[Note: Portions of his article came from the Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta website: Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta] 

 Recently, UNG students had the privilege to hear from Israeli Consul General Anat Sultan-Dadon who participated in our Diplomatic Speaker Series.  

The Diplomatic Speaker Series offers students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to engage with active and retired diplomats. All the invited diplomats have real-world experience and have made noteworthy contributions in diplomacy. This series helps students connect what they have been learning about in the classroom to real life experiences in foreign service.   

Dr. Viman-Miller, one of our professors on the Dahlonega campus, helped facilitate this event and she said that this Diplomatic Speaker Series event was “a great opportunity for our students, faculty, and staff to listen to her presentation in a face-to-face setting as well as online. We all have learned so much more about Israel, its history, contemporary affairs and future plans. This event was another step forward in educating our community and linking it even more to the global network. These events are enriching our educational experience.” 

Consul General Sultan-Dadon has been working in the foreign service for going on 20 years; however, before her time in the foreign service, Sultan-Dadon pursued higher education. Sultan-Dadon received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and education from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She then continued her education by getting her master’s in criminology from the same university.   

Consul General Sultan-Dadon joined the Consulate General of Israel of Atlanta in 2019. She is responsible for the Southeastern region of the United States, including Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. As Consul General, Sultan-Dadon works to strengthen current partnerships as well as establish new bilateral relationships  

Prior to her current posting, Ms. Sultan-Dadon worked at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem and had positions in both the EuroAsian division and the Asia-Pacific division. She also held various positions in Israeli embassies, including in Cameroon, Germany, Netherlands, Canberra, and Australia. Since joining the foreign service, Sultan-Dadon and the consulates she has worked at have represented the Government of Israel and worked to further political, economic, and social relationships.  

During this Diplomatic Speaker Series event, Consul General Sultan-Dadon discussed the history and political nature of Israel as it nears its 75th anniversary of independence. Sultan-Dadon provided our students with not only important political, economic, and social information regarding Israel, but also provided them with time to ask questions they have about Israel and about working in the foreign service.   

Dr. Chand, one of our professors on the Gainsville campus, said that he hopes “students got a sense of the role of the Consular General in diplomacy and the duties that position entails. It was refreshing to hear what a Consul General does on a day-to-day basis and hopefully, students interested in the diplomacy aspect of international affairs received an overview of the complexities in maintaining relations between countries.” 

Keep an eye out on your email and our social media platforms for more Diplomatic Speaker Series events happening in the coming months. This is a unique opportunity you do not want to miss out on! 

[Author: Orla Fennell, IA’23]