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With over 40 years of experience as both a U.S. diplomat and U.S. Navy Officer, Hugh Neighbour’s speciality is in political and economic affairs. Linking history, trade, and culture to explain the present day of the peoples and places you’ll visit, Hugh’s thought provoking talks will get you thinking ‘what’s driving events in this country?
Hugh’s final diplomatic post was as Chief Arms Control Delegate for the U.S. at the OSCE in Vienna, where he was responsible for Europe, Central Asia, and North America. Additional diplomatic assignments of 2-4 years were in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell and Germany unified, Bolivia when an uprising cut off food supplies for weeks, Panama as General Noriega stole an election, and Australia when the ANZUS treaty was fundamentally altered.
He was stationed in London during the height of the Cold War, in Stockholm when non-aligned Sweden helped NATO intervene in Bosnia, and in the Fiji Islands where he ran U.S. relations with 8 island countries and territories. Hugh was awarded the Secretary of State’s Career Achievement Award.
Before beginning his diplomatic career, Hugh was a bridge watch officer in the U.S. Navy, including in the Far East. After service at sea on a missile cruiser, he served ashore in the Middle East. Hugh is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis), the University of Southern California, and the National War College.
Since leaving the diplomatic service in late-2010, Hugh has traveled widely, worked as a consultant in Washington and the Caribbean, been an official election observer in several ex-Communist countries, and taught courses connecting history and culture to current politics and economics.
Hugh never tires of travel and meeting people — he’s been to some 150 countries. He’ll offer a fresh, up-to-date perspective on the history, culture, and current affairs of the fascinating peoples and places you’ll visit.
PLEASE NOTE: As Mr Neighbour has presented talks on Regency via a different agency, Crest cannot place Mr Neighbour on Regency sailings.