Dr. Nina Smidt serves as Director for International Planning and Development at the ZEIT-Foundation, one of Germany’s largest private foundations. She is also President of the U.S.-based foundation American Friends of Bucerius (AFB). Prior to joining AFB, Nina was CEO of Bucerius Education, the for-profit branch of Bucerius Law School in Hamburg.

Her academic work in philosophy, education, literary studies and business management took her to Hamburg University, Cornell University, Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, Haifa University, the European School of Management and Technology and the University of Technology in Sydney. Nina frequently speaks and publishes on transatlantic issues, migration policy and international philanthropy. She is a Faculty Member at the Business School at Hamburg University. A German native, she was educated in Indonesia, Germany, Australia and the United States, and holds a Ph.D. in literary and cultural theory.

Nina is a board member of the American Friends of Atlantik-Brücke, the American Council on Germany (ACG), United Way Germany and the German Center for Research and Innovation. She is also a member of the Transatlantic Core Group, initiated by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Atlantic Council and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.