In this episode of Russian Roulette, Heather sits down with Ambassador Dereck J. Hogan, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, who previously served as the Deputy Executive Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’affaires in U.S. Embassy Baku, Azerbaijan, and Nicole B. Aandahl, the director of CSIS’s Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Program, which is dedicated to elevating diverse voices and perspectives to lead to more ideas, more innovation, and more robust policy solutions.

In this two-part episode, we begin the discussion with a focus on Moldova, including the impact of Covid-19, the reform agenda of and political challenges faced by President Maia Sandu’s administration, and the status of the “frozen” conflict in Transnistria. We then turn to a conversation about careers and diversity in the Russia and Eurasia studies field. In this second part of the conversation, Nicole Aandahl and Ambassador Hogan share their experiences in how they became interested in Russian studies, the importance of intentionality and inclusivity in the workplace, and the ways in which allies and mentors can help foster greater diversity among professionals in the field and the policymaking community.

You can find Ambassador Hogan’s bio here: https://md.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/ and follow the U.S. Embassy in Moldova on Twitter: https://twitter.com/USembMoldova

You can find Nicole’s bio here: www.csis.org/people/nicole-breland-aandahl If you’re interested in learning more about CSIS’s Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Program, check out the page here: www.csis.org/programs/diversity-and-leadership-international-affairs-project.

Stay safe and healthy.