“Africa’s Role in the 21st Century”
Ambassador (Ret.) Tibor P. Nagy
Diplomat-in-Residence, Northwestern University
Ambassador Tibor Nagy concluded his long diplomatic career as acting Under
Secretary of State in April 2021, having previously served as Assistant Secretary
for African Affairs since 2018. Between his entry into the Foreign Service in 1978
and his terms in State Department leadership, he served for 15 years as Vice
Provost for International Affairs at Texas Tech University. During his 22 years at
eight African postings, he was US Ambassador twice (Ethiopia and Guinea), and
Deputy Ambassador four times (Seychelles, Togo, Cameroon and Nigeria). His
career awards include commendations for helping prevent famine in Ethiopia;
supporting the evacuation of Americans from Sierra Leone during combat; and
helping end the Ethiopian-Eritrean War.
Ambassador Nagy lectures nationally on Africa, Development, and US Foreign
Policy; contributes periodic op-ed pieces; and co-authored the nonfiction winner of
the 2014 Paris Book Festival on managing in difficult international environments,
“Kiss Your Latte Goodbye.”
Tibor Nagy arrived in the U.S. in 1957 as a young political refugee from Hungary.
He received his B.S. from Texas Tech (where he met his wife Jane, and where he
now has the rank of Professor Emeritus) and an M.S.A. from George Washington
University. The Nagy’s have three adult children (the first triplets born in
independent Zimbabwe) and five grandchildren.