Michael Yaffe is a seasoned diplomat, public policy practitioner, and academic with extensive experience advancing Middle East security, conflict resolution, global peacebuilding, and civic engagement. His work has focused on diplomacy, regional security, arms control and nonproliferation, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and strengthening institutions dedicated to dialogue and peace.

Most recently, Dr. Yaffe served in senior leadership roles at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), where he was Vice President overseeing multiple centers, including the Gandhi-King Global Academy, Center for Civic Engagement and Scholarship, Middle East and North Africa Center, and Center on the Middle East and Africa.

During a 25-year career in the U.S. Government, Dr. Yaffe served in the Office of the Secretary of State as Senior Advisor to three successive Special Envoys for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. He previously served as a career Foreign Affairs Officer focusing on arms control, nonproliferation, and regional security in the Middle East. At the National Defense University, he served as Dean of Faculty and Distinguished Professor of Strategic Studies at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies.

Dr. Yaffe was a John M. Olin Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University and a USIP Peace Scholar. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Mike is based in Springfield, Virginia.

Areas of Expertise: Arms Control & Nonproliferation | Civic Engagement | Conflict Resolution & Peacebuilding | Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations | Middle East Regional Security | U.S. Foreign Policy

Languages: English

Contact: Michael Yaffe