Global I.q. Minute With Jim Falk

The National Interest said of Robert Zoellick: “He was instrumental in shaping the course of American foreign policy, and his impact is still felt today.” Having served as president of the World Bank, U.S. Trade Representative, and Deputy Secretary of State, Robert Zoellick has deep experience in global trade, technology and U.S. relations with Mexico. Zoellick will offer both a historical framework and understanding of the strategic and existential challenges facing America’s U.S. foreign policy when he appears at the 2021 Baylor Global Business Forum, a joint virtual presentation by the Council and Baylor University. Zoellick’s recently published book argues that there are five traditions that can be used to better understand post-Cold War presidencies: the importance of North America; the importance of trading, transnational, and technological relations; changing attitudes toward alliances; the importance of public support; and the belief that American policy should serve a larger purpose. Moderator: Rob

A new biography published about George Washington is unlike any other. Described as “form-shattering and myth-crushing,” “keen and savage,” as well as “spirited and engaging,” historian Alexis Coe’s “You Never Forget Your First” chronicles the life of our first president from a 21st century and “decidedly feminist” perspective. Coe says, “I set out to write a book that was true, and different, and that added any kind of diversity in approach, perspective, and, of course, author. I set out to take a giant leap away from hagiography and great man history—and really mean it.” This conversation will be moderated by Professor Jeffrey Engel. Alexis Coe has frequently appeared on CNN and the History Channel, and in the New York Times and many other publications. She is a host of Audible’s “Presidents Are People Too!” and “No Man’s Land.” Coe holds an MA in history from Sarah Lawrence College and graduated from the honors college at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She was a research curator at the New

Sebastian Mallaby’s decades of experience covering economics make him one of the top financial reporters in the world. He worked as a reporter at The Economist for 13 years before joining the Washington Post in 1999 and was a contributing editor at the Financial Times. Mallaby’s work has also appeared in The Atlantic. At the Post, Mallaby’s topics of interest include “central banks, financial markets, the implications of the rise of newly emerging powers, and the intersection of economics and international relations.” Sebastian Mallaby is the Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations and a contributing columnist for the Washington Post. He is the author of several books, including “More Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite” and “The Man Who Knew: The Life & Times of Alan Greenspan,” for which he won the 2016 Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award. Mallaby is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. He graduated from Oxford

Has China reached the limits of its global expansion? Will it struggle to overcome new risks and endure global backlash as countries around the world come to terms with the repercussions of close relations with China – primarily strategic vulnerabilities to their independence and competitiveness? Informed by his meetings with activists, business managers, diplomats, and thinkers from across Africa, Latin America, East Asia, and Europe, Luke Patey argues that China’s overreach could be its downfall. After decades of a “predatory economic agenda, headstrong diplomacy, and military expansion,” Patey says many countries have grown weary of China’s ambitions of global domination. Luke Patey is a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies and Lead Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies whose writing has appeared in major publications. Patey holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Queen’s University in Canada, as well as a master’s degree and PhD. from the Copenhagen B

In Washington’s farewell address of 1796, the president advised his successors to “steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world." For the first century of American history, presidents heeded Washington’s advice. But events including the Spanish-American War and the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor required new engagements. World War II and the Cold War fundamentally changed American strategy, as the U.S. began to “run the world rather than run away from it.” Charles Kupchan asks, where is the middle ground between doing too much and doing too little? Moderated by Jim Hollifield. A National Security Council veteran under Presidents Obama and Clinton, Charles Kupchan is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University. He previously worked in policy planning at the U.S. Department of State and has taught at Princeton University. Kupchan earned a B.A. from Harvard, and his master’s and doctorate from Oxford Univ

The Economist’s Adrian Wooldridge and John Mickelthwait argue that authoritarian East Asian governments have outperformed Western governments in their response to the stress test of the COVID-19 pandemic and, as a result, “In terms of geopolitics, the crisis has left the West weaker and Asia stronger.” As the public’s trust in government’s abilities has declined over the last fifty years, they point to excessive regulation stifling innovation and a lawyer-driven political culture versus science and engineering. “Leviathan overreached, promising more than it could deliver.” Adrian Wooldridge is The Economist’s political editor and writes the “Bagehot” column on British life and politics. From 2000 to 2010 he was based in Washington, DC as bureau chief and “Lexington columnist” and served as West Coast correspondent, management correspondent and Britain correspondent. Wooldridge is the author of nine previous books, including “Capitalism in America” co-written with Alan Greenspan and six co-written with John M

