Jendayi Frazer in the news-Center for International Policy & Innovation - Carnegie Mellon University

Jendayi Frazer in the news

 Dr. Jendayi E. Frazer
December 18, 2012

Carnegie Mellon's Jendayi Frazer to testify before Congressional Committee on security situation in Democratic Republic of Congo
Carnegie Mellon University's Jendayi Frazer will join Oscar winner Ben Affleck, founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative, and others at a briefing before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. The panelists will update the committee on the evolving security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the implications for U.S. National Security. The briefing will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building Room 2118 in Washington, D.C.

Frazer, a distinguished service professor within the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Heinz College, is a leading architect of U.S.-Africa policy over the last decade. She most recently served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from August 2005 to January 2009 and previously as the U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

Frazer, who is the director of CMU’s Center for International Policy and Innovation, will provide her insights into the conflict in the DRC and speak to the diplomatic and other policy options that U.S. policymakers should consider to address the situation in Congo and in the region.

For more information on the briefing or to watch the proceedings live, visit http://armedservices.house.gov/index.cfm/2012/12/security-situation-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo.

View this story as it appeared on Carnegie Mellon University's News website
July 7, 2012

Beyond the Peace Corps: Heinz student credits real world faculty insights in Foreign Service career
Shan Shi, Beyond the Peace Corps

Upon leaving her Peace Corps assignment in Turkmenistan, Shan Shi (HNZ'11) wasn't sure where her next move would take her.

While the path was unclear, she knew she wanted to build upon the diverse experiences gained through her time with the Peace Corps and eventually secure a federal-sector position in international development.

After much consideration, Shi decided that graduate school was the next step and she enrolled in the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM) program at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College.

"My Peace Corps experience is really what spurred me to become interested in obtaining my graduate degree in public policy," said Shi, who recently moved from South America to the United States with her husband, a U.S. Foreign Service Officer.

"When my volunteer assignment was coming to an end, I realized I needed to further my education in more tools- and skills-oriented ways in order to tactically bring about the societal changes I wanted to see happen."
 
Shi considered only analytic public policy programs that possessed a quantitative focus. CMU's Heinz College quickly rose to the top of her graduate school shortlist.
 
Once in Pittsburgh and acclimated into the MSPPM program, Shi found CMU's analytic strengths exceeded her expectations.

She also found the diversity of the student population to be a hidden gem among the college's many strong suits. Students in the MSPPM program must complete a group systems project prior to graduation, and Shi credits the diversity of her group as being an impactful element to her CMU education.

"My systems project group was extremely diverse with respect to gender, educational background and ethnicity," she said. "These unique perspectives combined to create a well-rounded, thoughtful and comprehensive solution to the systems synthesis problem with which we were tasked."

For the systems project, Shi brought her Peace Corps experience to the table by proposing a project that focused on youth development in Turkmenistan. Over the course of the semester Shi's team worked with the Turkmen Mentors Program (TMP), an international non-profit organization that helps provide youth in Turkmenistan better access to higher education, to design a new mentoring process model.

Since graduating this past December, Shi lived in Brazil and returned to the U.S. to begin the next chapter of her professional career with the U.S. Foreign Service, a goal she set for herself even before enrolling at CMU.

"The curriculum at Heinz College definitely helped me achieve my goal of joining the Foreign Service," said Shi. "Strategic Presentation Skills had a direct impact on my performance in my Oral Assessment, an 8-hour marathon interview administered by the U.S. State Department, and having the ability to consult world-class faculty like Jendayi Frazer is an advantage most schools do not offer."

For volunteers coming out of the Peace Corps, Shi has some words of advice.

"I think it's really important exiting volunteers not just go to graduate school, but know why they're going to graduate school," she said. "Only then can you truly analyze your individual situation and clearly visualize the outcomes you'll be working toward."
May 5, 2012

Jendayi Frazer editorial, “Liberian Verdict Validates Bush Strategy,” published in The Root (theroot.com)
Jendayi Frazer’s editorial, “Liberian Verdict Validates Bush Strategy,” was published in The Root (theroot.com). Former Liberian President Charles Taylor's conviction for war crimes in Sierra Leone represents another milestone in a long journey toward peace, freedom and justice for residents of both African nations. Bush and his national security team used all elements of U.S. power to steer Liberia toward peace when it reached a tipping point of escalated violence in 2003. The investment in freedom was reinforced in 2006 when, after the election of Liberia's democratic government, Taylor was transferred for trial at The Hague to protect regional stability. Read the story (PDF)
April 26, 2012

Jendayi Frazer interviewed by Council on Foreign Relations, discusses how to defuse Sudan conflict
Frazer is interviewed by CFR's Christopher Alessi and discusses the recent tensions along the oil-rich border that divides North and South Sudan. With tensions escallating in recent weeks, the prospect looms of a full-scale war between the longtime foes. Frazer says while the role of mediation should remain with the African Union, the United States and China are vital players in this conflict that can bring pressure to bear on both parties. Read the story
November 8, 2011

Jendayi Frazer interviewed on NPR, discusses Obama sending Special Forces troops to Uganda
Frazer is interviewed by NPR’s Michel Martin on a segment of “Tell Me More.” She discusses the Obama administration’s decision to dispatch 100 U.S. military special forces to Uganda, in Central Africa, to help capture Joseph Kony, head of the Lord's Resistance Army. This rebel group is widely believed to be responsible for some of the worst atrocities associated with modern warfare on the continent. Click to the NPR page to hear the interview/read the transcript
October 11, 2011

