Penguin Speakers Bureau

Jared Cohen is author of the book Children of Jihad: A Young American’s Travels Among the Youth of the Middle East. He received his B.A. from Stanford University and his M.Phil in International Relations from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. While at Oxford, he spent substantial amounts of time in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestinian refugee camps, where he looked at youth in the Islamic world and how they view themselves and their changing role in the world after 9/11. In these travels, Cohen has interviewed members of Hezbollah, Fatah, and a variety of other militant groups. He has also traveled extensively throughout twenty-four countries in Africa looking at issues related to conflict resolution, genocide, and democracy.

Jared is also author of One Hundred Days of Silence: America and the Rwanda Genocide. Additional publications include “The Passive Revolution: Is Political Resistance Dead or Alive in Iran” (Hoover Digest, 2005), “Iran’s Young Opposition” (SAIS Review, 2006), and “Diverting the Radicalization Track” (Policy Review, Spring 2009).

Jared frequently appears in the media: He has been featured in The New Yorker and has appeared on The Colbert Report, CNN, ABC, Headline News, Current TV, NPR, FOX News, MSNBC, BBC, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, and a variety of other TV and radio programs both domestic and international. He is frequently asked to speak at domestic and international conferences hosted by think tanks, the public sector, the military, the private sector, and foundations. He has also served as a judge at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Cohen is fluent in Swahili and has studied Arabic, Farsi, Spanish, Maa, Kilarusa, and Korean. In his spare time, Cohen paints, draws, and sculpts. Over the years, he has sold his work in galleries and to private buyers.

From 2006 to 2010, Jared Cohen worked on the Secretary of State’s policy planning staff, where he focused on counter-terrorism, public diplomacy, and some Middle East/North Africa issues. In 2010, Cohen joined Google Ideas, which combines the model of a think tank with the resources of a private company. He will also serve as an Adjunct Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, focusing on counter-terrorism, counter-radicalization, and 21st century statecraft.

Learn more about this speaker

Jared Cohen Named a 2011 Top American Leader
The Washington Post

"Jared Cohen: Google Ideas director fuses technology and statecraft"
The Washington Post

"Ideas Arena: Truth and Reconciliation"
The Economist

"Google Ideas’ Former Violent Extremists Respond to Norway Attack, Build ‘Countermovement’ Brand"
The Washington Post

Jared Cohen Interview
NeXTWORK

"Talk Among Terrorists"
Scripps News

"Google Ideas Tackles Youth Violence"
The Atlanta Post

Jared Cohen's Guest Post
Council on Foreign Relations

"Former violent extremists sign up for Dublin summit"
The Irish Times

"State Department Innovator Goes to Google"
Foreign Policy

"At Iraqi Museum, Google Chief Announces Plan to Put Artifacts Online"
The New York Times

"Digital Diplomacy"
The New York Times Magazine

"Silicon Valley luminaries become technology ambassadors to Russia"
Los Angeles Times

"Schieffer Texts for Haiti"
CBS News

"Young Muslims turn to technology to connect, change traditions"
CNN.com

"The Next Diplomatic Cable"
The American Prospect

“Washington taps into a potent new force in diplomacy”
The New York Times

"Google Me In Baghdad"
The New York Observer

"Children of Jihad Author Hits at Misconceptions About Middle-East"
ABC News

"Fighting Extremism Online"
Townhall

"Condi's Party Starter"
The New Yorker

"Young People Who Rock"
CNN.com

"Arabian Nights"
RADAR magazine

"CFR and Google team up to battle violent extremism"
Foreign Policy