Special Representative McAuliffe’s Travel to Georgia and Indiana to Attend U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Roundtables and Visit Diplomacy Lab Programs at Kennesaw State and Purdue Universities

Special Representative McAuliffe traveled to Atlanta, Georgia (GA), and Indianapolis, Indiana (IN), October 19-20, 2022, to participate in two roundtable discussions with advisory members of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition  (USGLC).  The USGLC convened a diverse audience including private sector stakeholders, nationally and locally elected officials, university leaders, chambers of commerce, members of faith-based organizations, and local NGOs to host the conversations with the Special Representative in an effort to increase public awareness about the Department’s objective of advancing top foreign policy priorities through private sector engagement.

Special Representative Dorothy McAuliffe’s remarks centered on creating global solutions for global problems through public-private partnerships.  With the private sector outspending the U.S. government 4:1 on global development, Special Representative McAuliffe emphasized the  United States’ need to modernize and reimagine how the Department approaches diplomacy and development.  She noted that it is crucial to expand our private sector and subnational engagement in order to advance our national security and foreign policy goals.  Notable participants at the roundtables were former United States Senator Saxby Chambliss (GA) and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.

Additionally, Special Representative McAuliffe visited Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA and Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN to engage with faculty and students participating in the Office of Global Partnership’s (GP) Diplomacy Lab program.  During her visits, Special Representative McAuliffe learned about the valuable research these teams are delivering to support the United States’ foreign policy goals, and she highlighted the value of Diplomacy Lab’s  ability to expose and recruit young and diverse talent to U.S. government employment opportunities after graduation.  Special Representative McAuliffe also met with teams at both universities that specialize in emerging technology, and identified numerous opportunities for collaboration with Department of State stakeholders in support of Secretary Blinken’s Modernization Agenda.

Launched by the Department of State in 2013, Diplomacy Lab is a public-private partnership that enables the State Department to “course-source” research related to foreign policy challenges by harnessing the efforts of students and faculty experts at colleges and universities across the United States. Diplomacy Lab underscores the Department’s commitment to engage the American people in the work of the State Department, and the need to broaden the Department’s research base in response to a proliferation of complex global challenges.

To learn more about the Office of Global Partnerships and our current initiatives, please click here or visit https://www.state.gov/s/partnerships.  You may also email Partnerships@state.gov for more information.  For press inquiries, please contact Melanie Bonner at BonnerML@state.gov.