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The Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University SIPA today announced three new distinguished visiting fellows, Rania Al-Mashat, Jonathan Black, and Dan Brouillette, who will bring extensive experience in international economic policy and national security to the Center’s research team from former roles in the Egyptian, United Kingdom, and United States governments. The fellows will contribute to CGEP research and publications, participate in convenings and events, and engage with students, faculty, and staff throughout the Columbia University community.
“The Center on Global Energy Policy team is thrilled to welcome such an impressive group of former policymakers to join the Center as part of our distinguished visiting fellows program,” said Jason Bordoff, Founding Director of CGEP. “In a time in which geopolitical fragmentation and energy dynamics are driving change around the world at breakneck speed, having diverse expertise on these issues is perhaps more important now than ever before. I am thrilled to welcome this group of leaders to CGEP, and I look forward to working closely with them to continue to bring world-class analysis of the most critical issues of the day to decisionmakers around the world.”
Below are bios of the new distinguished visiting fellows:
HE Rania Al-Mashat, Former Egyptian Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation
Rania A. Al-Mashat is an international expert in economic diplomacy, bringing over 25 years of experience in macroeconomic policy; central banking and monetary policy frameworks, sustainable economic and social development; structural and institutional reform, development cooperation, development and climate finance, driving climate action and gender equality through international cooperation and partnerships. She served for eight consecutive years (2018-2026) as Minister across three key portfolios: Tourism (first female), International Cooperation, and Planning, Economic Development & International Cooperation. Before her ministerial positions, Al-Mashat served as Sub-Governor for Monetary Policy at the Central Bank of Egypt (2005-2016), where she played a key role in modernizing the bank’s monetary policy strategy. She holds a PhD and MA in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA, and a BA in Economics from the American University in Cairo and completed executive education programs in Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.
HE Rania Al-Mashat said, “Access to energy remains a fundamental enabler of development and shared prosperity, particularly across emerging and developing economies. As the energy landscape shifts in affordability, accessibility, and availability, the key question is whether this will accelerate the energy transition in these economies, or whether structural challenges will continue to constrain progress. I look forward to engaging with students, faculty, and staff in the Columbia University community as we examine issues of economic policy, energy security, and the complicated and ever-changing web of trade relationships throughout the international system.”
Jonathan Black, Former United Kingdom Deputy National Security Adviser
Jonathan Black served as the UK Prime Minister’s Sherpa for the G7 and G20 and Deputy National Security Adviser from 2019 to 2025. As Sherpa, he led the UK’s Presidency of the G7 in 2021 alongside its Presidency of COP26. He played a key role in the UK’s post Brexit trade strategy, including negotiations with the Trump and Biden administrations and with the European Union, and coordinating those with Australia, India, the Gulf, and South Korea. As Deputy National Security Adviser, he oversaw the development of the UK’s economic security framework, coordination of the UK’s approach across US, EU, and China interests, and the implementation of new powers and policy. He played a key role in the G7 coordination of the response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was the Prime Minister’s Representative for the pioneering UK-hosted AI Safety Summit in 2023 that brought leaders of governments, AI companies, and civil society together for the first global AI safety agreements. Prior to his role as Sherpa, Black served in various other roles in the UK government. He was the UK Director at the European Investment Bank and UK Alternate Director at the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. He was Private Secretary and Press Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer at HM Treasury.
Jonathan Black said, “The last few months have reasserted energy’s place at the nexus of geopolitics. In an era of renewed statecraft, how policy makers balance energy affordability, transition and security is one of the most consequential choices. There is a crucial need for rigorous objective analysis to help them make these difficult decisions. I look forward to facilitating that analysis as a distinguished visiting fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy.”
Dan Brouillette, 15th United States Secretary of Energy
Dan R. Brouillette is an accomplished leader in energy, finance, business strategy, and government policy, with a remarkable career spanning both the private and public sectors.
He is Co-Chair of The Torridon Group, a law and advisory firm, and previously served as president and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). EEI represents all US investor-owned electric companies, and its members provide electricity for nearly 250 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Prior to joining EEI, Mr. Brouillette was President of Sempra Infrastructure (SI), a subsidiary of Sempra Energy in San Diego. Mr. Brouillette served as the 15th United States Secretary of Energy and the 19th Deputy Secretary of Energy, where he spearheaded national energy policy and championed groundbreaking advancements in nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and grid-scale energy storage. He is the only person ever to be nominated and confirmed by the US Senate to serve as both Deputy Secretary and Secretary of Energy. For his achievements as the nation’s top energy official, Mr. Brouillette received Distinguished Public Service Medals from both the US Secretary of Defense and the US Secretary of State, the highest individual honor that can be awarded by either department. Prior to joining the Energy Department, Secretary Brouillette held senior executive and corporate officer roles at Ford Motor Company and USAA. He earned an MBA from Tulane University, a Master of Arts in National Security and Intelligence from The Citadel and holds a post-graduate certificate in Cybersecurity from the University of Texas at Austin. He served as a tank commander in the US Army’s 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and as a guest lecturer at the National War College.
Dan Brouillette said, “In today’s complicated geopolitical environment, energy is once again center stage in decisionmaking at the highest levels around the world. There is no more critical time than now for policymakers to have access to informed and objective research and analysis on the most pressing energy issues of today. I look forward to working with the Center on Global Energy Policy as a distinguished visiting fellow to help better inform conversations on myriad topics across the complex energy landscape of today, including energy security, critical mineral supply chains, and the future of energy markets in the midst of a historic disruption to global energy flows.”
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Ships departing from LNG export hubs in western Russia have taken the long-haul route to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope – adding up to two weeks to the journey – since a purported attack by unmanned Ukrainian boats on the Russia-linked Arctic Metagaz vessel on 3 March. Over the past
Strategic petroleum reserves are declining rapidly as countries release emergency crude supplies to cushion the economic impact of the Middle East conflict.
The US Export-Import Bank is preparing to close the first funding tranche of Project Vault, a public-private partnership establishing the US Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve.
