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**Please note that the views expressed by our guest lecturers do not necessarily reflect the views of The Institute of World Politics.**
Dr. William Inboden discusses President Reagan's strategy and approach to defeating the Soviet Union towards the end of the Cold War. About the Lecture: With decades of hindsight, the peaceful end of the Cold War seems a foregone conclusion. But in the early 1980s, most experts believed the Soviet Union was strong, stable, and would last into the next century. Ronald Reagan entered the White House with a different view. Rather than seeing the Soviet Union as a rival superpower to be contained, Reagan viewed Soviet Communism as a vile idea to be defeated. Accordingly, he developed a comprehensive strategy designed to deter Soviet strengths, exploit Soviet weaknesses, and bring Soviet communism to a negotiated surrender. About the Speakers: Dr. William Inboden is Executive Director and William Powers, Jr. Chair at the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin. He also serves as Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and Editor-in-Chief of the Texas National Security Review. Inboden’s other roles include Associate with the National Intelligence Council, Member of the CIA Director’s Historical Advisory Panel, and member of the State Department’s Historical Advisory Council. Previously he served as Senior Director for Strategic Planning on the National Security Council at the White House, at the Department of State as a Member of the Policy Planning Staff, as a staff member for Representative Tom DeLay and Senator Sam Nunn, and as a Civitas Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and his commentary has appeared in numerous outlets including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Review, NPR, CNN, and BBC. Inboden is the author or co-editor of four books. His most recent book is The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink (Dutton, a Penguin Random House imprint 2023). Inboden received his Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in history from Yale University and his A.B. in history from Stanford University. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
After being formally inducted as the third President of The Institute of World Politics, Ambassador Aldona Woś gave remarks to the Class of 2023, highlighting IWP’s mission and the graduates’ critical role in making the world better, safer, and more harmonious. Ambassador Woś also called the graduates to stand together to defend the values of freedom and democracy. This event took place on May 13, 2023 at the Fairmont. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
Chen Guangcheng, Chinese human rights activist and Distinguished Fellow at the Catholic University of America, gave the keynote address at IWP's Presidential Investiture and Commencement for the Class of 2023. Mr. Chen was honored by IWP for his moral courage in the face of totalitarian coercion and received a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, from the Institute. In his remarks, Mr. Chen discussed how he resisted the Chinese Communist Party and encouraged our graduates to stand firm in their values even when those in power attempted to suppress them. This event took place on May 13, 2023 at the Fairmont. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
Kevin Phelan was recognized as the Valedictorian of the Class of 2023, and Gillian Hand was recognized as the Salutatorian. IWP's Presidential Investiture and Commencement Ceremony took place on May 13, 2023 at the Fairmont in Washington, D.C. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
Panelists discuss issues concerning global energy security and Canada's role in supplying an alternative solution. This lecture took place at The Institute of World Politics on April 17, 2023. Speakers: Mr. James Rajotte Alberta’s Senior Representative to the United States Mr. Craig Weichel Counsellor and Program Manager for Energy and Environment at the Embassy of Canada Dr. Sara Vakhshouri Founder and President of SVB Energy International; Adjunct Professor of Energy Security at The Institute of World Politics About the Lecture: Topics discussed throughout the panel will include: (1)Russia’s war, the current global energy crisis and the need for alternative energy sources. Can Canada be a new energy partner for Europe?; (2) Canada’s “responsible” energy production strategy; (3) Energy transition and the need for reliable, sustainable and responsible resources. Where does Canada stand during this?; and (4) The importance of the U.S.- Canada energy partnership in the context of the long-term energy integrity and security of the two countries and North America in general transitions. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