Abby Rapoport is publisher and co-founder of the award-winning Stranger’s Guide, a unique travel publication for the globally connected age that encompasses print guides and newsletters along with curated products and partnerships. In an effort to combat stereotypes and encourage global awareness, more than half of the writers featured in Stranger’s Guide come from the location being covered. Writers are often world-renowned names - such as Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka - and often appear in the Best American Travel Writing anthologies. Stranger’s Guide uses “arresting photography, luminous essays, and fascinating facts and figures” to cover a diverse array of content, from lifestyle pieces to critical assessments of the major issues affecting a place. Its unique style landed it a nomination for the National Magazine Award in General Excellence. Before founding Stranger’s Guide, Abby Rapoport was publisher of the Texas Observer and previously worked as a political reporter for the Texas Tribune, the Texas Ob

In Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate, former senate-insider Adam Jentleson takes a critical look at the history of the filibuster and how it has been used on the Senate floor. Jentleson argues that the emergence of the filibuster has moved the Senate away from the founding fathers’ original vision for the legislative body by allowing individuals to “gridlock the federal government.” By offering a glimpse into the backrooms of Capitol Hill, Jentleson argues that the greatest challenges of our era – “partisan polarization, dark money, and media-manufactured outrage” – are nowhere more prevalent than in the Senate. Moderated by Matthew Wilson Adam Jentleson is the former deputy chief of staff to Senator Harry Reid (D – Nevada, 1987-2017). He is currently the public affairs director at Democracy Forward, a legal services and public policy research organization in Washington, D.C. Jentleson is also a columnist for GQ and a political commentator on MSNBC. Matthew Wilson, Director of the Center for Fait

Rebecca Lissner and Mira Rapp-Hooper believe that a “grand strategy of openness” is the best way to meet geopolitical challenges including growing political polarization and rapid technological transformation. The U.S.’ ability to “work with mixed regimes whose interests align with America’s on distinct issues, like freedom of navigation or high-standards free trade, and occasionally cooperate with illiberal rivals like Russia and China in discrete areas” is their vision for this “open-system” approach to moving our future foreign policy. Lissner joins us for a Global Forum conversation about their new book entitled “An Open World.” Rebecca Lissner is an assistant professor in the Strategic and Operational Research Department at the U.S. Naval War College. Previously, she was a research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Perry World House; a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; and a Brady-Johnson Fellow at Yale University’s International Security Studies. She has serv

Ambassador Sugiyama presented his credentials as Ambassador to the United States in March 2018. His diplomatic career with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spans more than 40 years. He most recently served as Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. Previous positions include Deputy Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau as well as the International Cooperation Bureau; Director-General for Global Issues, including Ambassador for Climate Change; and Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau. Ambassador Sugiyama has also held leadership positions within the Foreign Policy Bureau and Treaties Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His overseas assignments have included multiple positions at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.; Political Minister at the Embassy of Japan in Korea, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Egypt. He entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1977. Ambassador Sugiyama studied at Waseda University in Japan and at

How do foreign correspondents navigate the complexities of reporting on governments that may not necessarily want them around? The New York Times’ former Pakistan bureau chief Declan Walsh may have the answer, having been expelled from the country in 2013 when Pakistani authorities gave him, without explanation, 72 hours to leave Islamabad. In “The Nine Lives of Pakistan,” Walsh reflects on his nine years of experience in one of the modern era’s most tumultuous countries positioned in the nexus of global power struggles and conflict. Walsh paints an “electrifying portrait” of Pakistan through stories of the lives of nine individuals in this “intimate and complex” weaving together of a national patchwork. Declan Walsh is the Cairo bureau chief for the New York Times, currently covering Egypt and the Middle East. He was born and raised in Ireland, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He has worked out of Dublin, London, Nairobi, and Islamabad, Cairo and other African and Middle Eastern ci

In an attempt to understand where the United States currently stands in relation to the intentions of the founding fathers, Thomas Ricks examines the ancient philosophies that inspired and influenced their vision for the nation. Understanding the differences between the classical educations of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, as well as how each man’s life experiences influenced their interpretations of the ancients, offers insights into the foundation of our American government. Described by General James Mattis as a way to “restore your faith in our country,” Ricks’ latest work offers a critical examination of the ideals on which our country stands. Thomas Ricks is a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. As a military reporter for both the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, Ricks has covered U. S. military conflicts from Somalia to Yugoslavia to Afghanistan and Iraq. He has written several books and is a contributing editor for Foreign Policy maga

Arts & Letters Live Virtual Event- Laila Lalami by World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth

