Witney Schneidman is an American author, nonresident senior fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings.[1] He served as the deputy assistant secretary of state for Africa at the U.S. Department of State during the Clinton Administration.[2][3]

Witney Schneidman
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa at the U.S. Department
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
EducationPhD
Alma materTemple University, University of Dar es Salaam & University of Southern California
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionAuthor

Education edit

He holds bachelor's degree of art (Cum Laude) from Temple University, Master's Degree of art in international relations from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and a PhD in international relations from the University of Southern California.[4]

Career edit

Schneidman has over four decades experience working across sub-Saharan Africa. He began his career as the South Africa analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the U.S. State Department. He later shifted to a not-for-profit organization where he supervised compliance by American companies in South Africa with the Sullivan Principles.[5][6][7][8]

Schneidman was a policy advisor to the Vice President for Africa at the World Bank. He worked with Washington-based consulting firm. He joined the Clinton Administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs where he was responsible for promoting U.S. business in Africa. After working with U.S. Government, he started his own consulting firm of Schneidman and Associates International.[9][10][11][12]

Selected publications edit

Schneidman has written extensively on African economic and political issues. Here are some selected of his publication.

In 2004, Schneidman published: Engaging Africa: Washington and the Fall of Portugal’s Colonial Empire, which Foreign Affairs describes as a “must-read for anyone interested in decolonization or Cold War diplomacy.”[13]

  • "Will Biden go to Africa this year?," with Gracelin Baskaran, September 22, 2023, The Brookings Institution.[14][failed verification]
  • "Africa’s Critical Minerals Could Power America’s Green Energy Transition," with Vera Songwe, Foreign Policy, August 3, 2023.[7][failed verification]
  • "How to drive US Investment to Africa," with Gracelin Baskaran, June 14, 2023, The Brookings Institution.[15][failed verification]
  • Diaspora Bonds: An Innovative Source of Financing,” with Admasu Tadesses and Abyssinia Lissanu, May 27, 2022, The Brookings Institution.[16]
  • "Will Biden Deliver on his commitment to Africa in 2022?,” January 10, 2022, The Brookings Institution.[17][failed verification]

References edit

  1. ^ "Brookings Institution Scholar Witney Schneidman talks to Ricci Shryock about US-Africa trade". Voice of America. 2012-08-12. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  2. ^ "USAID Announces Appointment of Prosper Africa Coordinator | Press Release". U.S. Agency for International Development. 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  3. ^ "Witney Schneidman | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  4. ^ "A Bridge to Go Abroad: Witney Schneidman Invests in Temple Students Traveling to Africa". College of Liberal Arts. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  5. ^ "Witney Schneidman | Wilson Center". www.wilsoncenter.org. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  6. ^ https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/witney-schneidman
  7. ^ a b "Witney Schneidman Archives". How we made it in Africa. 2013-04-22. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  8. ^ "Africa's New Middle Class Lures Investment: Witney Schneidman". Bloomberg.com. 2011-08-09. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  9. ^ Africa, Vele (2022-12-08). "US-Africa relations with Dr. Witney Schneidman". Vele Africa Advisory. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  10. ^ "A journey of reckoning and discovery". W&M News. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  11. ^ "Witney W. Schneidman Engaging Africa by Witney W. Schneidman, Paperback | Indigo Chapters". Willowbrook Shopping Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  12. ^ "Witney Schneidman Biography | Booking Info for Speaking Engagements". www.allamericanspeakers.com. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  13. ^ "Foreign Policy of America "Must Read!"". Center for Innovation in Global Health. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  14. ^ "AGOA: The U.S.-Africa Trade Program". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  15. ^ Schneidman, Witney (2023-11-27). "Witney Schneidman". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  16. ^ "Diaspora bonds: An innovative source of financing? | Policy Commons".
  17. ^ "U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-11-29.