91麻豆天美

Christopher Hill鈥檚 first job representing the U.S. internationally became one he also considered his best job: As a volunteer for the Peace Corps in Cameroon in the 1970s. 

There, Hill worked on organizing village credit unions. He said locals sometimes wondered why an American would live in their community for two years, far from home comforts. But the experience helped him understand the importance of relationships and trust 鈥� skills that carried through his decades of diplomacy. 

鈥淭he most important things I learned in life, I learned in the Peace Corps,鈥� Hill said in a recent gathering at USF Sarasota-Manatee in which he shared his perspective of current day world affairs as well as the nation鈥檚 future place in the world. 鈥溾�� I learned a lot about relationships, and I learned a lot about getting people to trust you, and that when people are good to you, you should be good to them.鈥� 

Those lessons formed a throughline for his diplomatic career spanning decades, most recently serving as U.S. ambassador to Serbia from 2022 to 2024 and including posts in Iraq, South Korea, Poland and Macedonia and assignments working in crucial geopolitical negotiations and national security. Now living part of the year in Florida, Hill鈥檚 connection to USF is a special one: His wife and partner in global diplomacy, Julie Hill, is a USF alumna. 

Nearly 100 people gathered for the evening conversation at the Selby Auditorium hosted by USF World and sponsored by Christian Tyler Properties. Many in the audience also were retired foreign service officers, who soon were swapping stories of their own careers scattered across the world and as eyewitnesses to history. 

Hill鈥檚 message for the evening in the wide-ranging conversation led by USF Associate Professor Scott Solomon of the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies: America鈥檚 leadership in the world depends not only on its military and economic power but also on its ability to build lasting relationships.  

Hill was a member of the negotiating team whose efforts led to the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian war, and led U.S. negotiations in the Six-Party Talks on North Korea. He went on to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Iraq from April 2009 to August 2010, during a period of transition as the U.S. began drawing down its military presence and the country was rocked with frequent violence. Hill's own convoy was targeted by a roadside bomb in July 2009 while traveling in Nasiriya; he narrowly escaped uninjured. 

Hill retired from the foreign service in 2010 after completing his assignment in Iraq and then spent the next decade in higher education before being drawn back into service in an assignment to Serbia as Russia was invading Ukraine.  

Hill noted that Serbians historically have felt a kindship with Russia, sharing history, religion as branches of the Orthodox Church and the Cyrillic alphabet. Hill said he focused on building a relationship with Serbian President Aleksandar Vu膷i膰, who is warily regarded by some in the international community for his authoritarian tendencies. Eventually, Serbia supplied weapons to Ukraine while not imposing sanctions against Russia as other European Union nations have. Hill described the diplomatic breakthrough as allowing Serbia to be 鈥渙n the right side of history.鈥� 

Hill stressed that these results came from building trust and moving carefully, step by step. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what an ambassador should be doing,鈥� he said. 

鈥淧art of being in diplomacy is you鈥檙e trying to do the best job you can, but you never know what鈥檚 going to come out of a meeting,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淵ou have to be ready for the unexpected, and relationships are what carry you through.鈥� 

Hill warned against signals that the United States may be pulling back from its allies, particularly in Europe, where EU defense spending is rising amid concerns of the U.S. will limit its engagement on the continent. 鈥淎s soon as someone thinks you鈥檙e leaving, you lose a lot of influence,鈥� he said. 

Turning to Asia, Hill dismissed the supposition that conflict with China is inevitable but said the situation calls for particularly careful diplomacy because of its dangerous stakes. 鈥淲ar is a disaster for everybody,鈥� he added. 

Hill called for more dialogue with Beijing and restraint in air grievances publicly:鈥�鈥淚f you don鈥檛 like someone, why do you have to say it publicly? Can鈥檛 you just say it to a friend having a beer?鈥濃�疕ill asked as the audience chuckled. 鈥淚 think there is too much public recrimination going on.鈥