Chicago Council on Global Affairs Appoints Two Vice Presidents of Research for Geostrategy and Global Security
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs welcomes Dr. Raymond Kuo as Vice President of Research, Geostrategy and Diplomacy and Dr. Ariane Tabatabai as Vice President of Research, Security and Defense. Both will begin their roles on April 20, 2026.
"These appointments reflect the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' commitment to rigorous, policy-relevant research at a pivotal moment for the Council, for international peace and stability, and for global affairs," said Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri. "Dr. Kuo and Dr. Tabatabai bring strong expertise and experience that will deepen the Council’s work and expand its impact."
Dr. Kuo will also serve as the Marshall M. Bouton Senior Fellow for Asia Studies at the Council, where he will build the Council’s research on the Indo-Pacific, economic security, and international order.
"I am honored to join the Council and work with the leadership team to develop the Council’s research and expertise on the Indo-Pacific and international order," said Dr. Kuo. "I look forward to advancing research on the critical security challenges facing the United States and its allies in Asia and beyond."
Dr. Tabatabai will also serve as a Senior Fellow for the Middle East at the Council, where she will build the Council’s research on national security and defense, NATO, and the Middle East.
"The Council is uniquely positioned to bridge scholarship and policy," said Dr. Tabatabai. "I am excited for the opportunity to join the Council’s executive leadership team to build the fellows program and to ensure the caliber of the Council’s contributions to the expert and public debate on national security and defense."
Dr. Raymond Kuo — Vice President of Research, Geostrategy and Diplomacy; Marshall M. Bouton Senior Fellow, Asia Studies
Previously, Dr. Kuo served as the inaugural director of the Taiwan Policy Initiative and a senior political scientist at RAND. He is an expert in international security, international order, and East Asia.
His books include Following the Leader, on military alliances, and Contests of Initiative, on China's maritime gray zone strategy. His work has appeared in International Security, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Foreign Affairs, and The National Interest, among other publications.
Dr. Kuo has held faculty positions at Fordham University and the University at Albany, SUNY, and has worked for the United Nations and the National Democratic Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University.
Dr. Ariane Tabatabai — Vice President of Research, Security and Defense; Senior Fellow, Middle East
Previously, Dr. Tabatabai served in the U.S. Departments of State and Defense, most recently as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Education and Training. She is an expert on nuclear issues, Iranian foreign and security policy, regional security in the Middle East, and her current research focuses on U.S. alliances and NATO.
She is the author of No Conquest, No Defeat and co-author of Triple Axis. Her scholarly work has appeared in International Security and the Journal of Strategic Studies, and her policy writing has been published in The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy, among other outlets. She is a frequent media commentator.
Dr. Tabatabai has held senior positions at the RAND Corporation, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Columbia University. She also served as Director of Curriculum and Visiting Assistant Professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University, and as a Civilian Consultant to NATO. She holds a Ph.D. from King's College London and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship and Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship at Harvard University.
About the Council
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