On November 7, 2011, the Asan Institute for Policy Studies invited Dr. Lisa Anderson, President of the American University in Cairo, to deliver the Asan Distinguished Speaker Series as part of the Institute’s Asan Middle East Conference.

Dr. Anderson’s lecture, titled, “The Egyptian Uprising: Opportunities and Challenges,” explored the unprecedented political transformations that have been unfolding across the Middle East and North Africa as part of what is often called the “Arab Spring.” One of the world’s leading Middle East experts, Dr. Anderson discussed the different factors that enabled the Egyptian uprising to initially succeed as well as some of the ongoing challenges that its citizens are likely to face. Dr. Anderson also shared her views on the diverse trajectories of the region’s other uprisings and their long-term prospects for successful democratic transitions.

Date/Time: Monday, November 7, 2011/ 16:30–18:00
Place: Auditorium, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies

Biography

Lisa Anderson was appointed as the president of the American University in Cairo in January 2011. A specialist on politics in the Middle East and North Africa, Anderson served as the university’s provost from 2008 to 2010.

Prior to joining AUC in 2008, Anderson served as James T. Shotwell Professor of International Relations at Columbia University. She also served as the chair of the political science department and as the director of Columbia University’s Middle East Institute. Anderson holds a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, an M.A. in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She earned a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.

Anderson was president of the Middle East Studies Association of North America in 2003, and chair of the board of directors of the Social Science Research Council. She is a member of the council of the American Political Science Association and serves on the board of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. She is member emerita of the board of Human Rights Watch, where she served as co-chair of Human Rights Watch/Middle East. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.