AIT Announces New Leadership for Culture and Information Sections

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) has announced significant personnel changes, appointing new leaders for its Culture and Information sections. Matthew Cenzer, who previously served as the U.S. Consul General in Nagoya, Japan, will now head the AIT's Culture and Information division.

Cenzer brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He has undergone Mandarin Chinese training and previously served as Chief of Staff for the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. His diplomatic career also includes positions such as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance; Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines; Deputy Political Counselor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York; Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia; and Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea.

Before entering the State Department in 2018, Cenzer was a foreign policy advisor for the U.S. Senate as part of the Pickering Fellowship program. He also taught history at Northwestern University and conducted doctoral research in Kenya on a Fulbright scholarship. Cenzer is proficient in Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, and has some knowledge of Korean. He is married to Michele, and they have three cats. His personal interests include photography, bird watching, and art.

Fatima Quraishi has been appointed as a cultural officer at AIT this month. Prior to this, she served as a press attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania. Her earlier diplomatic assignments include serving as a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Accra, Ghana.

Quraishi has also received Mandarin Chinese language training. Before joining the State Department in 2018, she worked in the financial industry in New York for over a decade and was a freelance journalist. She speaks Chinese, Lithuanian, Urdu, and some Spanish. Quraishi, along with her husband Ken and their two daughters, looks forward to exploring Taiwan.