Salman Ahmed is an American national security and foreign policy advisor who served as the
director of policy planning
The director of policy planning is the United States Department of State official in charge of the department's internal think tank, the policy planning staff, with a rank equivalent to assistant secretary. The position has traditionally been he ...
in the
Biden administration
Joe Biden's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 46th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Joe Biden, his inauguration on January 20, 2021, and ended on January 20, 2025. Biden, a member of the Democr ...
from 2021 to 2025.
Education
Ahmed earned a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
in economics from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
's
Stern School of Business
The Leonard N. Stern School of Business (also NYU Stern, Stern School of Business, or simply Stern) is the business schools, business school of New York University, a private university, private research university based in New York City. Founded ...
and a
Master of Philosophy
A Master of Philosophy (MPhil or PhM; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. The name of the degree is most often abbreviated MPhil (or, at times, as PhM in other countries). MPhil are awarded to postgraduate students after completing at leas ...
in international relations from the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
.
Career
Ahmed worked for the United Nations as chief of staff for the Head of UN Peacekeeping Operations and secretary of the Panel on UN Peace Operations (see
Brahimi Report). He was one of the drafters of the UN Secretary General's Report on the
Fall of Srebrenica. Ahmed also participated in and planned UN field missions in Iraq (2003, 2004), Afghanistan (2001–2002), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996–1998), South Africa (1994), and Cambodia (1992–1993).
Ahmed worked for the
Obama administration
Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nomine ...
for eight years.
He joined the Department of State in 2009 and served as a chief of staff of the
United States Mission to the United Nations
The United States Mission to the United Nations (USUN) serves as the United States delegation to the United Nations. USUN is responsible for carrying out the nation's participation in the world body. In 1947, the United States Mission was created ...
,
continuing after July 2013
as a special assistant to the President and senior director of strategic planning for the
United States National Security Council
The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the national security council used by the president of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and Foreign relations of the United States, foreign policy matter ...
. He had been a fellow at the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) is a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., with operations in Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the United States. Foun ...
, where he specialized in foreign policy and research and also taught at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
's
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (''abbrev.'' SPIA; formerly the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs) is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school provides an array of c ...
.
During the
Taliban takeover of Kabul, Ahmed was dispatched to Doha to assist Special Representative
Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad (born March 22, 1951) is an American diplomat and foreign policy expert. Khalilzad was the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation from September 2018 to October 2021. Khailzad was appointed by Preside ...
in negotiations with Taliban representatives.
References
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
American people of Pakistani descent
Biden administration personnel
Directors of policy planning
Living people
New York University Stern School of Business alumni
Obama administration personnel
United States National Security Council staffers
Year of birth missing (living people)
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