GPI-BAU Talk Series: Shadow Economies and the Enabling of Transnational Threats

On October 31, 2024, at 10:00 AM (EST) the Global Policy Institute (GPI) and Bay Atlantic University (BAU) will hold a talk titled ” Shadow Economies and the Enabling of Transnational Threats” via Zoom and in-person at BAU, during the INTL 257 International Relations class.

Event Recording

GPI-BAU Talk Series: Shadow Economies & the Enabling of Transnational Threats (youtube.com)

Speaker

Ahmad Sayer Daudzai is an expert in geoeconomics, geopolitical analysis, migration and economic diplomacy. Upon acquiring his bachelor’s degree from the American University in Dubai, Ahmad Sayer Daudzai established his own firm Velocity Consulting in Afghanistan which provided financial and investment consulting services to the public and private sectors of Afghanistan. In 2013, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and became an economic diplomat. He was posted as the Vice Consul of Afghanistan in Istanbul, Turkey to manage the bilateral trade, financial intelligence analysis and illegal migration portfolios. During that term he also acquired his master’s degree in Global Affairs from BAU in Istanbul, Turkey. In 2017, he returned to Kabul and was appointed as a Senior Advisor to the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs. From 2017 until 2019 he also continued to manage his firm Velocity Consulting as a senior partner. He also co-founded an insurance company called Capital Star Insurance in Afghanistan. In September 2019, he was appointed as the Economic Counselor and Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of Afghanistan in UAE. From February 2020 until October 2020, he served as the Charge d’Affaires (Acting Ambassador) of the Embassy of I.R Afghanistan in the UAE. He then served as the Deputy Ambassador of Afghanistan in UAE from November 2020 until August 2021. From September 2021 until November 2023, he served his second term as the Acting Ambassador of Afghanistan in UAE. He now serves as a senior advisor to a Washington DC based Geopolitical Advisory firm called Gulf State Analytics. He is also a Fellow at the Global Policy Institute.

Moderator

Sean Michael Cox, Ph.D. is the Director of Teaching and Learning, and Chair of Political Science and International Relations at Bay Atlantic University. For the past 15 years, he has also served in various roles within the university’s parent organization, the BAU Global Education Network, most recently as Director of Academic Affairs & International Programs. Dr. Cox is a political commentator appearing on global news networks such as TRT World and Al Jazeera, focusing on US politics and US foreign engagement. He has in the past worked with several different NATO-related organizations under the aegis of the Partnership for Peace Programme and has spent extensive time in the Balkans and the Black Sea area. In addition to his work in academics, Dr. Cox is a project management specialist and consultant, having been administrative lead on a number of publicly funded projects and programs in multiple countries. He earned his doctorate from the University of Delaware in Comparative Politics.

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