Resources, Power, and Nation Building: A Conversation with the Author

About the Lecture:

In his new book, Resources, Power, and Nation Building: Afghanistan and the Promise of Minerals, Haroon Hakimi analyzes how critical and strategic minerals can either underpin nation building efforts or intensify conflicts. Drawing on his doctoral research at the Institute of World Politics, this lecture examines lessons from U.S. nation building, China’s resource strategy, and the emerging global competition over critical minerals that is reshaping power in the 21st century.

About the Speaker:

Haroon Hakimi is an academic practitioner with more than fifteen years of experience across media, public policy, research, teaching, and diplomacy. His career bridges government service and scholarly research, focusing on the connections between energy and mineral security, national resilience, and international stability. A former diplomat and senior government official, Hakimi, has advised on foreign affairs, resource policy, and strategic communications at the national and international levels. He has served as Deputy Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Tourism of Afghanistan, and Head of Chancery and Latin America Affairs at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. Currently, Hakimi leads the Energy Security and Minerals Program at the America–Eurasia Center and serves as a Research Analyst at the Global Policy Institute, focusing on the evolving role of critical and rare earth minerals in the global energy transition. His research explores how energy resources shape national policy design and the architecture of state-building in post-conflict and emerging economies. Hakimi holds two master’s degrees: one in International Service from American University, Washington, D.C., and another in National Security Affairs from The Institute of World Politics, where he is completing his Doctorate in Statecraft and National Security.

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