The Program: “The Shifting Role and Impact of Diplomacy in a World in Disarray.” By definition, diplomacy brings people together to manage relationships and resolve disputes. In a world in disarray, it becomes humanity’s best hope for avoiding conflict, bringing back order and securing a better future. Kralev will address the steps that the United States — and governments around the world — must take to give diplomacy its rightful recognition as a true profession, complete with all necessary resources and tools. He will also talk about how the work of diplomats has changed in the 21st century, and how smart, persistent and effective diplomacy can contribute directly to a nation’s security and prosperity, while promoting global stability in the process.

Nicholas Kralev is an author, journalist and entrepreneur specializing in diplomacy and international affairs, whose work of more than 20 years has taken him to almost 100 countries.

He is the founding executive director of the Washington International Diplomatic Academy, an independent organization that provides practical professional training in diplomacy and international affairs.

A former Financial Times and Washington Times diplomatic correspondent, he witnessed firsthand the conduct of American diplomacy while accompanying U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright on their travels around the world.

He is the author of “America’s Other Army” and “Diplomats in the Trenches,” as well as the host of the TV series on diplomacy “Conversations with Nicholas Kralev.” His work has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy Magazine and the Huffington Post. He has appeared on NPR, CNN, BBC, Fox News and local stations across the globe.

He holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School and speaks five languages.