Month: September 2015

EU-U.S. Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Cooperation Forum: NEW FRONTIERS IN SCIENCE DIPLOMACY- Opportunities for U.S.-EU Cooperation
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Date & Time: Monday, September 28, 2015, 8:30am
Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS – Nitze Building1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 (map)

The EU-funded project BILAT USA 2.0 will organize a conference on Science Diplomacy on 28 September in the Johns Hopkins University in Washington D.C. This conference will gather major EU and US stakeholders as well as active researchers and innovators to answer, among others, the following key questions: How to advance “science in diplomacy”, “diplomacy for science” and “science for diplomacy” Where can the EU and the US learn from each other’s approaches with regard to Science Diplomacy? Where are potentials for cooperation? How similar / different are the motivations and approaches of different countries / regions – here in particular the EU and US – in science diplomacy? What are some of the key differences? The promotion of scientific cooperation is an essential element of foreign policy. Research and innovation cooperation between countries can help solve common problems, address grand societal challenges and build constructive international partnerships. Many countries integrate science as an important part into their international agendas utilizing the term ‘Science Diplomacy’ to describe international cooperation in research and innovation cooperation, even in times of crisis. Although experts may use a variety of definitions for science diplomacy, the term now has become an established approach that encompasses a variety of formal and informal technical, research-based, academic or engineering exchanges.

Meeting the Challenges of Global Polio Eradication 
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Date and Time: Monday, September 28, 2015, 8:30am-2:30pm
Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 (map)

The number of wild poliovirus cases worldwide is significantly reduced compared to last year, as Pakistan improves its immunization reach and Africa goes more than a year since its last reported case. Nonetheless, substantial challenges remain to global eradication, including newly reported cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus in Ukraine and Mali. Join the CSIS Global Health Policy Center on September 28 as it welcomes keynote speakers Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Chair of the global Polio Oversight Board, and Sir Liam Donaldson, Chair of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Independent Monitoring Board. They and other top experts will discuss current and future eradication challenges, including the ambitious vaccine switch needed to address vaccine-derived polio cases. Panelists also will explore plans to transition polio-related assets and knowledge to national health systems and other health priorities as well as measures to address political instability and insecurity hampering vaccination efforts.

George Pataki Speaks on Domestic & Foreign Policy
George Mason University
Date & Time: Tuesday, September 29, 2015, 4pm
Location: 113 Founders Hall, George Mason University, 3351 Fairfax Dr, Arlington, VA 22201

Please join the Financial Times and the Center for Politics & Foreign Relations for a speech on domestic and foreign policy featuring Republican Presidential Candidate George Pataki.  Seating is limited.  Please RSVP to Robert Guttman, rguttman@gmu.edu.

The Syrian refugee crisis: Challenges for Syria’s neighbors and the international community
Brookings Institution
Date & Time: Tuesday, September 29, 2015, 10:30am-12pm
Location: Brookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 (map)

In the last five years, more than four million Syrian refugees have crossed into neighboring countries seeking safety from the unending civil war. Providing protection and public services for the refugees has taxed the capacities of host countries, with hospitality wearing thin and many refugees despairing about their futures. In recent months, the European dimension of the Syrian refugee crisis has finally drawn global public attention to the catastrophe and the need to increase burden-sharing with neighboring host countries. Does the international community have the political will and the resources to respond, and if so, how will it address the challenge? How is the crisis affecting Syria’s neighboring countries that still bear the brunt of the refugees? Why is burden-sharing so important? On September 29, the Center on the United States and Europe (CUSE) at Brookings will host a panel discussion to explore the international response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Brookings Senior Fellow Elizabeth Ferris and Brookings TÜSİAD Senior Fellow and CUSE Turkey Project Director Kemal Kirişci will present their new study, “Not Likely to Go Home”, an examination of  the challenges that Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey face in providing protection and humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees. They will also reflect on what these conclusions mean for the wider international community. Following their presentations, Simon Henshaw of the U.S. State Department, Gregory Maniatis of the Migration Policy Institute, and Alar Olljum of Brookings and the European External Action Service will provide remarks. Elizabeth Ferris will moderate the event and offer opening remarks.

