Matthew Finkel serves as a Council on Foreign Relations-Hitachi Fellow and conducts research on Indo-Pacific space and defense technologies in Washington, D.C. as he prepares to take up his academic residence in Japan.
Matthew most recently served as Advisor to the United States Ambassador to the United Nations in New York, where he led diplomatic efforts relating to critical and emerging technologies, global food security, and other international policy issues. Prior to his appointment to the State Department, Matthew served as Policy Analyst to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs where he advised on issues pertaining to the Middle East and North Africa, global arms sales, and security assistance. While a member of the Biden-Harris administration, Matthew was inducted into the inaugural class of White House Emerging Leaders as well as the White House Climate Cohort.
A Chicago native, Matthew completed his undergraduate studies at Wesleyan University and his graduate education with Georgetown's School of Foreign Service.
Project: My research explores the ways in which surveillance capitalism erodes state sovereignty, undermines trust among nations, and disrupts multilateral institutions. Drawing upon recent insights, I will analyze how data monopolies empower private entities to influence diplomatic relationships and redefine global power structures. I aim to propose actionable frameworks for ethical diplomacy that counteract these adverse effects while promoting transparency, accountability, and equity in digital governance.