With a career spanning more than 50 years in international affairs, Shireen Hunter served as Iran’s first woman diplomat, she directed programs at leading think tanks, she taught and lectured widely, and she published prolifically in the field.
Now an honorary fellow at the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, where she previously served as a research professor, she has held leadership positions at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., and the Brussels-based Centre for European Policy Studies, among other organizations. She was an academic fellow at Carnegie Corporation of New York, at the Oxford Centre for Islamic studies, and at the Hellenic Foundation. From 1965 to 1979, Hunter served with the Iranian foreign service out of London, Geneva, and Tehran.
A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Hunter is the author and editor of 27 book and major monographs, as well as a frequent speaker on a range of topics, including U.S.-Iran relations and the role of religion in international affairs. Through her books and countless articles, talks, and media appearances, Hunter has encouraged a greater understanding of complex geopolitical issues, called out human rights abuses, and elevated the importance of cross-cultural dialogue.
In a recent phone interview, Hunter said that becoming an American citizen has given her safety and freedom.
“America provided me a home and a place of belonging when I had lost just about everything,” she said. “Here, I feel safe to express my opinions, and I did not have a feeling of safety in my country of birth. I wish more Americans would realize what an incredibly valuable and precious thing that is.”
