Written by Ben Helwig
UNO students were treated to a seminar on foreign affairs Tuesday afternoon, courtesy of Annie Pforzheimer, Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary of State. Pforzheimer shared her experiences with students, as well as advice on how to get involved in the world of foreign affairs.
Students gathered in Milo Bail Student Center for the hour-long Q&A session that began with Pforzheimer summarizing her career work. Pforzheimer has been in the arena of foreign affairs for thirty years. Her work has taken her all over the world to more than six countries, some of these including Turkey, China and Afghanistan. Through her work, Pforzheimer represents the United States as a diplomat. She discusses with other country leaders about peace treaties, country relations and embassies, all while keeping the U. S’s best interests in mind.
Most recently, Pforzheimer has been working on relations in and with Afghanistan. She currently is assigned to the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.
After a brief explanation of her work, Pforzheimer opened up the room to questions. Questions came in a variety of sorts, particularly from students interested in foreign affairs as an academic field.
“It’s a rewarding experience,” said Pforzheimer, “It’s a lot of work but getting to represent your country makes it all worth it.”
Questions also arose about the difficulty of keeping personal interests out of diplomacy, especially considering all the different styles of leadership the U.S. has had in Pforzheimer’s thirty-year tenure.
“That can be hard, but you do keep in mind that, first and foremost, you are representing your country above everything else. Their interests are what’s most important,” said Pforzheimer. “Sometimes there can be some things you disagree with, but you have to be able to keep that to yourself.”
About 50 people in total attended the event, with inquisitive students making up the majority. Pforzheimer was willing to answer all the questions that came her way, even if the time ran a little thin.
“Getting to speak on behalf of your country is such a humbling experience,” said Pforzheimer toward the beginning of her talk. Judging by her long career, it appears she has represented her country well.
