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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.**
About the interview: Dr. Anne Bradley, Vice President of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics and IWP professor, spoke with IWP about the economic impact of the coronavirus. She discussed the future of the economy, the stock market, the new stimulus package, the long term effects of coronavirus, and the role of government in protecting the U.S. economy. About the speaker: Dr. Anne Bradley is the George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and the Academic Director at the Fund for American Studies. She served as the Vice President of Economic Initiatives at The Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics, where she developed and commissioned research toward a systematic biblical theology of economic freedom. She is a visiting professor at Georgetown University and has previously taught at George Mason University and at Charles University, Prague. She is currently a visiting scholar at the Bernard Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy. She served as the Associate Director for the Program in Economics, Politics, and the Law at the James M. Buchanan Center at George Mason University. She worked as an Economic Analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency. She is also a professor at IWP, where she teaches a course entitled Economics for Foreign Policy Makers
About the Interview: Dr. Sara Vakhshouri, Professor of Energy Security at IWP and President of SVB Energy International, spoke with members of the IWP events staff about the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the energy market. She discussed energy supply and demand, the Russia-Saudi oil war, U.S. shale production, and what the future holds in regard to market stabilization. About the Speaker: Dr. Sara Vakhshouri is founder and president of SVB Energy International, a strategic energy consulting firm with offices in Washington DC and Dubai. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Energy Security at The Institute of World Politics. Dr. Vakhshouri has about two decades of experience of working in the energy industry with extensive experience in global energy market studies, energy security, and geopolitical risk, and she has consulted numerous public and private sector energy and policy leaders. Dr. Vakhshouri has been based in Washington, D.C. since 2009, where she has advised U.S. and European governments, investment banks, financial institutions, law firms, and international corporations on energy markets, trading and pricing, the geopolitics of energy, and investment patterns. She has published articles in numerous journals, including The Economist, Middle East Economic Survey, and Oil and Gas Journal. Dr. Vakhshouri has been the keynote speaker at many energy conferences, including Chatham House, Platts Oil and Middle East conferences, LNG Global Congress, and other international oil, gas, and energy conferences. Dr. Vakhshouri has a Ph.D. in energy security and Middle Eastern studies. She has an M.A. in business management (international marketing) and another M.A. in international relations. Dr. Vakhshouri was also senior energy fellow at the Atlantic Council, and at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Dr. Vakhshouri also has the experience of working in both public and private sectors of the Iranian energy industry.
This event was co-sponsored by the Marine Corps University Foundation and the Krulak Center at Marine Corps University. About the lecture: The initial effects of the internet and social media seemed happy, but the second and third order effects — disinformation, lies, propaganda, deep fakes, troll swarms, personal attacks, and conspiracy theories among them — now present threats to privacy, national security, and democratic governance. They are a factor in America’s political polarization. The malign effects are outrunning the capacity of public affairs, public diplomacy, and USG international broadcasting to respond. What can be the pathways ahead? About the speaker: Donald M. Bishop joined Marine Corps University as the Bren Chair of Strategic Communications in 2016. The Chair is sponsored by the Marine Corps University Foundation. Mr. Bishop was a Foreign Service Officer – first in the U.S. Information Agency and then in the Department of State – for 31 years. Specializing in Public Diplomacy, political-military affairs, and East Asia, he attained the rank of Minister-Counselor in the career service. His first round of Foreign Service assignments were to Hong Kong; Taegu and Seoul, Korea; and Taipei, Taiwan. In Washington, he was a Congressional Fellow, and he directed the training of the Foreign Service’s incoming Public Diplomacy officers. Returning overseas, he directed U.S. Public Diplomacy programs in Bangladesh, Nigeria, and twice in China. In 2006, Mr. Bishop was detailed to the Pentagon as the Foreign Policy Advisor (POLAD) to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway, and then to the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, General Norton Schwartz. Traveling with these two members of the JCS, he visited five continents and joined service planning to develop strong relationships with the armed forces of other nations. At the request of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, Mr. Bishop led communication and Public Diplomacy at the American Embassy in Afghanistan as the “civilian surge” began. In Kabul he helped develop the Afghan government’s relations with the media, and to cooperate with the U.S. and NATO commands. Other portfolios included media relations, education and exchanges, English teaching, the preservation of cultural heritage sites, and the network of Lincoln Learning Centers throughout Afghanistan. Before joining the MCU faculty, he was director of communications at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China; served a term as President of the Public Diplomacy Council; and participated in four U.S. Army brigade exercises at Fort Polk, Louisiana, as a role player. Before entering the Foreign Service, Mr. Bishop was an Air Force officer. He served in Vietnam and Korea. From 1975 to 1979, he taught history on the faculty of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was a member of the summer training cadre for the first Academy class that included women.
