Rory Newbery

Rory has joined UNC-Chapel Hill and the Rotary Peace Fellowship with a strong background in developing international exchanges, creative residencies, and community projects that promote dialogue and inclusive non-formal education.

Prior to the Rotary Peace Fellowship, Rory worked at the U.S. Embassy in London, where he oversaw the State Department’s professional and cultural exchange programs in the UK. In this role, he coordinated a wide range of initiatives designed to strengthen collaboration and mutual understanding between the U.S. and the UK.

Since 2014, Rory has co-developed and led creative residencies, intercultural exchanges, community programming, and policy visits with TCFT Europe, an international youth-led network of artists and community leaders. These projects have included residencies across Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, Kosovo, Serbia, and the UK, as well as policy visits to European institutions in Brussels and Strasbourg. Rory has also supported community workshops in South Africa through collaborative work and field research.

In recent years, Rory’s work has increasingly focused on ensuring that young people and civil society leaders have meaningful opportunities to participate in international and cross-cultural programs. From 2020–22, he served on the Advisory Council on Youth at the Council of Europe, where he led the Youth, Peace & Security portfolio.

With a keen interest in capacity building and values-driven coalition building, Rory is committed to helping civil society organizations strengthen their impact by working together in innovative and resourceful ways.

Rory will be furthering his studies in Global Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, deepening his understanding of global issues and enhancing his ability to design and implement impactful projects that bridge cultural and professional divides.

He holds a BA in Arabic & Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Leeds, including a year at the Arabic Language Institute in Fez, Morocco.