Abi Williams

Dr. Abi Williams is a scholar and international affairs practitioner who has held leadership positions in academia, think tanks, and the United Nations. He is Professor of the Practice of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. He was also Director of the Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University from 2017 to 2022. He served as President of The Hague Institute for Global Justice from 2013 to 2016. The Hague Institute was shortlisted for the 2014 Prospect European Think Tank of the Year Award. From 2008 to 2012, Dr. Williams served at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) first as Vice President of the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, and later as Senior Vice President of the Center for Conflict Management. He led USIP's work on prevention and in major conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Libya.

From 2001 to 2007, Dr. Williams served as Director of Strategic Planning for UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon. He gained valuable field operational experience, serving with the UN from 1994 to 2000 in peacekeeping operations in the Balkans and Haiti, in senior political and humanitarian roles. He has served as Associate Dean of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., and held faculty appointments at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and the University of Rochester.

Dr. Williams has furthered his impact on international affairs and education through service on several boards. He was Chair of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS), and a member of the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Justice, the U.S.-Netherlands Fulbright Commission, the Lester Pearson College UWC Board of Trustees, and the International Board of Directors of the United World Colleges. He is the recipient of several awards including the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award from Tufts University and the Constantine E. Maguire Medal from Georgetown University.

Education

• PhD, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, United States
• MALD, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, United States
• MA (Hons), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Tufts University Appointments

• Professor of the Practice
  Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, 1 Jul 2022 - present
• Professor of the Practice
  Tufts University, Tisch College, Tisch College, 2 Oct 2022 - present

Academic Positions

• Professor of the Practice of International Politics
  The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, United States Jul 2017 - Jun 2022
• Director
  Institute for Global Leadership, Tufts University, United States Jul 2017 - Oct 2022
• Centennial Fellow
  Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Washington D.C., United States Jan 2017 - May 2017
• Associate Dean
  National Defense University, Washington D.C., United States Dec 2007 - Apr 2008
• Assistant Professor
  Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Washington D.C., United States Jul 1988 - Jun 1994
• Visiting Assistant Professor
  University of Rochester, Rochester, United States Jul 1987 - Jun 1988

Non-academic Positions

• President
  The Hague Institute for Global Justice, The Hague, Netherlands Jan 2013 - Dec 2016
• Senior Vice President
  United States Institute of Peace, Washington D.C., United States Jan 2011 - Dec 2012
• Vice President
  United States Institute of Peace, Washington D.C., United States Apr 2008 - Dec 2010
• Director of Strategic Planning
  United Nations, New York, United States Jul 2001 - Dec 2007
• Special Assistant to the DSRSG
  United Nations, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Dec 1999 - Jun 2001
• Special Assistant to the SRSG
  United Nations, Port au Prince, Haiti Apr 1998 - Dec 1999
• Political and Humanitarian Affairs Officer
  United Nations, Skopje, North Macedonia Jul 1994 - Apr 1998