About the Lecture: Dr. Hull will discuss concerns about American universities’ activities in the security space, including apparent bias in the federally funded Terrorism and Extremist Violence in the United States (TEVUS) Database, the influence of Gulf State funding on American education, and the potential impact of both on U.S. national security. About the Speaker: Christopher C. Hull, Ph.D., a Senior Fellow at Americans for Intelligence Reform, is also the President of Issue Management Inc., a boutique public affairs firm whose work centers on national security. He is currently a Contributor to The Epoch Times and appears regularly on The Tipping Point with Liz Wheeler on One America News Network. Dr. Hull has more than 25 years of experience in politics, public policy, and government relations. He is the immediate past Executive Vice President of a three-decade-old national security think tank based in Washington, D.C. Before that, Dr. Hull served as Chief of Staff for a nationally prominent Member of Congress. He has also served as Press Secretary in the U.S. House of Representatives, Assistant to the Director of Communications of a national party committee, a foreign affairs and trade legislative aide in the U.S. Senate, and a researcher in a major think tank. He began his career as an intern in the White House and then as a full-time volunteer in the Issues Group of a presidential campaign.
About the Lecture: Russian President Vladimir Putin periodically regurgitates Soviet propaganda about the Second World War. Lately, Poland has triggered his ire again. Warsaw failed to fall in line with standard Soviet fantasy. According to this narrative, the global conflict started on June 22, 1941, when Germany attacked innocent and neutral “Mother Russia.” Thus wronged and victimized, having suffered staggering losses, the armies of Moscow nonetheless rebounded and they alone defeated “fascism,” saving the world from its menace. Anything that threatens this narrative endangers the grip of the Kremlin over the denizens of the post-Soviet Empire. Its legitimacy rests on the legacy of the Soviet victory in the Second World War and Moscow has been running on fumes of that triumph since the implosion of the Soviet Union in 1992. About the Speaker: Dr. Marek Jan Chodakiewicz holds The Kosciuszko Chair in Polish Studies at The Institute of World Politics, where he also serves as a Professor of History and teaches courses on Geography and Strategy, Contemporary Politics and Diplomacy, Russian Politics and Foreign Policy, and Mass Murder Prevention in Failed and Failing States. He is the author of Intermarium: The Land Between the Black and Baltic Seas and numerous other books and articles. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and has previously taught at the University of Virginia and Loyola Marymount University.
About the Lecture: Historical Pompeo’s visit to Minsk amid Russia-Belarus tensions was met with thousands of posts, comments, memes, manipulative publications online. The extensive network of pro-Russian organizations, digital influencers, Russia-friendly media, and particularly web-services, including Yandex and Mail.ru news, Odnoklassniki and VK, Telegram messenger, was mobilized to fill out the information space with the specific narrative and mislead the population. This lecture is about the role of media in Russia-Belarus conflict, mechanics of the Russian propaganda machine in Belarus, and how technology helps regimes to manipulate public opinion and perception of the events. About the Speaker: Franak Viačorka is a digital media strategist and journalist from Belarus. He works as a research media analyst for the U.S. Agency for Global Media (contractor) focusing on digital markets of Russia and Eurasia. His research focus is on Russian and Chinese efforts to control smaller actors, spread disinformation, and build the sovereign internet infrastructure. He has served as a creative director for the Belarus service of Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, Vice President for Digital Communication Network, and consultant for the Freedom House, and Broadcasting Board of Governors. Franak is a frequent speaker and an advocate for democracy and personal freedom. For his activism and journalist work in Belarus, he was multiple times jailed by the Belarus authorities. Franak’s activism in Belarus has been chronicled by documentary filmmakers and recognized by many international organizations, including the National Endowment for Democracy, Freedom House, Open Society Foundations. He was the first Vaclav Havel Fellow at Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty under Havel’s personal recommendation. He graduated from American University in Washington D.C. (M.A.) and Warsaw University in Poland (B.A.), and he also studied at Belarus State University, Georgetown University, and European Humanities University.
About the Lecture: Michael C. Maibach will discuss reasons why the Founders agreed on the Electoral College and give a response to its main criticisms. About the Speaker: Michael C. Maibach is a seasoned professional in global business diplomacy, advisor to non-profit organizations, and a supporter of civic causes. From 2003 to 2012 he was President & CEO of the European-American Business Council, a group of 75 multinational companies.From 1983 to 2001 Mr. Maibach was Vice President of Global Government Affairs for the Intel Corporation. At Intel he worked closely with its founders, Dr. Robert Noyce – inventor of the integrated circuit, Dr. Gordon Moore – known for Moore’s Law – and Dr. Andy Grove – Time Man of the Year in 1997. At Intel he built a team of 150 professionals around the world to advance public policy to enhance trade, job and wealth creation. Today he is the Founder & Director of The Center For the Electoral College. Mr. Maibach has earned seven university degrees, one of which was granted by The Institute of World Politics. While earning his first degree he was elected to the DeKalb County Board in his native state of Illinois, becoming the first person elected to public office under 21 years of age in American history.
