Coups, Counterterrorism, China, and Critical Minerals: Security Challenges in Africa
Tuesday, March 31 | 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room
Join SIS and SPA professor Tricia Bacon, along with guest speakers Ebenezer Obadare (Center for Strategic and International Studies), Joseph Siegle (Africa Center for Strategic Studies), and Michael Woldemariam (University of Maryland), for a panel discussion on security challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, followed by a Q&A session. Part of the Security in a Changing World series, hosted by the SIS department of Foreign Policy and Global Security (FPGS).
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The Arctic in Focus: Strategy, Security, and the Realities of Operating in the North
Thursday, April 2 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (ET) | Zoom
Explore one of the most important emerging arenas in international affairs with Rear Admiral Matthew T. Bell, Jr., USCG (Ret.), Dean of the School of Arctic Security Studies at the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, Department of Defense.
This session provides a practical overview of the Arctic, covering key terms of reference, the region’s growing strategic significance, and the real-world conditions—from infrastructure limitations to climate—that shape operations in the North. Ideal for anyone looking to move beyond headlines and gain a grounded understanding of Arctic geopolitics.
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Book Talk
Inadvertent Expansion: How Peripheral Agents Change World Politics
Monday, April 6 | 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room
The Historical International Studies Research Cluster and the Korea in Global Affairs Initiative cordially invite you to a book talk featuring the award-winning book Inadvertent Expansion: How Peripheral Agents Change World Politics (Cornell University Press, 2025) by Nicholas Anderson of George Washington University. SIS Professor Joshua Rovner will moderate, followed by an audience Q&A.
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Iran Between Repression and War
Tuesday, April 7 | 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room
Join SIS professor Shadi Mokhtari, CAS professor Pedram Partovi, and PhD candidate Reza Akbari (CAS) for a discussion on the current war on Iran, its causes, and how Iranians are responding. How did the violent repression of protests last January shape the response to the US-Israeli attack in March? What actors and dynamics brought us to this point? Is regime change possible? Moderated by Elizabeth F. Thompson, Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace.
A Q&A will follow, and refreshments will be served.
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Why Democracies Fight Dictators
Wednesday, April 8 | 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room
Guest speaker Madison Schramm (University of Toronto), in Why Democracies Fight Dictators, examines why liberal democracies often see personalist dictators as threats, prompting anger, risk-taking, and aggressive responses. She also explores how this dynamic shapes coercion, covert action, and crisis bargaining. A Q&A will follow. Hosted by the Department of Global Inquiry (DGI) and the Department of Politics, Governance, and Economics (PGE).
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Global Migration Conference
Rights and Responsibilities in Challenging Times
Thursday, April 9 | 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room and
Friday, April 10 | 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Mary Graydon Center, Room 128
This two-day conference brings together experts, policymakers, and community leaders to examine the forces driving migration and our responsibilities in responding.
We will explore the links between displacement and mass atrocities, refugee policies, humanitarian systems, and the local effects of global forces such as conflict and climate change. It will also highlight migration challenges in the US and worldwide.
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From Ports to Policy: Local Leaders Driving Global Trade
Monday, April 13 | 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room
Sam Cho (SIS BA ’13), Commissioner of the Port of Seattle, will join SIS professor Robert Koopman for a conversation on leadership and global trade. Cho’s journey—from immigrating through the Port of Seattle to leading it as its youngest and first person of color Commission President—includes roles in the Obama administration, State Department, Capitol Hill, as well as service in the Washington State Senate.
Together with Koopman, a former WTO Chief Economist, they will discuss resilience, innovation, and today’s key policy challenges, including trade governance, supply chains, climate, and infrastructure.
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Film Screening
Journey into Europe
Monday, April 13 | 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room
Join us for a special screening of SIS professor Akbar Ahmed’s Journey into Europe (2015), a powerful and timely documentary exploring Islam in Europe and its role in history, culture, and contemporary politics. Filmed across multiple countries, the film features interviews with leaders, religious figures, and everyday Europeans, addressing issues such as immigration, nationalism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A. Refreshments will be offered.
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2026 Nancy Weiser Ignatius Lecture on the Environment
Tuesday, April 14 | 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room
The School of International Service is delighted to welcome esteemed writer and teacher Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson, whose TED Talk has had over 2 million views, for the 9th annual Ignatius Lecture on the environment.
When maps come up short and the path ahead is uncertain, how do we find our way? In her new book, Climate Wayfinding, Dr. Wilkinson offers a compassionate and empowering guide to navigating from ache to action, doubt to possibility.
After the lecture, Dr. Wilkinson will speak with Center for Environment, Community, & Equity Director and SIS professor, Dana Fisher, followed by an audience Q&A and catered reception. Books will be available to purchase.
The annual Nancy Weiser Ignatius Lecture on the Environment was established by the Ignatius family in honor of the environmental work of the late Nancy Weiser Ignatius, a beloved alumna of the school.
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The Chinese Economy and Future of Sino-US Economic Relations
Monday, April 20 | 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room
The economic relationship between the US and China is central to the future of the global economy and is highly contentious across multiple dimensions, including trade and tariffs, currency and exchange rates, and international investment. Professor Liqing Zhang (Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China) will discuss the current state of the Chinese economy and its implications for Sino-US relations, including prospects for economic growth, the balance of payments, and the yuan-dollar exchange rate, with SIS professor Randall Henning (SIS department of Politics, Governance, and Economics). Zhang will also offer Chinese perspectives on US international economic policies and proposals for stabilizing this critically important bilateral relationship. A Q&A will follow the discussion.
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Book Talk
The World in My Bones: The Diplomat Queens Made
Thursday, April 30 | 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Abramson Family Founders Room
Meet SIS alumna and former USAID diplomat Jennifer Erie (SIS/MA ’98), a first-generation Haitian American from Queens, NY, as she shares her memoir tracing her path from Queens to a 15-year USAID career that ended abruptly last year.
Joined by SIS professor Susanna Campbell, Erie will discuss writing the book in the wake of USAID’s dismantling, her frontline work advancing HIV/AIDS and public health across Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, and the resilience that shaped her journey in the Foreign Service and beyond. Together, they’ll explore her career highs and lows, the impact of her SIS education, and lessons for navigating unexpected transitions.
An audience Q&A will follow. Refreshments will be served, and books will be available for purchase and signing.
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Miss one of our past events? No worries! Watch all of our events from this year.
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