Adam Smith Center to host two former Presidents, a former legislator, and a foreign policy expert for its Spring 2023 Senior Leadership Fellowship

 The Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom at Florida International University announces the appointment of four distinguished Senior Leadership Fellows for Spring 2023. The world leaders bring diverse experiences in policymaking and public service.

"The Senior Leadership Fellowship provides students with the opportunity to learn directly, without filters, from high-ranking public officials with extensive policymaking experience," said Carlos Díaz-Rosillo, founding director of the Adam Smith Center. "Students are at the center of what we do, so we are excited and humbled to continue enhancing their educational experience through world-class mentorship."

The Fall 2023 Senior Leadership Fellows include:

Álvaro Uribe, president of the Republic of Colombia from 2002 to 2010. Uribe has also served as governor (1995-1998) and senator (1986-1994, 2014-2020) in his country. His administration led the fight against terrorist groups, including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN). President W. George Bush awarded Uribe the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States and world peace.”

Uribe’s study group, “The Rule of Law in Latin America: A Political Perspective,” comes at a time when the region faces important economic, and political, and social challenges.

“The only way to overcome poverty is through the rule of law. Instead of talking about distribution, we should be talking about inclusion. And for there to be true inclusion, we need freedom. Freedom is essential to the general well-being of our populations. This is a challenging moment for our region,” Uribe said.

Eduardo Frei, president of the Republic of Chile from 1994 to 2000. Frei was also a senator for 18 years (1990-1994, 2000-2014), and served as president of the senate from 2006 to 2007. His government implemented important educational and judicial reforms at a critical time in his country’s history. He also opened Chile to the global economy. Appropriately, his study group is titled “Crystalizing a Vision: The Chilean Journey to Development.”

“I am very grateful to the Adam Smith Center for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences as a former president of Chile with the students. We are living through challenging moments for democracy. I believe that we need to learn from our past to successfully project ourselves into the future,” Frei said.

Fawzia Koofi, former vice president of the National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2005-2021). In that capacity, she served as the first deputy speaker of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of parliament. Koofi is a prominent advocate for women's rights and has been a vocal critic of the Taliban and other extremist groups in Afghanistan. Koofi has been recognized for her work both nationally and internationally, receiving several awards and honors for her advocacy and leadership. Recently, she participated in peace talks in Doha, Qatar, with the Taliban.

Koofi will share personal experiences and leadership lessons in her study group, “Women in leadership: The fight for democracy and freedom in post-conflict societies.”

 “Most people in the United States only hear about Afghanistan and the region through the media. In this study group, students will get a different perspective, as they will hear directly from someone who has lived all her life during the country’s most significant social and political turmoil. I hope not only to share my experiences with them, but also to learn from the rich diversity the center has to offer,” Koofi said.

Kiron Skinner, former director of policy planning at the United States Department of State (2018-2019). She is the Taube Professor of International Relations and Politics at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, a title she also held at Carnegie Mellon University. She is also the W. Glenn Campbell Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Skinner has co-authored two books on Ronald Reagan, which became New York Times bestsellers. Skinner was appointed by President George W. Bush to a term on the National Security Education Board.

Her study group will focus on “Decisions and Deciders: An Inside Look at Economic and Foreign Policy.”

"Policy decision-making can be incredibly opaque. In this study group, policymakers who were in the room when key decisions were made will engage with emerging leaders at FIU. I am honored to join the Adam Smith Center in bringing first-hand knowledge about domestic, economic, and foreign policy to the conversation. This initiative is at the forefront of academic innovation,” Skinner said.

The first public event with the Senior Leadership Fellows will take place on Monday, February 6, 2023, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Management and Research Center pavilion at FIU. The event will feature a conversation between Díaz-Rosillo and all the fellows. To register for the event and study groups, students can visit freedom.fiu.edu.