Dafna Rand

Former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, United States
Dr. Dafna H. Rand served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) until January 2025. Previously, she served in numerous roles across the State Department, including: Director, Office of Foreign Assistance (F); Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; and a member of Secretary Clinton’s Policy Planning Staff (S/P). She served as the Vice President of Policy and Research at Mercy Corps, a non-governmental organization working in 40 countries to support communities in need. She also served at the National Security Council during the Obama administration. Dr. Rand is the former Deputy Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and a former professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI). She started her career in government as the foreign policy and defense legislative assistant to Senator Frank R. Lautenberg. Dr. Rand’s research has focused on international security and democratic reform in the Middle East and North Africa, including two books on the subject. She earned a PhD in political science at Columbia University and an AB at Harvard University. Originally from Massachusetts, Dr. Rand now lives with her husband and three children in Maryland.
Speaker Schedule
Saturday, February 1, 2025
at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (HKS)Fortifying Europe's Frontlines: Ukraine and NATO Mateusz Morawiecki | Dafna Rand
Moderated by David M. Herszenhorn
Europe's Role in Middle East Peace Ellie Geranmayeh | Alexandre Stutzmann | Nathalie Tocci Moderated by Ellie Geranmayeh