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home > the cfr think tank > experts > isobel coleman
Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy
Contact Info:
Phone: +1-212-434-9771
E-mail: icoleman@cfr.org
Location:
New York, NY
Media downloads:
High-resolution photo (JPG, 467K)
One-page bio (PDF, 42K)
CV (PDF, 15K)
Author of the forthcoming book Paradise Beneath Her Feet: Women and Reform in the Middle East (Random House, 2008). Recently coauthored Strategic Foreign Assistance: Civil Society in International Security. Director of the Council’s Women and Foreign Policy program.
Expertise:Economic development; gender issues in the Middle East and Southwest Asia; foreign aid; microfinance; education reform in the Middle East.
Experience:Former CEO and Chairman of a healthcare services company (2000-2002); Partner, McKinsey & Company (1992-2000); Research Fellow, Brookings Institution (1990-91); Adjunct Professor, American University (1991).
Languages:Japanese and Spanish (familiar).
Honors:Marshall Scholar, Oxford University (1987-90); Brookings Research Fellow (1990-91).
Selected Publications:“The Kingdom’s Clock,” Foreign Policy (coauthor, September/October 2006); Strategic Foreign Assistance: Civil Society in International Security (coauthor, Hoover Institution Press, 2006); “Women, Islam, and the New Iraq,” Foreign Affairs (January/February 2006); “The Arab World is Experiencing the First Tremors of a Youthquake,” Dallas Morning News (2006); “Iran’s Bitter Lessons for Iraq,” International Herald Tribune (coauthor, 2005); “Defending Microcredit,” Fletcher Forum of World Affairs (Winter 2005); “The Pay-Off From Women’s Rights,” Foreign Affairs (May/June 2004); “Beyond the Burqa: The Future Of Afghan Women’s Rights,” Georgetown Journal of International Affairs (Summer 2004).
Current Research Projects
Past Research Project
April 17, 2008
| Authors: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy Tamara Cofman Wittes, Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution |
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Other Report
In February, Tamara Cofman Wittes and Isobel Coleman met with business leaders, academics, journalists, and civic activists in Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Among Wittes and Coleman's key findings are that many Saudis welcomed the emergence of a more open atmosphere, pointing to King Abdullah's ascension to the throne, dynamism in neighboring Gulf states, and a new "post-post-9/11" environment as key catalysts for the change. Yet, there was frustration at the unpredictability and arbitrariness of the newly expanded social and political space. The next U.S. administration may have a new, but narrow, window of opportunity to reintroduce itself to Saudi Arabia. Many Saudis argued for the creation of a deeper, multi-dimensional relationship between both countries that engages civil society, not just the government and business sectors.
See more in Middle East, Economic Development, Society and Culture, U.S. Strategy and Politics
March 11, 2008
| Speaker: | Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Transcript
See more in International Organizations, International Peace and Security
March 11, 2008
| Speaker: | Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Audio
Listen to UN deputy secretary-general Asha-Rose Migiro discuss priorities for the United Nations, with particular regard to international development. This event was made possible by the generosity of ExxonMobil.
See more in Human Rights, International Organizations, Poverty
March 11, 2008
| Speaker: | Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Video
Watch UN deputy secretary-general Asha-Rose Migiro discuss priorities for the United Nations, with particular regard to international development. This event was made possible by the generosity of ExxonMobil.
See more in Human Rights, International Organizations, Poverty
June 18, 2007
| Authors: | Craig Charney, President, Charney Research Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy |
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Op-Ed
Globe and Mail
November 16, 2006
| Speaker: | Muhammad Yunus, Founder and Managing Director, Grameen Bank; 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Audio
Listen to Muhammad Yunus, founder and managing director of the Grameen Bank and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, discuss the role of microcredit in fighting poverty.
See more in Economic Development, Poverty
November 16, 2006
| Speaker: | Muhammad Yunus, Founder and Managing Director, Grameen Bank; 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Video
Watch Muhammad Yunus, founder and managing director of the Grameen Bank and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, discuss the role of microcredit in fighting poverty.
See more in Economic Development, Poverty
November 16, 2006
| Speaker: | Muhammad Yunus, Founder and Managing Director, Grameen Bank; 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Transcript
Professor Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, discusses his work at Grameen Bank in ending global poverty through microcredit.
See more in Economic Development, Women
September/October 2006
| Authors: | Rachel Bronson, Former Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy |
|---|
Article
Foreign Policy
See more in Middle East
August 8, 2006
| Authors: | Laurie Garrett, Senior Fellow for Global Health Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy |
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Op-Ed
Toronto Star
See more in Global Health, Foreign Aid
June 30, 2006
Podcast
CFR senior fellow Isobel Coleman talks to CFR.org's Esther Pan about the impact of women voting in Kuwait for the first time.