Does Putin’s Move on Syria Make Russia the New Middle East Power Broker?
Hudson Institute
Time & Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2015, 11:45am-1:30pm
Location: Hudson Institute1015 15th Street, N.W. 6th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005 (map)

In coordination with Iran, Russia has been steadily building up its position inside of Syria. President Vladimir Putin has sent combat planes, ships, technicians, engineers, marines, and special forces units. Although American policymakers have suggested that the Russians are there to fight the Islamic State, Moscow has made its intentions clear—they are there to defend Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. And by building an air force base and expanding its current naval facility at Tartus, Putin’s larger purpose appears to challenge the United States as the Middle East’s power broker.
How will Russia’s incursion into Syria shape the ongoing conflict? How will it affect the three American allies on Syria’s borders, Israel, Jordan, and Turkey? Does Putin’s increasingly assertive behavior signal the erosion of American influence in the Middle East? If so, how would the next White House change course?
On September 29th, Hudson Institute will host a timely discussion of these issues with an expert panel moderated by Lee Smith and featuring Michael Doran, Hannah Thoburn, and Tony Badran.
Subcommittee Hearing: Ridding Central Africa of Joseph Kony: Continuing U.S. Support
U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Time & Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2015, 2-5pm

Location: Rayburn House Office Building45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515 (map)
Room: 217

Panel I

The Honorable Robert P. Jackson
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of African Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Panel II

Mr. Paul Ronan
Co-Founder and Project Director
The Resolve LRA Crisis Initiative

Mr. Sasha Lezhnev
Associate Director of Policy
Enough Project

The State of Transatlantic Relations: A Conversation with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
German Marshall Fund
Date & Time: Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Location: German Marshall Fund1744 R st NW Washington, DC 20009 United States (map)

With conflict persisting in Europe’s east and to Europe’s south, a migration crisis in Europe, and continuing economic uncertainty, the transatlantic community is facing the most difficult set of challenges in 25 years. These crises have exposed rifts in the post-1989 political and security architecture, while also serving to unify transatlantic partners. Given these realities, GMF is pleased to invite you to a conversation with former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Latvian President Vaira Vike Freiberga on the current state of transatlantic relations and what is required to confront the regional and global challenges facing the partnership.

Cybersecurity Summit
Washington Post Live
Date & Time: Thursday, October 1, 2015, 8:30am-11:30am
Location: The Washington Post1150 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005 (map)

Engaged Scholarship Brown Bag Lunch Talks: Dr. Denise Brennan, “Trafficking, Migrant Exploitation, and Moral Panics: Doing Research on Spectacularized Issues”
Georgetown University
Date & Time: Friday, October 2, 2015, 12:30-1:30pm
Location:  Georgetown University37 St NW and O St NW, Washington, DC (map)

Dr. Brennan (Anthropology) will talk about her research with a specific focus on her methods and data collection. Direct questions and requests for accommodations to Dr. Andria Wisler at akw28 or 7-2859.

U.S. Policy against ISIS: Minorities in the Middle East -Syrian American Council and Muslim Public Affairs Council
Date: Monday, September 21, 2015, 11am-1pm
Location: Rayburn House Office Building45 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20515 (map) Room: 2325

Since March 2011, religious and ethnic minorities in Syria have been brutally oppressed under the Assad regime and at the hands of ISIS. Join this discussion about the future of Christians and minorities in Syria, the role of the Assad regime in fanning the flames of sectarianism, and recommendations for US policymakers.

