Spring 2015 Fellows Report

The Spring 2015 Group of Rumsfeld Fellows Complete Program in Washington, D.C. The Spring 2015 group of Fellows from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan and Mongolia completed a six-­‐
week program of high-­‐level meetings and research in Washington, D.C. from March 31 to May 8, 2015. The group included Ms. Zara Chatinyan (Armenia), Local Representative of German Development Bank KfW in Armenia; Mr. Anar Jahangirli (Azerbaijan), Vice President for Corporate Affairs at the AzMeCo Group of Companies; Mr. Ilgar Taghiyev (Azerbaijan), Chief Executive Officer at EMBAFINANS credit organization;
Ms. Nino Evgenidze (Georgia), Executive Director at the Economic Policy Research Center in Georgia; Mr. Umit Khairollayev (Kazakhstan), Chief Executive Officer at the Carlyle Group in Kazakhstan; Mr. Daniel Kadyrbekov (Kyrgyz Republic), Aide to the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic on economic reforms and investments; Mr. Tuvshinzaya Gantulga (Mongolia), Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mongolia; Mr. Badruun Gardi (Mongolia), Founder and CEO of Ger Hub non-­‐profit and a civil society leader in Mongolia; Mr. Abdullo Kurbanov (Tajikistan), Co-­‐founder and CEO of Alif Capital microcredit organization; Mr. Mirzokhid Rakhimov (Uzbekistan), Head of the Department of Contemporary History and International Relations in the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan and a Professor at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Tashkent. Fellows with Don and Joyce Rumsfeld and Dr. Fred Starr at the Final Dinner The group had an intensive schedule of high-­‐level group meetings with representatives of the U.S. Administration, the U.S. Congress, the Judiciary, business community, media, think tanks, academia, and NGOs, as well as attended conferences, seminars, and workshops at different institutions that helped them understand how opinion making and policy making work in Washington. The Spring 2015 group met with former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich; Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group and former Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; Chair and CEO of Hills & Company, International Consultants and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ambassador Carla Hills; Senior Of Counsel at Covington & Burling LLP and former Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl; former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski; Congressman Adam Kinzinger; Director of the Federal Judicial Center Judge Jeremy Fogel; CEO of the Center for a New American Security and former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michéle Flournoy, as well as with members of the current Administration including representatives of the Department of State, Energy and many others. 1 Fellows with Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives In addition, the group had the opportunity to meet with such business leaders as President, CEO and Member of the Board of Rockefeller & Co. and Rockefeller Financial Services, Inc. Reuben Jeffery; Chairman of the Kellogg Executive Leadership Institute, Founder and President of Conant Leadership and Chairman of Avon Products Doug Conant; Co-­‐Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Blue Star Strategies, LLC Sally Painter; Founder and CEO of New Magellan Ventures Richard Lawless; Chief Financial Officer of 1776, a global incubator and seed fund, Steven Graubart; and President and Co-­‐founder of Javelin Keith Urbahn. They also met with Editorial Page Editor of the Washington Post Fred Hiatt; the host of "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" Greta Van Susteren; Senior Editor and Columnist for Fortune Magazine Nina Easton; Member of the Fellows with Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Adviser 2 Board Directors of the Rumsfeld Foundation Dr. Stephen Cambone; Founding Trustee and former President of the Heritage Foundation Dr. Edwin Feulner; President of the Halifax International Security Forum Peter van Praagh; and visited National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. Fellows with Doug Conant, Chairman of the Kellogg Executive Leadership Institute Fellows with Ambassador Carla Hills, Chair and CEO of Hills & Company, International Consultants and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 3 Fellows with Carlos Gutierrez, Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group and former Secretary of Commerce At the end of their program, the Fellows gave a presentation at the Central Asia-­‐Caucasus Institute, SAIS where they discussed the topic of “Current Dynamics in Eurasia Region: Political and Economic Implications.” Fellows with Steven Graubart, Chief Financial Officer of 1776, a global incubator and seed fund 4 Fellows with Reuben Jeffery, President, CEO and Member of the Board of Rockefeller & Co Abdullo Kurbanov: "I feel as if I have just concluded an executive Master's degree in International Relations -­‐ this program is similarly rigorous, challenging, and enlightening. However, what I treasure the most are the friendships that we made within our cohort of fellows and becoming a part of a broader network for the future.” Fellows with Senator Jon Kyl, Senior Of Counsel at Covington & Burling LLP and former Senate Minority Whip 5 Ilgar Taghiyev: “This is an amazing program that helps one discover American society, politics, economy and culture from known and unknown angles. In addition, spending six weeks in the U.S. with representatives of 10 nations makes the program even more vibrant. By the end of the program you feel as though you stayed not only in the U.S., but also in 9 other countries.” Fellows with Keith Urbahn, President and Co-­‐founder of Javelin Daniel Kadyrbekov: “This was a superb, eye-­‐opening and mind-­‐blowing experience that inspires one to re-­‐
evaluate many things and energizes you for the path forward.” Fellows with Michéle Flournoy, CEO of the Center for a New American Security and former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy 6 Fellows with Dr. James MacDougall at National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. Badruun Gardi: “I feel I am blessed to have been a part of this amazing fellowship. Not only did we have intimate and in-­‐depth meetings with many influential policy-­‐makers, but we also got the special opportunity to form life-­‐long friendships in our region. I am confident this fellowship will significantly contribute to stronger and healthier relations between the U.S. and the region.” Fellows at Google Seattle 7 Nino Evgenidze: “This uniquely tailored program of meetings, discussions, practical experiences, networking and travel offers invaluable opportunities for personal development and the enhancement of leadership skills. This newly acquired network of individuals and institutions in the U.S. and from the region can serve as a solid basis for future collaboration and professional career advancement for the Rumsfeld Fellows.” Zara Chatinyan: “This program allows you to zoom out and view global geopolitics from completely different heights, stimulates you to analyze current geopolitical dynamics, helps you to make your own conclusions on the political trends in the world, and encourages you to think strategically about the future of geopolitics in the region.” Tuvshinzaya Gantulga: “The Rumsfeld Fellowship does a terrific job in bridging the U.S. with the Central Asia, Caucasus, Mongolia region by bringing together key policymakers in Washington, D.C. and young professionals from our countries. This effort is timely and indispensable, and will surely prove to be much more valuable in the future.” Mirzokhid Rakhimov: “I have participated in numerous programs but the Rumsfeld Fellowship stands out as one of the most eventful and best programs internationally. Meeting with well-­‐known policy makers, experts and academics allows for a deeper understanding of the American political system and international politics. I’ll definitely share the knowledge I have gained through the fellowship with my students.” The next group of Fellows will visit Washington, D.C. from October 1 to November 10, 2015. The winners of the Rumsfeld Fellowship Program for fall 2015 will be announced in late August of 2015. 8