October 1, 2021
Faculty Associate R. Nicholas Burns, Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard Kennedy School, was nominated by President Biden to serve as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China. The United States has sent diplomatic representatives to China since the mid-1800s. The nomination of Burns, a seasoned diplomat as well as professor, marks a shift in a role usually filled by politicians.
