The MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) is honored to announce that Dr. Dafna H. Rand and Ambassador Harsh V. Shringla have been selected as Robert E. Wilhelm Fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Dr. Rand served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor until January 2025. Previously, she directed the U.S. State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance, overseeing $70 billion in annual U.S. foreign aid. Rand has held multiple positions in the U.S. government, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, member of the Secretary’s Policy Planning staff, and National Security Council official. Additionally, she served as a professional staff member of the  U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI). Outside of government, Rand’s research and publications have focused on international security and democratic reform, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, with two books on the subject. She has also held leadership roles at Mercy Corps and the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

Ambassador Shringla is a former Foreign Secretary of India and Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency. He has also served as India’s Ambassador to the United States, Bangladesh, and Thailand, and represented India at the United Nations. As Foreign Secretary, Shringla oversaw India’s foreign policy establishment and navigated complex diplomatic issues, including the India-China border conflict in 2020, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He is also credited with an enhanced India-US engagement during Trump 1.0  and negotiating the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement. In addition to his diplomatic career, Shringla founded and presides over the Darjeeling Welfare Society (DWS), an organization dedicated to uplifting disadvantaged communities in the Himalayan foothills of North Bengal.

Evan Lieberman, Director of CIS and Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa, expressed enthusiasm about welcoming Rand and Shringla, highlighting the Center's commitment to fostering collaboration between academics and practitioners on policy-relevant global issues.

“We look forward to Dr. Rand and Ambassador Shringla joining our academic community and engaging with them in their areas of expertise. They bring experience at the highest levels of global leadership and will enrich the intellectual life of our scholars and students in world affairs. We hope that they will find their time at MIT equally rewarding,” said Lieberman.

The Robert E. Wilhelm Fellows Program, supported by a generous gift from MIT alumnus Robert E. Wilhelm ’62, is the Center’s most prestigious fellowship. Since its inception in 2004, the program has brought esteemed leaders to campus, including heads of international non-governmental organizations, national security advisors, U.S. military leaders, senior diplomats, and retired cabinet ministers.