American diplomacy in a divided era: A conversation with Jeff Flake
How can bipartisan cooperation help the United States navigate an increasingly complex global landscape?
Speaker
Jeff Flake, Susan D. PageDate & time
How to attend
The Ford School is pleased to welcome former U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Jeff Flake for the eighth annual Arthur Vandenberg Lecture.
Drawing on 18 years in Congress and his diplomatic service in Türkiye, Flake will discuss the importance of bipartisan cooperation in shaping American foreign policy. He will explore how leaders across the political spectrum can work together to advance U.S. interests, strengthen international alliances, and address complex global challenges in an era of deep political division.
Following opening remarks, Ambassador Flake will deliver a lecture and then sit down for a conversation with Ambassador Susan D. Page, director of the Ford School's Weiser Diplomacy Center and the first U.S. ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan. The event will close with audience Q&A.
From the speaker's bio
Jeff Flake represented Arizona in Congress for 18 years, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 and the U.S. Senate from 2013 to 2019. During that time, he built a reputation for putting principle over politics.
From 2022 to 2024, Flake served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye. In that role, he helped advance the relationship between the United States and a key NATO ally. He played an important role in securing Sweden's accession to NATO and in 2025 the Swedish government recognized his contributions with the Royal Order of the Polar Star.
Before entering Congress, Flake served as executive director of the Goldwater Institute in Arizona and directed the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia during the country's transition to independence.
Flake grew up on a cattle ranch in Snowflake, Arizona. He earned a bachelor's degree in international relations and a master's degree in political science from Brigham Young University. He has undertaken four survival trips to remote islands—including one with a Democratic U.S. senator—reflecting his belief that people from opposing political parties can still work together.
Flake is the author of the New York Times bestseller Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle.
Today, Flake is director of the Institute of Politics at Arizona State University, chairman of the board of World Trade Center Utah, and a visiting fellow at Brigham Young University.
About the Vandenberg Lecture
The Meijer Family established the Vandenberg Fund in 2017 to honor U.S. Senator Arthur Vandenberg, who represented the state of Michigan in the U.S. Senate from 1928 to 1951. Senator Vandenberg forged bipartisan support for some of the country's most significant and enduring foreign-policy initiatives of the twentieth century, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, NATO, and the creation of the United Nations.
The Vandenberg Lecture has featured prominent foreign policy leaders, including former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Senator Chris Coons, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, and Ambassadors William J. Burns, Samantha Power, Julianne Smith, and Bridget Brink.
Pre-event mixer: Arrive early and join us from 4:00 to 4:30 pm in the Great Hall for drinks and conversation before the lecture.
This event is open to the U-M community and the public. RSVPs are encouraged but not required.
Can't attend in person? The event will be livestreamed on this page and on the Ford School's YouTube channel.
