Ambassador David Hale, who formerly served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Lebanon, and Jordan; and Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, has joined the IWP faculty to teach The Art of Diplomacy (IWP 636) this fall.
“The IWP community is extremely fortunate and honored to welcome such as a distinguished diplomat to its faculty, especially in light of recent developments in the Middle East,” said IWP President Amb. Aldona Wos. “Ambassador Hale’s experience and scholarship will be an invaluable resource for our students, alumni, and faculty.”
Ambassador Hale is a Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at the Middle East Institute, after serving as a Foreign Service officer. He writes, speaks, and consults on U.S. foreign policy, including toward the Middle East and South Asia.
He was the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from August 2018-May 2021, reporting directly to the Secretary of State. Ambassador Hale was responsible for the conduct of U.S. foreign relations globally. He supervised the Department’s six regional bureaus and the bureau for international organizations, as well as all American embassies, consulates, and missions abroad. He interacted regularly with world leaders to advance America’s foreign policy, traveled to over 50 countries in that role, and spoke to a wide variety of audiences. He testified on a global range of topics before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. As a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center (2022-25), he wrote and made media appearances on foreign policy, with a focus on the Middle East, Afghanistan, and South Asia. His book, American Diplomacy toward Lebanon: Lessons in Middle East Foreign Policy was published by Bloomsbury/I.B. Tauris in February 2024 as part of a Middle East Institute policy series.
Ambassador Hale holds the lifetime rank of a Career Ambassador. A Career Ambassador is Senate-confirmed, the most senior rank in the State Department, and equivalent to a four-star general. He served in the administrations of Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump as: Ambassador to Pakistan (2015-2018), Ambassador to Lebanon (2013-2015), Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (2011-2013), Deputy Envoy (2009-2011), Deputy Assistant Secretary of State covering Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestinians (2008-2009), and Ambassador to Jordan (2005-2008). His other overseas assignments were in Israel, Tunisia, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. He was Secretary of State Albright’s Executive Assistant.
He graduated in 1983 from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He received one presidential distinguished and two meritorious rank awards; the Secretary of State’s distinguished service award; State Department superior and meritorious honor awards; the Philip C. Habib Award for Distinguished Public Service from the American Task Force for Lebanon; and, Jordan’s Order of Istiqlal.
“I am honored and excited with the opportunity to join the distinguished leadership, faculty, and student body at IWP to advance knowledge of the art of diplomacy and how to use it to advance peace and stability,” said Amb. Hale.
Amb. Hale’s course on The Art of Diplomacy will be offered on Thursday evenings this fall, and Amb. Philip Hughes will teach the course again in the spring semester.