During a 28-year State Department career, Daniel Rosenblum ran the two biggest embassies in Central Asia as U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan and then Kazakhstan (2019-2025), shaped policy and managed U.S. relations with Central Asia as deputy assistant secretary of state (2014-2019), and oversaw more than $1 billion annually in foreign assistance to 30 countries as coordinator of U.S. assistance to Europe and Eurasia (2008-2014).
A graduate of Yale (B.A. in history) and Johns Hopkins SAIS (M.A. in Soviet studies), he became a leading U.S. expert on using foreign aid to pursue stability in the former Soviet region. As the U.S. government’s lead diplomat for Central Asia, he expanded security cooperation, facilitated billions of dollars in U.S. exports and investment, and conducted public outreach to expand American influence.
Retired from government service since April 2025, Rosenblum now teaches, writes, and speaks about leadership, diplomacy, and Central Asian history and culture. He serves on the boards of trustees of American Councils for International Education and the American University of Central Asia and is a diplomatic fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. He also co-hosts the podcast “American Diplomat,” sponsored by Arizona State University.
