Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns is one of America's top foreign policy experts and practitioners. Over the course of his 27-year career in the state department, he played a key leadership role in U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East, Europe, and South Asia. He was the nation's top career diplomat as undersecretary from 2005-08, and he is viewed as one of the country's most articulate spokespeople on globalization and U.S. foreign policy. He demonstrated great versatility as a diplomat and earned respect on both sides of the aisle as a nonpartisan expert on public diplomacy and world affairs. Burns has served three presidents--George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush--in key positions including senior director for Russian affairs, State Department spokesman, U.S. ambassador to Greece, and U.S. ambassador to NATO. He is currently professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and chair of the school's Middle East Initiative and a new program on India and South Asia. Burns speaks with candor and passion about his experiences at the forefront of American foreign policy, what works and what doesn't in America's foreign relations, and what the future holds for America's position on the world stage.

Day-to-day diplomat. Named as one of GQ magazine's most powerful people in DC, Ambassador Burns shares a big-picture perspective of America's place in the world culminating in his appointment as undersecretary of state where he managed America's day-to-day diplomacy, including world crises. Among his many accomplishments are shepherding negotiations of the first civil nuclear energy agreement with India, leading U.S. negotiations with China, Russia, and Europe on the Iran nuclear crisis, and helping to forge an agreement with Brazil on the development of biofuels. He also negotiated a $30 billion long-term military assistance agreement with Israel.

Current Events. In addition to his positions at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Burns is also director of the Aspen Strategy Group, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of several boards of directors. In July 2009, he joined the Cohen Group, a global business consulting firm in Washington, D.C., as a senior counselor.

The future of foreign policy. Ambassador Burns' nonpartisan approach is buttressed by a clarion call for America to project itself more positively before the rest of the world. His work has fueled his insights that America needs to become more assertive and effective in leading the world on climate change, terrorism, trade, narcotics, in dealing with emerging powers in China and India. He sees our nation's prosperity and security depending in great part on our ability to provide more effective leadership internationally and a greater emphasis on multilateralism. In a globalized world, he believes that it is more important than ever for America to take account of the world's concerns, deliver a positive, hopeful image, and become a more energized, enlightened, and effective global leader.