Forum Network

Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

Funding provided by:

WorldBoston

WorldBoston was founded in 1961 as the Boston Center for International Visitors, a nonprofit organization with a mission to connect hundreds of emerging leaders from around the globe each year with their counterparts in Greater Boston's business, government, academic, cultural and scientific communities. In 2002, the organization merged with the World Affairs Council of Boston, a nonpartisan forum founded in 1949 to engage the public in discussions about critical international issues. WorldBoston today is an active independent member of both the National Council for International Visitors and the World Affairs Councils of America, and a dynamic and respected community leader in Boston.s global network. With its expertise in fostering international exchanges and unique mix of educational programs, WorldBoston continues to build on its distinguished tradition of promoting dialogue among leaders, cross-cultural connections and public learning.

http://www.worldboston.org/

The State of the State Department

Tue, Feb 27, 2018

Join Barbara Stephenson, President of the American Foreign Service Association, and Nicholas Burns, one of the country’s best-known commentators on international affairs, at a special WorldBoston event on “The State of the State Department” and its implications for the future of the U.S. national interest.

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston
Ending Epidemics: Will the U.S. Continue to Lead?

Tue, Jan 30, 2018

There has been remarkable progress in global health over the last five decades, including eradication of smallpox, large scale treatment of AIDS, and dramatic reductions in childhood and maternal deaths. Through its foreign policy and foreign assistance, the U.S has lead in these and other health achievements, which have boosted life expectancy and economic development worldwide. A healthier world has been both a gift to humankind and a benefit to the U.S. But will the U.S. continue to lead in addressing future global health challenges: making the world safer from pandemic threats, achieving universal health coverage, and confronting chronic diseases? Dr. Jonathan Quick, a Senior Fellow at Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, is also international public health expert. He is the author of the forthcoming book, _The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It._ Photo: A U.S. Public Health officer in Monrovia, Liberia in 2014. By Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Hoskins.

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston
Latin America’s Political Pendulum

Thu, Nov 30, 2017

The pendulum of Latin American politics is swinging rightward once again. In the past, relations between the U.S. and various Latin American states have experienced cyclical ups and downs. Many states, however, appear to be moving toward more centrist forms of governments – with added opportunities for change in Cuba, Colombia and Venezuela – allowing the US to be able to foster improved relations with its neighbors to the south. With the ever growing change in Latin America, it is more important than ever for the U.S. to look beyond the neoliberal model of the 1990s, and develop an approach to relations fit for the 21st century. Come join us for a discussion on this topic with Inter-American Dialogue’s Michael Shifter. Mr. Shifter is the President of Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-D.C. based think tank, devoted to analyzing policies and enhancing communication within the Western Hemisphere. As a journalist, scholar, and professor, Mr. Shifter has spent his career teaching and advising on Latin American politics and policy. He is currently an adjunct professor of Latin American politics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, in addition to serving as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. (Image: [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/en/brazil-south-america-america-globe-1766926/ "Pixabay"))

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston
Saudi Arabia in Transition

Tue, Sep 26, 2017

As Saudi Arabia struggles to adjust to its drastic decline in oil revenue, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman attempts to bring new ideas and a new future to his country. These changes include focusing on younger generations and potentially bringing change to old customs, including allowing women to drive. During this transition of power and ideas, from one leader to another, how will Saudi Arabia cope with the rapidly changing base of its society? How will the U.S. continue its relationship with the changing country, taking into consideration their many common interests, but also vast amounts of differences and limitations, in order to seek productive change? Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Karen Elliott House addresses some of these questions. Photo: The White House from Washington, DC. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston
Petroleum and American Foreign Policy

Tue, May 16, 2017

What is the effect of U.S. petroleum security on foreign policy? For decades, the country has alternated between periods of energy security and insecurity. Despite the so-called "energy revolution," the U.S. today is by no means disentangled from foreign dependence and global trends. Join us as we hear from API's Marty Durbin as he discusses these and other questions.

