Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center; International Security & US Foreign Policy Expert; Author of "First Among Equals" & "Oil, the State, and War"

Washington, DC, USA
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Emma Ashford Biography

Emma Ashford is a senior fellow with the Reimagining US Grand Strategy program at the Stimson Center, where her work focuses on grand strategy, international security, and the future of US foreign policy. Ashford has expertise in the politics of Russia, Europe, and the Middle East. She also serves as a columnist at Foreign Policy and as an adjunct assistant professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University.

Ashford's career includes roles at several influential Washington think tanks. She previously served as a research fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, working on issues such as the US-Saudi relationship, sanctions policy, US policy toward Russia, and broader US foreign policy and grand strategy. Before joining the Stimson Center, Ashford was a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's New American Engagement Initiative, which focused on challenging prevailing assumptions in US foreign policy. She has also been a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point.

Ashford is the author of "First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy for a Multipolar World" (Yale University Press), which examines America's role in a multipolar world and proposes pragmatic, realist principles for policymakers. Her first book, "Oil, the State, and War: The Foreign Policies of Petrostates," was published by Georgetown University Press.

Ashford's long-form writing has appeared in publications such as Foreign Affairs, Texas National Security Review, and Strategic Studies Quarterly. Her opinion writing has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Policy, Vox, The National Interest, and War on the Rocks. She writes the bi-weekly column "It's Debatable" for Foreign Policy and founded and co-hosted the "Power Problems" podcast, which explores key questions in international security and foreign policy. Ashford holds a doctorate in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.

BOOK Emma Ashford

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 04/21/2026.

Emma Ashford Videos

Understanding Our New World | Emma Ashford

Understanding Our New World | Emma Ashford

In this in-depth conversation, Emma Ashford, senior fellow at the Stimson Center and a leading voice on U.S. grand strategy, joins John Shaw of the...

How the U.S. Can Adapt to Declining Global Influence | Amanpour and Company

How the U.S. Can Adapt to Declining Global Influence | Amanpour and Company

The leaders at this week's China summit pledged a new global world order, out from under U.S. dominance. Emma Ashford, in her new book "First Among...

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  • What topics does Emma Ashford speak about?

    Emma Ashford is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Author, Geopolitics, Journalist, Political, Security & Defense, World Affairs
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Emma Ashford is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Emma Ashford for your event is available upon request. Emma Ashford generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Elise Labott, Martha Raddatz, Suzanne Kianpour, Vijay Prashad and Clarissa Ward. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Emma Ashford for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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