Dr. Parag Khanna

He also contributed to the US National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends programme in the early 2010s and served as a geopolitical adviser to US Special Operations Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan during 2007.

Dr. Khanna’s literary contributions span critical global topics. His most recent title, MOVE: Where People Are Going for a Better Future (2021), follows earlier influential works such as The Future is Asian (2019), and his acclaimed trilogy on global order: The Second World (2008), How to Run the World (2011), and Connectography (2016). Additional works include Technocracy in America (2017) and Hybrid Reality (2012). His books have been translated into over 20 languages and earned him recognition on Esquire’s list of “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century” and WIRED’s “Smart List.”

His professional journey began with roles at the World Economic Forum in Geneva (2000–2002), the Council on Foreign Relations in New York (1999–2000), and as Global Governance Fellow at the Brookings Institution (2002–2005). In 2022–23, he was appointed an inaugural YPO Leadership Fellow, advising YPO chapters and communities across its global network of 30,000 members.

A prolific public intellectual, Dr. Khanna’s essays and commentary have appeared in an extensive range of international publications, including The New York Times, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, National Geographic, TIME, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, and Axios, among many others. His 2008 New York Times Magazine essay, “Waving Goodbye to Hegemony,” is widely cited in geopolitical discourse.

As a public speaker, Dr. Khanna has delivered talks at global events such as TED, TED Global, and TEDxGateway, with his talks viewed over three million times. He has also contributed to media such as CNN, BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, and Al Jazeera. Between 2008 and 2012, he hosted MTV’s “InnerView”, video blogged for ForeignPolicy.com, and co-authored the Hybrid Reality blog on BigThink.

He frequently advises governments and corporations on global trends, geopolitical risk, and economic strategy. He has consulted for over 40 governments, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Japan, India, and the UAE. In 2016, he served on Singapore’s Committee on the Future Economy and currently sits on the UAE Ministry of Economy’s International Advisory Council. Dr. Khanna also serves as a senior advisor to Gulf Capital, and sits on the boards of the Out of Eden Walk, Henley & Partners, and previously on the Innovation Advisory Board of DBS Bank and Globality.

Dr. Khanna holds a PhD in international relations from the London School of Economics, and both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He has held fellowships at prestigious institutions including the Robert Bosch Academy, LSE IDEAS, Singapore Institute of International Affairs, European Council on Foreign Relations, Munk School at the University of Toronto, American Academy in Berlin, and Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. His work has received funding from the United Nations Foundation, Smith Richardson Foundation, and Ford Foundation.

Born in India and raised across the UAE, New York, and Germany, Dr. Khanna has travelled to over 150 countries, including cross-continental expeditions through Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Himalayas. He has climbed several peaks over 20,000 feet and trekked extensively through the Alps, Tien Shan, and beyond. He is also a competitive tennis player.

In recognition of his contributions to global thought leadership, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and has served on its Global Future Council on Mobility, Global Agenda Council on Geoeconomics, and the advisory board of its Future of Urban Development Initiative. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Royal Geographical Society, and serves on the boards of the New Cities Foundation and the American Geographical Society, as well as Independent Diplomat. He speaks German, Hindi, French, Spanish, and basic Arabic.