The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford University is pleased to announce that Ambassador Susan E. Rice has been named the new Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow at FSI, effective April 1, 2024.

As a Liautaud Fellow, Rice will be deeply enmeshed in the daily intellectual life of FSI, with simultaneous affiliations with the Institute’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), the Center on Democracy, Development and Rule of Law (CDDRL), and the Cyber Policy Center (CPC), where she will be focused on the issue of governance of artificial intelligence. 

Rice will also have an affiliation at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), as a distinguished visiting fellow. 

Prior to her appointment at Stanford, Rice served as domestic policy advisor to President Joe Biden. Previously, she was President Barack Obama's National Security Advisor and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and a member of the Cabinet. During the Clinton Administration, Rice was U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, as well as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, and Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping at the National Security Council. 

Rice is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir “Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For,” which describes pivotal moments from her career on the front lines of American diplomacy and foreign policy. Rice received her B.A. in History from Stanford with honors and received a master's degree and doctorate in International Relations from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

“I am thrilled to welcome Susan Rice as FSI’s Liautaud Visiting Fellow,” says Michael McFaul, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute. “Susan's exceptional experience and leadership in both global and domestic affairs make her an invaluable addition to our community. Her expertise will enrich our research, inspire our students, and deepen our understanding of the complex challenges facing the world today.”

Kathryn Stoner, the Mosbacher Director of the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, added: “We are incredibly excited to have someone of Susan’s vast policy experience join our community at CDDRL. We look forward to welcoming her back to the Farm!”

The Liautaud Fellowship brings former heads of state, senior policymakers, and other eminent experts to Stanford, with the goal of promoting meaningful dialogue on the challenges world leaders face in crafting policy solutions to pressing global problems. Previous Liautaud Fellows include Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former president of Estonia; Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, U.S. Army (Ret), former U.S. national security advisor; and Oleksiy Honcharuk, former prime minister of Ukraine. Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former president and prime minister of Mongolia, precedes Rice as the Institute’s most recent Liautaud Fellow, where he has focused on furthering his work on democracy, disarmament, and governance across Asia.

Liautaud Fellows are welcomed into the FSI community, and are invited to participate in regular seminars, offer guest lectures in courses, work closely with faculty and students, and deliver a public address to the community.   

“I am delighted to return to Stanford and to join the FSI and HAI communities as the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow this Spring. I look forward to engaging with students, staff and faculty on a wide range of important international and domestic issues and participating actively in the life of my favorite university,” Rice said.