Dr. James S. Robbins, IWP Dean of Academics, gave a lecture on "The Myths and Realities of the 1968 Tet Offensive" at IWP's campus in Reston, VA on April 13, 2023. This lecture is part of the Asia Initiative Lecture Series, organized by IWP's China/Asia Program. About the Lecture: Most of what Americans have heard about the Tet Offensive is wrong. That the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces were handily defeated was considered immaterial by the press; that it could mount attacks at all was deemed a military triumph for the Communists. This persistent view of Tet is a defeatist storyline that continues to inspire America’s foreign enemies and its domestic critics of the use of force abroad. James S. Robbins provides an antidote to the flawed Tet mythology still shaping the perceptions of American military conflicts against unconventional enemies and haunting our troops in combat. In his re-examination of the Tet Offensive, Robbins analyzes the Tet battles and their impact through the themes of terrorism, war crimes, intelligence failure, troop surges, leadership breakdown, and media bias. The result is an explosion of the conventional wisdom about this infamous incident, one that offers real lessons for today’s unconventional wars. Without a clear understanding of these lessons, we will find ourselves refighting the Tet Offensive again and again. About the Speaker: Dr. James S. Robbins is a national security columnist for USA Today and Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council. Dr. Robbins is a former special assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and in 2007 was awarded the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award. He is also the former award-winning Senior Editorial Writer for Foreign Affairs at The Washington Times. His work has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, National Review, and other publications. He appears regularly on national and international television and radio. Dr. Robbins holds a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and has taught at the National Defense University and Marine Corps University, among other schools. His research interests include terrorism and national security strategy, political theory and military history. Dr. Robbins is the author of five books, including The Real Custer: From Boy General to Tragic Hero, This Time We Win: Revisiting the Tet Offensive, and the critically acclaimed Last in Their Class: Custer, Pickett and the Goats of West Point. Purchase Dr. Robbins' book, "This Time We Win: Revisiting the Tet Offensive": https://www.amazon.com/This-Time-Win-Revisiting-Offensive/dp/1594036381 ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
Event recorded live at IWP, DC, on February 16, 2023. This lecture is part of the Asia Initiative Lecture Series. About the Lecture: The North Korean regime’s increasing rate and diversity of missile launches shows that Pyongyang is making significant progress toward implementing a more capable and flexible nuclear strategy, including pre-emptive strikes with strategic, tactical, and battlefield nuclear weapons. North Korea’s exponential increase in missile launches, combined with extensive military exercises and provocations close to the inter-Korean border, have increased regional tensions and risk triggering a military crisis that would involve the United States and its allies. Pyongyang continues to reject all attempts by the U.S., South Korea, and Japan for diplomatic dialogue. Washington and its allies must respond resolutely to the growing North Korean threat while simultaneously seeking ways to reduce the potential for stumbling into war. About the Speaker: Mr. Bruce Klingner specializes in Korean and Japanese affairs as the senior research fellow for Northeast Asia at The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. Klingner’s analysis and writing about North Korea, South Korea, and Japan, as well as related issues, are informed by his 20 years of service at the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency. Klingner, who joined Heritage in 2007, has testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is a frequent commentator in U.S. and foreign media. His articles and commentary have appeared in major American and foreign publications and he is a regular guest on broadcast and cable news outlets. He is a regular contributor to the international and security sections of The Daily Signal. From 1996 to 2001, Klingner was CIA’s deputy division chief for Korea, responsible for the analysis of political, military, economic, and leadership issues for the president of the United States and other senior U.S. policymakers. In 1993-1994, he was the chief of the CIA’s Korea branch, which analyzed military developments during a nuclear crisis with North Korea. Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
Event recorded live at IWP, DC, on March 7, 2023. About the Speaker As the Ambassador of Belgium, Jean-Arthur Régibeau represents His Majesty the King of the Belgians and Belgium’s federal government in the United States of America and in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. He is responsible for the direction of the Embassy and its Consulates. Ambassador Régibeau is both a Belgian and Swiss citizen, he studied law, international law, and International Relations in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy. In the ‘80s, he began his career in the banking world in New York, he also escorted groups of Belgian tourists visiting the United States. After a few years of working for private business and as a legal advisor, Jean-Arthur Régibeau joined the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1998. He was the diplomatic advisor to the Minister of Defense from 1999 to 2002 and he went on to be First Secretary at the Belgian Embassy in Berlin. From 2003-2007, Mr. Régibeau returned to Brussels as Head of the Private Office of the Minister of Defense. In 2007, he was appointed Director-General in charge of Multilateral Organizations at the Foreign Ministry. In this capacity, he managed some aspects of the Belgian presidency of the European Union in 2010. He was also Deputy Commissioner for the commemoration of World War I. In 2016, he took up his role as Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Armenia, Belarus, and Uzbekistan. Ambassador Régibeau has been a guest professor on European institutions, Europe, and Globalization at the University of Liège (Belgium). Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