June 27, 2006
| Speakers: | Lynn Freedman, Associate Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Geeta Rao Gupta, Executive Director, International Center for Research on Women |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Audio
Listen to panelists present the issues surrounding maternal health as a foreign policy objective
See more in Society and Culture, Health, Women
June 27, 2006
| Speakers: | Lynn Freedman, Associate Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Geeta Rao Gupta, Executive Director, International Center for Research on Women |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Video
Watch panelists present the issues surrounding maternal health as a foreign policy objective
See more in Society and Culture, Health, Women
June 27, 2006
| Speakers: | Lynn Freedman, Director, Averting Maternal Death and Disability Program; Director, Law and Policy Project; and Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Geeta Rao Gupta, President, International Center for Research on Women |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy and Director, U.S. Foreign Policy and Women Program, Council on Foreign Relations |
Transcript
This half-day symposium explored the issue of maternal mortality—defined as the death of a pregnant woman during her pregnancy or within forty-two days of delivery—remains shockingly high in most of the world. The first panel explained the magnitude of the problem and factors driving it.
See more in Society and Culture, Health, Women
May 10, 2006
| Speaker: | Karen P. Hughes, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy and Director, U.S. Foreign Policy and Women Program, Council on Foreign Relations |
Transcript
Karen Hughes discusses her role as chief U.S. public diplomat and explains her strategy based on three strategic objectives and six key areas.
See more in United States, Public Diplomacy
May 10, 2006
| Speaker: | Karen P. Hughes, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs |
|---|
Video
Watch U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes discuss the challenges for U.S. diplomacy and the Bush administration's strategies.
See more in United States, Public Diplomacy
May 10, 2006
| Speaker: | Karen P. Hughes, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Audio
Listen to U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes discuss the challenges for U.S. diplomacy and the Bush administration’s strategies.
See more in Public Diplomacy
May 3, 2006
| Speakers: | Ann Jordan, Director, Initiative Against Trafficking in Persons,, Global Rights Neha Misra, Global Coordinator, Counter Trafficking Programs; Program Officer, Africa Region, American Center for International Labor Solidarity (Solidarity Center), AFL-CIO Jyoti Sanghera, Advisor on Trafficking, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations |
Audio
Listen to experts analyze human trafficking in relation to human rights, immigration, and labor rights.
See more in Human Rights, Migration, Women
May 3, 2006
| Speaker: | John Miller, Senior Adviser to the Secretary of State and Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Department of State |
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| Presider: | Kavita Ramdas, President and Chief Executive Officer, Global Fund for Women |
Transcript
Ambassador John R. Miller talks about his efforts to strengthen the U.S. response to human trafficking and coordinate other countries around the world.
See more in Human Rights, Migration, Women
May 3, 2006
| Speakers: | Ann Jordan, Director, Initiative against Trafficking in Persons, Global Rights Neha Misra, Global Coordinator, Countertrafficking Programs, and Program Officer, Africa Region, American Center for International Labor Solidarity (Solidarity Center), AFL-CIO Jyoti Sanghera, Adviser on Trafficking, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy and Director, U.S. Foreign Policy and Women Program, Council on Foreign Relations |
Transcript
Panelists provided a broad overview of human trafficking, discussing it from the labor rights, immigration, and human rights perspectives.
See more in Human Rights, Migration, Women
Climate change poses threats to national security in a number of ways. In this report, sponsored by the Center for Geoeconomic Studies, Joshua W. Busby offers specific recommendations for confronting this important issue, including a list of "no-regrets" policies.
This report, by International Affairs Fellow Michelle D. Gavin and sponsored by the Center for Preventive Action, surveys the current situation in Zimbabwe and proposes steps that can increase the likelihood that regime change, when it comes, will bring constructive reform instead of conflict and state collapse.
Complete list of Council Special Reports.
For more information on the David Rockefeller Studies Program, contact:
Gary Samore
Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair
+1-212-434-9627
gsamore@cfr.org
Sebastian Mallaby
Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for
Geoeconomic Studies, Deputy Director of Studies, and Paul A. Volcker Senior
Fellow for International Economics
smallaby@cfr.org
Janine Hill
Deputy Director of Studies Administration
+1-212-434-9753
jhill@cfr.org
The David Rockefeller Studies Program is the Council’s “think tank.” Its work is integral to achieving the Council’s goal of contributing to the foreign policy debate. Fellows in the Studies Program do this by researching, writing, and commenting on the most important challenges facing the United States and the world.
Copyright 2008 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All Rights Reserved.