About the lecture: In winter 1940, Soviet authorities organized mass deportations to Siberia of Polish citizens from the Polish territories annexed in September 1939. Over one million people were dispatched in overcrowded cattle cars in the dead of winter to unknown destinations in the Soviet interior where they were forced to slave labor in order to survive. Thousands of those Poles, adults and children alike, died from starvation, rampant disease, and overwork. That harrowing experience was later described by those fortunate ones who managed to leave the Soviet Union after the so-called amnesty in July 1941, including numerous children. This lecture is a survey of the selection of original accounts of those experiences. About the speaker: Mrs. Maria Juczewska is a communication specialist with versatile international experience. Her education in linguistics, culture studies, and international affairs, combined with years of living abroad, makes her point of view unique and comprehensive. Mrs. Juczewska has worked for the Kościuszko Chair of Polish Studies since 2014. In her scholarly work, she is especially interested in propaganda.
About the lecture: Ms. Stacy will discuss America’s current situation in terms of market levels, economic data, and the China trade deal. She will also discuss the following subtopics: • Populism and Economics: Ms. Stacy will cover the historical connection between populism and economics, the quintessential trajectory of populism, what could interrupt the pattern of populism, and the best possible outcome. • Globalism vs. Protectionism: Ms. Stacy will cover the high-level mechanical differences and potential unintended consequences of these approaches. She will discuss how each trade strategy relates to the business cycle and what it means going forward for capital markets. She will also give a high-level explanation of how the business cycle works and what precipitates the changes in the cycle. • Monetary Policy in the Post Global Financial Crisis Era: Ms. Stacy will discuss the historical purpose of monetary policy and how the Central Banks will likely deal with the record amounts of debt in the system. She will delve into what this means for the U.S. economy and global economies in terms of how investors think about this. She hopes to provide insight into how future policy makers can use an understanding of global capital flows in tandem with their endeavors. • China: Ms. Stacy will discuss the topics above regarding the economic relationship between China and the United States. About the speaker: Frances Newton Stacy started her broadcasting career appearing weekly on the Gerry V show on the Rush Radio Network from 2008-2010. There she gained wide appeal and honed her skills for being able to explain a very complex subject matter in simple terms. She then began appearing on the local Fox 5 in Las Vegas. From there in 2010 Frances branched out to appearing regularly on national television. Frances perfectly predicted the stock market crash, which began in October 2007 and is amongst the very few who successfully traded the downturn. She got out of stocks a month before the all-time high and simultaneously got into the historic gold trade. Frances also called the market bottom on the Gerry V show in March of 2009 when she warned his audience that the market would go up for a while. Wanting to be able to predict the next credit crisis became Frances’ passion of study. On this journey, she studied the banking and credit systems in depth. Frances discovered what must be present in order to have a credit crisis. She also enjoyed studying the underlying algorithm of our banking system, which has an undeniable mathematical structure that regardless of the market swings is always present and has predictable implications. She is a frequent guest on Fox Business News as a commentator on Central Bank Policy and its effects on the economy. Frances has also appeared on CNBC, CBS, Yahoo Finance and Fox News as well as several local and national television and radio programs. She has blogged for the trading community, helping them recognize key cycles and significant support and resistance levels. She has taught several classes for trading students and spoken extensively on the subject. Frances lives in the Bay Area advising clients across the West Coast as well as nationally. She incorporates her unique research and experience into portfolio construction and management as Director of Portfolio Strategy with Optimal Capital. As an allocator, Frances regularly speaks nationally and internationally at events focusing on quantitative finance as well as those for blockchain enthusiasts. Frances has spoken at the annual DMS Governance event on interest rates and market cycles. Frances has also informally consulted for and spoken at the British Consulate-General New York.
About the Lecture: How do you influence your target audience in a wired world? How are we vulnerable to unseen influence operations that are targeting us? This presentation will look at the various aspects of influence operations in cyberspace. We will look at how the basic human neural processes are impacted in a wired world and how they impact our interactions, moods, and thinking. Not only do nation-states utilize this intelligence, but advertisers, and our closest associates do as well. With the information provided in this lecture, not only will you be able to recognize the influence operations targeting you, but you will also be able to understand how you can use it yourself. About the Speaker: Mr. Debbins has 20 years of experience and knowledge in intelligence, national security, strategic planning, CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, enhanced Explosives), cyber and cyberspace, hybrid warfare, business, economics, finance, world geopolitical environment, and science and technology (S&T). He possesses native fluency in Russian. Mr. Debbins served as an officer in the U.S. Army and has also worked in commercial businesses in Ukraine and Russia. He was a Russian Cyber Analyst for the U.S. Government and later a Cyber Operations instructor. Currently, he works as an Area Studies and Hybrid Warfare instructor for the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and NATO.
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