Mohamed ElBaradei to Join Tufts' Fletcher School as Nobel-Laureate-in-Residence

MEDFORD / SOMERVILLE, Mass., Dec. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, director general emeritus of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and co-recipient of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize with the IAEA for his efforts "to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way," will join The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University as Nobel-Laureate-in-Residence in fall 2014.

"The entire Fletcher and Tufts community is proud to welcome Dr. ElBaradei, a courageous leader and powerful advocate for international peace and security," said Admiral James Stavridis, the 12^th dean of The Fletcher School. "In my former capacity as Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, I attended many conferences and meetings with Dr. ElBaradei. He is such an important diplomatic figure and we are thrilled to have him with us next fall."

Academic Dean and Professor of International Law Ian Johnstone added, "Our faculty and students will benefit greatly from the lessons of his 50-year career as a scholar, diplomat, public servant and statesman."

As Nobel-Laureate-in-Residence, ElBaradei will focus on a range of co-curricular activities, drawing on his experience as head of the IAEA as well as the critical role he played in Egypt through the recent years of political turmoil. An expert on international law and organizations, non–proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, ElBaradei has been at the center of efforts to address the nuclear crises in Iraq, North Korea and Iran. He will engage with students and faculty in public lectures and smaller, private events at The Fletcher School as well as other schools within Tufts University.

ElBaradei served three terms as director general of the IAEA from December 1997 until November 2009, when he was appointed director general emeritus. He had been an IAEA staff member since 1984, holding a number of high-level policy positions, including that of legal adviser and subsequently assistant director general for external relations.

After leaving the IAEA, ElBaradei became involved in Egyptian politics and was seen as a potential leader of the transitional government after the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi. In 2012, he was set to stand as a candidate in the presidential elections, but withdrew his bid in January of that year in the absence of an agreed upon constitution. He was named interim vice president in July 2013, but resigned in protest a month later when security forces moved in to clear two protest camps in the capital, Cairo. 

ElBaradei began his career in the Egyptian Diplomatic Service in 1964, serving in the Permanent Missions of Egypt to the United Nations in New York and Geneva. Subsequently, he served as a special assistant to the foreign minister of Egypt (1974 to 1978), and he was a member of the negotiating team that led to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.

In 1980, ElBaradei left the Diplomatic Service to join the United Nations and became a senior fellow in charge of the International Law Program at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. From 1981 to 1987, he was also an adjunct professor of international law at the New York University School of Law.

"I'm delighted and honored to be part of Fletcher, one of the top schools in international affairs. At a time when we are facing the chaos and complexity of an increasingly interconnected world, sound management of international affairs has become key to our global wellbeing. I look forward to what I'm sure will be a most stimulating intellectual interaction with a superb faculty and student body under the inspiring leadership of Dean Stavridis," ElBaradei said.

About The Fletcher School at Tufts University
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (The Fletcher School)—now celebrating its 80^th year—is the first exclusively graduate school of international affairs in the United States. Since 1933, the School has prepared the world's leaders to tackle complex global challenges through a collaborative, flexible and interdisciplinary approach to the study of international affairs. Its alumni represent the highest levels of leadership in the world, including hundreds of sitting ambassadors; respected voices from distinguished media outlets; heads of global non-profit organizations; leaders of international peacekeeping and security initiatives; and executive leadership of some of the world's largest for-profit companies.

The Fletcher School awards professional degrees, including a two-year Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD); a one-year Master of Arts for mid-career professionals; a one-year, mid-career combined Internet-mediated/residential Global Master of Arts (GMAP); a Ph.D. program; a Master of International Business (MIB); and a Master of Laws in International Law (LL.M.), as well as joint degrees and certificate programs. For more information, please visit The Fletcher School website at: fletcher.tufts.edu. 

SOURCE Tufts University