UCLA Law School, Room 1314
385 Charles E Young Dr E
Los Angeles, CA 90095
ABOUT THE TALK
The conversation will cover the current manifestations of antisemitism globally and how the U.S. State Department seeks to combat antisemitism overseas as well as current efforts to combat Islamophobia, both abroad and here in the U.S.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Ludovic Hood is a career Foreign Service Officer with two decades of experience working on Middle East affairs. He has served at the U.S. Embassies in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Paris, and held several positions at the State Department in Washington, DC. Mr. Hood worked in the White House for two years as the Middle East advisor to Vice Presidents Pence and Harris. Prior to joining the State Department in 2006, he worked for the United Nations for five years in East Timor and New York, in addition to five years in the private sector. Since May 2021, Mr. Hood has served as the Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt.
Mr. Hood earned a BA from Brown University and an MA from Columbia University. His articles have been published in academic journals and newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, and he has taught a graduate seminar at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. He is an avid oarsman.
Haroon Azar is a Senior Fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations and the former Program Director for the Center's Initiative on Security and Religious Freedom. Mr. Azar is a recognized national security expert with broad experience working with law enforcement and faith-based communities to further resilience mission areas. Prior to his current role, Mr. Azar was the Regional Director in Los Angeles for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Azar’s primary responsibility was strengthening the Department’s relationships with state and local law enforcement, local government officials, faith-based organizations, community groups, academic institutions, and private sector stakeholders. His office partnered with both government and nongovernment entities locally to advance the Department’s risk mitigation mission.
Previously, Mr. Azar worked as Deputy Director for the Middle East, Africa, & South Asia in the Office of International Affairs at DHS Headquarters in Washington DC. His portfolio included providing the Office of the Secretary with policy counsel and management of international affairs related to homeland security. Additionally, Mr. Azar was responsible for negotiating bilateral and multilateral security agreements with international partners focusing on improving immigration policy, visa security, aviation security, border security, supply chain management, and countering violent extremism efforts. Mr. Azar received a Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law where he focused on the intersection of national security and civil rights.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Kal Raustiala holds the Promise Institute Chair in Comparative and International Law at UCLA Law School and is a Professor at the UCLA International Institute, where he teaches in the Program on Global Studies. Since 2007 he has served as Director of the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations. From 2012-2015 he was UCLA’s Associate Vice Provost for International Studies and Faculty Director of the International Education Office. Professor Raustiala's research focuses on international law, international relations, and intellectual property.
Sponsor(s): Burkle Center for International Relations, Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law, International & Comparative Law Program (ICLP) at UCLA School of Law