Government Careers in International Affairs: 100 Years of the U.S. Foreign Service

To attend in person, please register here. 

To attend online, please register here.

Are you interested in a career as a U.S. diplomat, but have concerns about having to support U.S. policies you may disagree with? What is the role of career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) in shaping foreign policy amidst political changes in the presidency?

Join a moderated discussion with Tom Yazdgerdi as he explains the history and role of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) to advocate and protect the long-term institutional wellbeing of the professional career Foreign Service.

This hybrid event will be preceded by a presentation and Q&A on the different pathways and application procedures for careers in the U.S. Department of State by USC's Public Diplomat in Residence Joshua Shen and other current FSOs.

About Tom Yazdgerdi

A member of the Senior Foreign Service, Tom Yazdgerdi served from 2019 to 2023 as the AFSA State VP and is proud of the many wins that AFSA has gotten for our members. Before that, he was special envoy for Holocaust issues in the European and Eurasian Bureau at the Department of State.

Mr. Yazdgerdi has served as director of the Office of South Central European Affairs, political counselor at U.S. Embassy Kabul, head of U.S. Consulate Kirkuk, and deputy political counselor for Iran affairs at U.S. Embassy Baghdad. He also served as deputy chief of mission and political-economic chief at U.S. Embassy Pristina during the run-up to and aftermath of Kosovo independence.

Before joining the Foreign Service in 1991, Mr. Yazdgerdi worked on Capitol Hill. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Central European history, security studies, and American diplomatic history from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.

To attend in person, please register here. 

To attend online, please register here.