(Washington) - The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has appointed Dr. Abiodun Williams as acting senior vice president of its Center for Conflict Management (CCM).  Williams will lead USIP’s work in major conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, the Middle East and North Africa. He will take on the work of Ambassador William Taylor, currently detailed to the Department of State as head of its Middle East transitions office.

 

"Dr. Williams is a leader who brings real-world experience in conflict management and an academic understanding of the field of peacebuilding to the Institute," said USIP President Richard H. Solomon. "Since joining USIP in 2008, he has helped to shape the strategic direction of the Institute. We are pleased he is taking on this new role to help advance our mission to produce high quality, high performance analysis, operations and training in peacebuilding."

 

Previously, Williams served as vice president of CCM, and had primary responsibility for USIP’s work on conflict prevention, Iran, and Northeast Asia.

    

Prior to joining USIP, Dr. Williams served as associate dean of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University and as director of strategic planning for United Nations Secretaries-General Ban Ki-moon and Kofi Annan from 2001 to 2007.  

 

Dr. Williams began his career as an academic and has held faculty appointments at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, University of Rochester, and Tufts University.  He has received a number of academic and professional awards, including the Constantine E. Maguire Medal of Georgetown University.  He has served on numerous boards of NGOs and educational institutions, and is Chair of the Academic Council on the U.N. System.  Dr.  Williams has published widely on international conflict management.  

 

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