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston
Pakistan and the United States

Wed, Jun 7, 2017

The relationship between America and Pakistan always been complicated, with both sides harboring common and competing interests. In recent years, a measure of common ground has been found on security matters, but many on both sides still view the relationship as transactional, and not strategic, in nature. What role does US military aid play in Pakistan’s domestic politics? How does Pakistan fit into the US’ South Asia strategy? And with a new administration in Washington, what are next steps for US-Pakistani relations? Listen to Ambassador Husain Haqqani, as he addresses these questions and and more. Photo Credit: Nicolas Raymond/[Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/80497449@N04/7378367012 "Pakistan Grunge Flag") Photo Credit: Cbcindustries/[Pixababy](https://pixabay.com/en/american-flag-red-white-and-blue-2260839/ "American Flag")

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston
Gary Samore on Nuclear Security in the Trump Era

Wed, Apr 26, 2017

For over half a century, every U.S. president has made nuclear nonproliferation a chief foreign policy objective. President Trump has called the Iran accord “a disastrous deal,” and has promised to dismantle it, while North Korea continues to pursue a larger, more sophisticated nuclear arsenal. Is the Iran nuclear deal “good” for the U.S.? What should American policy be toward North Korea? And what is the likelihood of terrorists building or obtaining a nuclear weapon?

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston
Trade, Jobs, and China

Wed, Mar 15, 2017

As the recent U.S. presidential campaign has shown, the issue of international free trade and its effect on American jobs has been hotly contested. Public and political opinion of international trade deals like TPP and NAFTA has become more hostile, with many foreign countries being branded as ‘job killers’. China has borne the brunt of this criticism, and the trade imbalance between the world’s largest and second-largest economies – worsened by allegations of currency manipulation – is seized upon by many Americans as justification for a more aggressive, protectionist economic policy against Beijing. But is American economic competitiveness really on the decline? Does the future for international free trade deals look bleak? And what would be the fallout of a U.S. trade war with China? WorldBoston’s Great Decisions series is pleased to host Jeremy Haft, an entrepreneur with nearly two decades of firsthand experience in China, as he discusses these and other questions. An adjunct professor at Georgetown University, he is also the author of the recent book Unmade in China: The Hidden Truth about China’s Economic Miracle. Photo By Base64, retouched by CarolSpears - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4222127

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston
China in the Time of Trump

Tue, Feb 21, 2017

China has become the world’s second-largest economy and biggest trading nation. Much of its success has stemmed from friendly relations with the United States, where Republican and Democratic administrations alike saw the rise of a stable, prosperous China as serving the national interest. But things have changed. In the U.S., a Trump administration is likely to be less friendly. And in China, challenges are multiplying. The country is in a long-run growth slowdown, while trying to shift to a consumer-based economy and manage a rapidly aging population. Will China continue its rise towards superpower status, or fall victim to financial crisis? And will the U.S. and China find a modus vivendi in Asia, or start a new cold war? Arthur R. Kroeber, one of the world’s leading commentators on the Chinese economy and author of the recent book China’s Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford, 2016), will provide insight into these crucial questions. Photo credit: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FlagUSA_FlagPRC_crash.svg "")

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston
The Future of Development for the United Nations and Beyond

Thu, Feb 16, 2017

Recently the U.N. and other international organizations have come under fire as the Trump Administration challenge their contributions to U.S. objectives. But for some time, development practitioners and scholars have been questioning more deeply the effectiveness and future of the UN as the globe’s primary provider of development assistance. Last year marked the halfway point in the UN’s effort to eradicate poverty, hunger and discrimination, as well as ensure justice and dignity for all peoples. At this point, how is the globe progressing, and how are the UN and other organizations doing as a part of that effort? With development expertise from both inside and beyond the UN system, Denise Garcia, Northeastern professor and expert on the UN, and David Offensend, President & CEO of EDC, will offer unique perspectives on global efforts to achieve sustainable development. Photo Credit: flickr/[sanjitbakshi](https://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjit/6365386329 "")

Forum Network

Partner:

WorldBoston

What matters to you.