local embassies, businesses, universities, the media and others interested in current perspectives from the region.