A Post-Iran Deal Security Agenda: Containment, Cooperation, or Both? 
New American Foundation
Date: Monday, September 21, 2015, 9am-0:30am
Location: New America Foundation1899 L St., N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036 (map)

Debate on the terms of the nuclear deal with Iran is over, but in the U.S. and in the region, debate on what’s next for security is only beginning. Inside Iran, some voices are calling for reduced engagement — but others seek to reinforce Iranian patterns of influence. In Washington, an influential group of legislators is pushing new legislation with provisions Iran has said would constitute a breach of the deal. Attention is also turning to the extent of Iran’s ties to Houthi rebels in Yemen, as U.S. allies seek military assistance to alter the regional balance. At the same time, some voices suggest Iran could be central to effectively rolling back ISIS and ending Bashar Assad’s reign of terror in Syria.

RSVP Here

The ISIS Apocalypse: the history, strategy and doomsday vision of the Islamic State
Brookings Institute
Date: Tuesday September 22, 2015, 10am-11am
Location: Brookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC (map)
Room: Falk Auditorium

In “The ISIS Apocalypse” (St. Martin’s Press, 2015), Will McCants examines the Islamic State’s tactics and goals, and the many ways in which it is more ruthless, more apocalyptic, and more devoted to state-building than any of its predecessors or current competitors. Based almost entirely on primary sources in Arabic—including ancient religious texts and secret al-Qaida and Islamic State letters that few have seen—“The ISIS Apocalypse” explores how religious fervor, strategic calculation, and doomsday prophecy shaped the Islamic State’s past and foreshadow its dark future.

Looking Towards the Future of the U.S.-Japan Relationship: One Mansfield Foundation Fellow’s Perspective
Elliott School of International Affairs
Date: Wednesday September 23, 2015, 2pm-4pm
Location: Elliott School of International Affairs1957 E Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20052 (map)

PISA proudly invites you to attend a presentation by Mr. Ariel Wyckoff, an Elliott School graduate and former PISA Program Assistant. Mr. Wyckoff will discuss his experience as one of ten Fellows from the Mansfield Fellowship’s 19th class (2014-2015). The Mike Mansfield Fellowship Program (MFP) was established by the U.S. Congress in 1994 to build a corps of U.S. federal government employees with proficiency in Japanese language and firsthand knowledge about Japan and its government. Alumni Fellows have direct responsibility for a wide variety of Japan issues, provide counsel to their home agencies on Japan-related matters, and tend to stay involved with Japan-related issues long after the end of the Fellowship year.

Getting With It: Putting Momentum behind the U.S.-India Nuclear Deal
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Date: Thursday September 24, 2015, 12:30pm-2pm
Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS – Rome Building1619 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. (map) Room 806

Vijay Sazawal, nuclear industry expert, and Paul Murphy, Special Counsel at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy will speak on this subject. Walter Andersen, Director of South Asia Studies will moderate.

Welcome to Washington: Policy Players and Creative Networking
Cato Institute
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2015, 6-8pm
Location:vCato Institute 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001 (map)

Each year, thousands of young professionals descend on Washington with the hope of landing the perfect job at a think tank, on Capitol Hill, or in related fields. With so many bright, talented interns and recent graduates vying for the same opportunities, how can you distinguish yourself from the pack?

Join the Cato Institute and America’s Future Foundation for a crash course in creative networking and career advancement — an event specifically designed for young professionals. Speakers will discuss topics related to post-graduate professional success, with a special focus on policy research and analysis, and the role of ideas generated within the nonprofit network in the broad public policy debate.

If you can’t make it to the event, you can watch it live online at www.cato.org/live and join the conversation on Twitter using #CatoEvents. Follow @CatoEvents on Twitter to get future event updates, live streams, and videos from the Cato Institute.

Iran’s Deadly Ambition: The Islamic Republic’s Quest for Global Power
Heritage Foundation
Date: Friday, September 25, 2015, 12pm-1pm
Location: Heritage Foundation214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 (map)

Conventional wisdom certainly seems to believe we are on the cusp of détente with Iran. In the aftermath of the interim nuclear deal struck in November 2013 hopes are now running high for a historic reconciliation between Iran’s clerical regime and the West. Yet there is ample reason for skepticism that the United States and Europe can truly curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions by diplomatic means. Moreover, the current focus on Iran’s nuclear program on the part of the Western governments is deeply dangerous, because it fails to recognize – let alone address – Iran’s other international activities or its foreign policy ambitions. Those objectives, argues Ilan Berman, are global in scope and growing.