During the long homebound months of 2020 in America and around the world, many of us have spent more time with our dogs and pet adoptions have risen. At New Skete, the upstate New York Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery, the monks believe “love for creation deepens through the relationships we form with our pets.” Soon after the monastery was founded in 1966, the monks were given a German Shepherd, Kir. A unique ministry ensued. “In an entirely natural way [these German Shepherds] have taught us many important lessons about life and about ourselves,” the monks say. In addition to breeding these dogs, the monks of New Skete are renowned for their methods of training and socialization to enhance and deepen our relationship with these family members. On the eve of Election Day, don’t miss participating in Jim Falk’s conversation with Brother Christopher Savage and Marc Goldberg, co-authors of “The Art of Training Your Dog.” At the World Affairs Council we have a diverse staff, but the one thing that brings us

Amid our struggle with the existential crisis of a pandemic, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria turns his attention to the post-COVID 19 world. He predicts that the political, social, technological and economic consequences “will take years to unfold.” In our Council program Zakaria is joined by Andrew Ross Sorkin for a conversation about the economic after effects and what Zakaria calls “an emerging bipolar world order.” Fareed Zakaria hosts Fareed Zakaria GPS for CNN and is a columnist for the Washington Post, a contributing editor for The Atlantic, and the author of three highly-regarded bestselling books. Fareed Zakaria GPS earned the prestigious Peabody Award in 2011 and an Emmy® Award nomination in 2013. Prior to his tenure at CNN, Zakaria was editor of Newsweek International and managing editor of Foreign Affairs. Andrew Ross Sorkin is a financial columnist for the New York Times, co-anchor of CNBC’s Squawk Box and founder and editor at large of the Times’ news site DealBook. The HBO adaptation of Sorkin’s best-se

When Emmanuel Macron became president of France in 2017, his party had existed less than a year. Macron has faced unique challenges as president in an era of disillusionment with the French state and the E.U. He has struggled to contain insurrection within his own country while simultaneously attempting to balance the growing frustration of Europeans with what Macron considers a need for a more united and self-sufficient Europe. Standing at the international crossroads of a growing rivalry between the U.S. and China, increasing aggression from Russia and the aftermath of Brexit, Macron has been called “the last true champion of the European ideal.” In this exclusive program for Global Forum members, William Drozdiak shares his personal conversations with the French president about his vision for Europe and the world at large. William Drozdiak is a Senior Advisor on Europe at McLarty Associates, an international strategic consultancy firm, and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. For mor

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a warning to President Donald Trump prior to his inauguration in 2017: “You take on the intelligence community, they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.” Since 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency has been the “eyes and ears” of presidents. The stakes of the relationship between the elite spy agency and the U.S.’ elected leaders are high, says “The Spymasters” author Chris Whipple: “The stakes range from starting wars to averting Armageddon.” In her conversation with Whipple, Lone Star Analysis’ director of competitive intelligence Laurie Young will explore this in-depth history of the CIA told through the Agency’s directors and how their interactions with our U.S. presidents have shaped history. Chris Whipple is a writer, documentary filmmaker and speaker who has written for many publications including Newsweek, Vanity Fair and Politico. His previous book, “The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency,” was a New York

Trust - America's Best Chance With Pete Buttigieg by World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth

CNN’s chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward weighs in on her experience navigating devastation and destruction in the world’s most dangerous places, while finding a way to remain empathetic and in touch with the better side of humanity. With postings in Russia, China, Afghanistan and across the Middle East, Ward has spent her career telling the world’s most difficult and heartbreaking stories. In her book, “On All Fronts,” Ward will share insights with Elizabeth Souder of the Dallas Morning News from her unique perspective as a conflict reporter in the “age of extremism” – a time that has pushed humanity to redefine warfare as increasingly complicated geopolitics adapt to the modern world. Clarissa Ward is Chief International Correspondent at CNN. She is a world-renowned and award-winning conflict reporter whose 15-year career includes work for Fox, CBS and ABC. Ward is a graduate of Yale University and the recipient of an honorary doctor of letter from Middlebury College in Vermont. She speaks sev

In 2018, American fracking overtook Russia and Saudi Arabia to make the U.S. the world’s largest oil producer. But in the April throes of COVID-19, U.S. crude fell to a negative value for the first time in history. The foundations of energy, international politics and economics have shifted, but master storyteller and global energy expert Dr. Daniel Yergin has drawn a new map of what he calls a world “being shaken by the collision of energy, climate change, and the clashing power of nations in a time of global crisis.” Reg Manhas will talk with the man Fortune called “one of the planet’s foremost thinkers about energy and its implications.” Daniel Yergin is the founder of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates and Vice Chairman of IHS. Dr. Yergin won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992 for his bestselling definitive history of oil, “The Prize,” and “The New Map” is his fourth book. He was awarded the United States Energy Award for “lifelong achievements in energy and the promotion of international understanding.” He