Event recorded live at IWP, DC, on March 9, 2023. About the Lecture With the inaugural anniversary of the Marcos Jr. administration coming up, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez will elaborate on what’s in store for the Philippine-US relations on topics of PH-US bilateral relations, PH foreign policy priorities, PH perspectives on global and regional security challenges, the PH-US alliance within the context of the Indo-Pacific, and prospects for future relations. About the Speaker Jose Manuel “Babe” del Gallego Romualdez was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the United States of America in July 2017 by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. On 29 November 2017, he presented his credentials to US President Donald J. Trump and formally assumed office as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Additionally, as the head of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., Ambassador Romualdez is concurrently the Philippines’ emissary to the Commonwealth of Jamaica, Republic of Haiti; Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; Dominica; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and Saint Lucia. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Romualdez was designated as a special envoy of the Philippine President to the United States. He also served as a member of several Philippine business delegations visiting the United States, China, Japan and New Zealand from 1989 to 2012. Ambassador Romualdez has extensive experience as a media practitioner and business executive. He used to be the Chief Executive Officer of Stargate Media Corporation and Publisher of People Asia Magazine (The Philippine Star affiliate). He was president of the Manila Overseas Press Club and vice-president of Rotary Club of Manila. Ambassador Romualdez writes columns for The Philippine Star. All his columns have a wide following of readers both in the Philippines and abroad. Born and raised in Manila, Ambassador Romualdez received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from De La Salle College in 1970. An avid golfer, he is affiliated with Manila Golf and Country Club and the Manila Polo Club. Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
LCDR Chris D. Glass ('18), Lead Analyst for the Kennedy Maritime Analysis Center’s Fleet Operations Integration Division at ONI, discussed "The Free World’s Response to a Sino-Taiwanese War" at The Institute of World Politics on April 2, 2023. This event is part of IWP's China Lecture Series. About the Lecture: In the aftermath of the calamitous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, America’s authoritarian rivals increasingly discerned an upset to the global order. Furthermore, recent years of nationalistic and quasi-isolationist rhetoric, an ongoing economic downtown, and a global pandemic have exacerbated the international perception of America’s decline. These factors likely contributed to Russia’s seemingly miscalculated invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and are very likely impacting the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) own strategic assessments regarding a forceful reunification with Taiwan. This has been evidenced by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) increasingly bellicose rhetoric in addition to nascent civil-military fusion between the Chinese military and state-owned enterprises (SOE); the latter of which could potentially enable the PRC to advance its timeline for an invasion of Taiwan. In response to this evolving threat, it is incumbent on the U.S., coalition partners, and the free world to consider a range of options to deter Beijing during the current competition phase; de-escalate, demonstrate substantial cost, and force the CCP to recalculate in the window of a crisis; and should such a crisis escalate to a Sino-Taiwanese conflict, execute operations to aid Taiwan. About the Speaker: As a Navy civilian at ONI, Mr. Glass previously worked as an all-source intelligence analyst with the Global Maritime Environment Division’s Transnational Threat Department providing fleet and national decision-makers with in-depth knowledge of the maritime domain in USINDOPACOM and USSOUTHCOM. Mr. Glass presently runs a large and growing team of U.S. Naval officers, enlisted, and civilians as the lead analyst for ONI Kennedy Maritime Analysis Center, Fleet Operations Integration Division’s primary line of effort. He has authored a significant number of products and briefs in direct response to increasing signal demands from the DoD and IC writ large. Customers have included the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Commander ONI, and the Commander of USINDOPACOM among others. Chris also currently oversees a DoD and IC-wide monthly community of interest which includes more than 40 individual offices and 400 members which have equities informing senior leaders in the IC, U.S. Military, and Federal Government. ***Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academic-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=18
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