Jendayi Frazer and co-author Valandra editorial on recent Nobel prize selections
Authors applaud the personal fortitude of Liberian Nobel Laureates President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Ms. Leymah Gbowee and salute the Liberian people who have worked to restore peace to Liberia. Read the article
September 21, 2011

Meet CIPI Director and Heinz DC Professor Jendayi Frazer
Dr. Jendayi Frazer discusses her public service and her academic philosophy in a recent video developed by Heinz College to introduce the CMU community to the Heinz DC faculty. View the video on the Heinz College’s YouTube channel
July 18, 2011

Dr. Frazer and co-author Valandra pay tribute to Nelson Mandela on his 93rd birthday
“Mandela was and is a towering figure of great wisdom, humor and kindness. Meeting him left you, and indeed continues to leave you, uplifted and feeling that you’ve been in the presence of a saint.” Read the article
July 8, 2011

CNN’s Jill Dougherty interviews Frazer on newly independent South Sudan
On the eve of South Sudan’s emergence as the world’s newest nation, CNN Jill Dougherty spoke with CIPI’s Director about the United States’ policy engagement in Sudan and the challenges the new nation faces. View the video on CNN’s website
June 22, 2011

Frazer debates the role of China in Africa on CrossTalk
CMU Professor Jendayi Frazer participates in Russia TV’s CrossTalk program, hosted by Peter Lavelle, where she debates the engagement of the Chinese and Western governments in Africa. View the video
April 8, 2011

CIPI Director pens op-ed on the diplomacy options in Ivory Coast
CIPI Director Jendayi Frazer is a featured blogger on Africa.com. Read about her policy recommendations to the U.S. government for handling the entrenched stanch of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo. Read the article
January 25, 2011

Jendayi Frazer discusses the Sudan elections at George Washington University
On January 25, 2011, the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University held the annual David H. Miller Foundation Lecture on Africa, which featured a lecture by Dr. Jendayi Frazer, CIPI Director and Distinguished Service Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, on the topic of the referendum in southern Sudan. Frazer’s lecture examined four predictions the international policy community, including herself, made a year ago about the southern Sudan referendum. She compared those predictions to the realities of what happened and is happening post the referendum that took place in Sudan on January 9-15, 2011. Read more about this story in our News section (includes a link to a full video of Dr. Frazer’s talk)
January 2011

CIPI Director Dr. Frazer joins the Council on Foreign Relations as an Adjunct Senior Fellow for Africa Studies
The Council on Foreign Relations’ (CFR) David Rockefeller Studies Program, is composed of adjunct and full-time scholars and practitioners who cover the major world regions and significant issues shaping today's international agenda.  Dr. Frazer has joined the Council’s Africa Program, which studies how the continent’s leaders creating ways to restore peace, promote good governance, and upgrade health across its 53 countries. Please visit Dr. Frazer’s CFR page for more details, including a Council video featuring Dr. Frazer on African Union's role in Libya.
September 27, 2010

Frazer brings her own public service experience to the classroom lessons
Jendayi Frazer, the Distinguished Public Service Professor and CIPI Director, discusses how she uses her experience in government to enrich the academic experience for her Carnegie Mellon students. Read the article
August 30, 2010

CMU professor forged policies for peace in Africa | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Frazer, a CMU distinguished service professor who describes herself as a moderate Republican, helped design policies to halt wars in other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Burundi. Read the article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
August 25, 2009

How the Obama Administration Can Help Sub-Saharan Africa and Advance U.S. Strategic Interests | Wall Street Journal

... But U.S. policy in Africa is not about love. It's about advancing America's core interests: promoting economic growth and development, combating terrorism, and fostering well-governed, stable countries. Did Mrs. Clinton's trip advance those interests? The record is mixed. Read Frazer's editorial in the Wall Street Journal.
August 2009

Frazer Discusses Clinton's Trip to Africa

Distinguished Service Professor Jendayi E. Frazer, Ph.D. was featured on Federal News Tonight discussing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent trip to Africa. Frazer was the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the George W. Bush administration. Watch a video of the interview.

Dr. Frazer also discussed Secretary Clinton's trip to Africa on C-SPAN. Watch a video of the interview.
July 2009

"Public Service Announcement" | Carnegie Mellon Today

Hurried unceremoniously off the campus of Kenya's University of Nairobi in 1982, Jendayi E. Frazer can still picture the armed soldiers lining the streets. A coup d'état of the government was under way, making the school no safe haven for the undergraduate foreign exchange student from Stanford, or anyone else. Read the story.
February 4, 009

Heinz College Convocation: A Conversation with Ambassador Jendayi Frazer, Former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs

Ambassador Jendayi Frazer joins the Carnegie Mellon University faculty on February 1, 2009 as a Distinguished Public Service Professor with a joint appointment in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences' Department of Social and Decision Sciences, and the H. John Heinz III College's School of Public Policy and Management. In her first campus address as a member of the Carnegie Mellon community, she will speak about her eight year tenure as a senior Africa advisor to President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice while serving at the National Security Council and the U.S. Department of State. Read more
January 30, 2009

Former US Envoy to Africa Jendayi Frazer Joins Faculty at Carnegie Mellon

Jendayi E. Frazer, Ph.D., U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the George W. Bush administration, has joined the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University. Read Carnegie Mellon's press release.