Mark Hannah, a Kerry and Obama presidential campaign veteran who ran the nonprofit's flagship program, will expand programming to educate and engage the public about geopolitics and foreign policy.
NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group (IGA), a nonprofit research and education organization focused on geopolitics and founded by Ian Bremmer, today announced a new leader. After conducting a national search, IGA's board of directors named Mark Hannah as chief executive officer effective this month. He succeeds Allyn Summa, who recently stepped down after nearly a decade of service.
Hannah's early career work in professional politics and public affairs motivated him to embark on research and public education. His Ph.D. work at the University of Southern California investigated the relationship between changes in news media and in political cultures internationally. For the past several years, he has led and grown a program for IGA which seeks to challenge conventional thinking within US foreign policymaking.
IGA's mission is particularly urgent in a moment of intense political polarization, distrust of elites and institutions, anxiety about technology, and an uncertain global order. "Geopolitical literacy – the ability to make sense of world events – is fundamental to engaged citizenship and civic participation nowadays," Hannah said. "Countries and people are more interconnected than ever, so good national citizenship requires a knowledge of – and curiosity about – international politics. IGA seeks to facilitate that knowledge and inspire that curiosity."
Zachary Karabell, the chairman of IGA's board of directors, said "The Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group has done remarkable work and has shown outsized impact for its small size. To further advance its mission, IGA must grow and scale. Mark's strategic skills and intellectual energy position him well to lead IGA as it grows its donor base, expands into new programs, and engages new stakeholders."
"I conceived of this nonprofit organization for the many people who think geopolitics and foreign policy are confusing and unapproachable," said Ian Bremmer, IGA's founder and board president. He added, "IGA is at a pivotal moment to grow its programmatic work and impact in an increasingly geopolitically fragmented environment, and I look forward to seeing Mark take the lead on this important work."
Hannah has taught at New York University, The New School, and Queens College, and will be co-teaching a graduate course in applied geopolitics with Bremmer at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs this spring. He has been a volunteer writing tutor in New York City's public schools through PEN America, and helped new Americans in Harlem prepare for their citizenship tests through NY Cares. He was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and political partner at the Truman National Security Project.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Lucas Robinson
Senior Research Associate, Institute for Global Affairs
[email protected] (202) 765-3177
About the Institute for Global Affairs
IGA pursues industry-leading research on geopolitics and global affairs, creates relevant, objective, fact-based content, tools, and programming, and partners around the world to:
- Drive Awareness: Elevate geopolitics and global affairs as relevant, essential, and accessible to individuals, organizations, and communities everywhere.
- Increase Understanding: Expand knowledge of geopolitics and global affairs among the public, particularly young people, and historically marginalized and underrepresented groups.
- Support Action: Enable people everywhere to bring an understanding of geopolitics and global affairs into their daily lives and decision-making.
Learn more at http://www.instituteforglobalaffairs.org.
Media Contact
Lucas Robinson, Institute for Global Affairs, (202) 765-3177, [email protected], https://instituteforglobalaffairs.org/
SOURCE Institute for Global Affairs
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