Vali Nasr Keynote Speaker

Vali Nasr is a renowned scholar and recognized thought leader on Middle East politics and international affairs. As Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS, he couples rigorous scholarship with first-hand policy experience to illuminate the forces reshaping the region and the wider world.

During 2012–2019 he steered SAIS as its eighth dean, expanding its global footprint and strengthening its practitioner-focused curriculum. Earlier, he translated academic insight into diplomacy as Senior Advisor to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, shaping U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan (2009–2011). Today, Nasr serves on the Global Board of Trustees of the Asia Society and advises governments, multinationals, and institutional investors navigating geopolitical risk.

A prolific author, Nasr’s titles include Iran’s Grand Strategy (2025), How Sanctions Work (2024), The Dispensable Nation (2013), The Shia Revival (2006), and Democracy in Iran (2006). Each challenges conventional wisdom on power, conflict, and economic warfare, offering frameworks adopted by policymakers and boardrooms alike.

Nasr is a sought-after commentator for CNN, BBC, Sky News, and Al Jazeera, and his analyses appear in the New York Times, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Time. His contributions have earned the Carnegie Scholar Award, Guggenheim and MacArthur research fellowships, underscoring his credibility and insight. On stage, Nasr equips audiences with clear-eyed assessments and actionable strategies to anticipate change and seize opportunity in an increasingly multipolar era.