Najmul Saqib Khan

Najmul Saqib Khan has had a distinguished career in the diplomatic service for over 36 years. When Pakistan became an independent state in 1947, the die was cast for Khan to act as a spokesperson for his young country. After serving in key diplomatic positions around the world, he became Pakistan Consul General in New York, and Pakistan’s ambassador to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Japan, as well as Director General of the Foreign Service Training Institute in Islamabad. His professional career has spanned 11 years in the United States and another 11 in the Middle East, in addition to his assignment as Ambassador to Japan.

In 1989 Khan was appointed a member of the International Council of J.P. Morgan & Co., a distinguished advisory board for world and business leaders whose members include former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz and Akio Morita of Sony. He has been a key participant in World Bank seminars, and contributor to leading international journals and newspapers.

Khan’s global perspective is drawn from his interaction with the world's leading minds and his ongoing engagement with crucial issues pertaining to the unfinished agenda of nation building in the Middle East and South Asia. He feels, especially post-September 11, that these issues must be addressed with urgency, depth and vigor. He brings to this enterprise an appreciation of the world's pluralism and diversity, as well an understanding of the key levers of economic and social development and a commitment to a new architecture of international peace and cooperation in the 21st century. Khan is a bridge builder and a disseminator of ideas.

Khan earned his M.A. in Economics with a double first from University of Punjab (Pakistan) before going on to complete a second masters in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. He was then appointed to the Pakistan Foreign Service on the basis of a competitive examination and successful completion of two years of additional training in the U.S., U.K. and France.

Khan’s deep affinity and understanding of the Japanese experience led him to publish a book on nation building, based on the lessons to be derived from the Japanese "miracle by design." He was appointed a fellow at the East Asian Institute of Columbia University as well as a visiting professor at the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi, Pakistan. Khan currently resides in Karachi and frequently travels to the U.S.