Sierra Leonean-American Chidi Blyden Appointed Executive Director of Harvard Center for African Studies, Bringing Over 15 Years of Leadership Experience in African Affairs
Sierra Leonean-American Chidi Blyden has been appointed Executive Director of the Harvard University Center for African Studies (CAS), bringing more than 15 years of experience in government, African affairs, national security, economic development and diaspora engagement to the institution.
Blyden has built much of her career working at the intersection of the United States and Africa. Before joining Harvard, she held several senior positions within the U.S. government, including serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs. In that position, she was responsible for managing U.S. Department of Defense relationships across 53 African countries, giving her extensive experience working on issues affecting the continent and its international partnerships.
Her professional background also includes work with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government agency focused on supporting economic growth and development. Across her various roles, Blyden has developed experience spanning policy, security, development and international cooperation, with Africa remaining a central focus throughout her career.
At Harvard, Blyden will now bring that experience into an academic environment. The Center for African Studies works across the university to advance research and teaching about Africa while strengthening relationships between Harvard scholars and African institutions, researchers, students and communities.
Her appointment comes at a time when conversations surrounding Africa’s economic transformation, technology, entrepreneurship, governance and global influence are increasingly important. With one of the world’s youngest populations and rapidly developing innovation ecosystems, the continent continues to attract greater academic, business and policy attention internationally.
Blyden’s background could provide an important bridge between academic research and the practical realities of policy and development across African countries. Her experience working with governments and institutions also positions her to contribute to expanding connections between Harvard and partners across the continent.
Although raised in Texas in the United States, Blyden traces her family heritage to Sierra Leone, maintaining a personal connection to the continent alongside her professional work. She is fluent in both English and Krio, one of Sierra Leone’s most widely spoken languages.
Following her appointment, Blyden highlighted the importance of changing how Africa is understood internationally and ensuring that conversations about the continent reflect its present realities and future possibilities.
“Harvard’s role is to be a catalyst for educating the world about Africa today, not Africa of the past,” Blyden said.
Her statement reflects a broader challenge facing African studies: moving beyond outdated narratives and presenting a more contemporary picture of a continent experiencing significant changes across technology, business, culture, education and economic development.
As Executive Director, Blyden will have an opportunity to contribute to that conversation while helping strengthen Harvard’s engagement with Africa. Her appointment also represents another example of professionals of African heritage taking leadership roles within major global institutions and helping shape how Africa is researched, understood and represented internationally.