Iran’s Deadly Ambition explains how America’s retraction from the Middle East has created significant breathing room for a regime that not long ago was on the political ropes. Economically, the Islamic Republic is “out of the box” that was erected over the past decade-and-a-half by Western sanctions, thanks to the nuclear deal just concluded by Iran and the P5+1 powers. As a result, Iran’s leaders are again thinking big about their country and its place in the world. America faces stark choices: to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions and global activities, or to accept and accommodate the region’s newest hegemon, with all that that portends for American security and the safety of its allies.

The World We Seek: Reigniting the Dialogue on Human Security – Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Date: September 14, 2015, 9:30am-5:30ppm

Beijing by rediscovering the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the foundation for global security and sustainable development. International Experts and a new generation of rights activists will share proven models for alleviating poverty, improving health and sanitation, and countering violent extremism. The program will feature poetry, music, and the Washington D.C. premiere of the WLP documentary film, Human Rights: The Unfinished Journey.

Johns Hopkins SAIS – Nitze Building1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 (map) Room: Kenney-Herter Auditorium    RSVP Here

The Iran Nuclear Deal and Its Implications – Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Date: September 15, 2015, 5pm-7pm

Featuring: Robert Einhorn, Brookings Institution; former State Department Special Advisor; Shanta Devarajan, Middle East and North Africa, The World Bank; and Robin Wright, US Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson Center

Location: Johns Hopkins SAIS – Rome Building1619 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. (map)
Room: Rome Auditorium

The Encryption Debate: Balancing Privacy and National Security – The Christian Science Monitor

Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2015, 8:30am-11:00am

Major American companies moved to ramp up security on their consumer devices to fight hackers and eavesdropping governments, in the wake of the Edward Snowden revelations about National Security Agency surveillance two summers ago. But senior law enforcement and intelligence officials say the new default protections prevent them from catching dangerous terrorists and criminals, and have called on companies such as Apple and Google to find a secure way for them to access consumers’ data with a warrant – which many technologists and privacy advocates claim is tantamount to building a “backdoor” into otherwise strong encryption.

What’s the right balance between protecting people’s personal privacy and the country’s security? How the Obama administration and Congress decide to proceed could impact US national security and foreign policy, the competitiveness of American businesses, and the future structure of the Internet. Join Passcode for a discussion with key figures in the debate between US law enforcement and the tech sector — doors open at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and networking

Location: St. Regis Hotel923 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C. (map), Carlton Ballroom

Arctic Transformation: Understanding Arctic Research and the Vital Role of Science – Center for Strategic and International Studies

Date: September 16, 2015,  8:30am-12:00pm

Following President Obama’s historic visit to the American Arctic, please join us for a timely conference on the vital role of science which seeks to better understand the profound and stunning changes that are occurring in the Arctic. Scientific research and collaboration informs our understanding on the impact of climate change on the most northern latitudes while also informing approaches to safely operating in and sustainably developing the economic potential of the region. Our keynote speakers will discuss the vital role of science leadership in the Arctic and will examine the most pressing gaps in our understanding of this dynamic region.

Location: Center for Strategic and International Studies1616 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 (map)

Anwar al-Awlaki, Yemen, and American Counterterrorism Policy – Brookings Institution

Date: September 17, 2015, 10:00am-11:30am

On September 30, 2011, the U.S.-born radical Islamic cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, was killed by an American drone strike in Yemen, marking the first extra-judicial killing by the United States government against a U.S. citizen. Placed at the top of a CIA kill list in 2010 by the Obama administration, al-Awlaki was known for his intimate involvement in multiple al-Qaida terrorist plots against U.S. citizens, including the 2009 Christmas Day airline bombing attempt in Detroit and the 2010 plot to blow up U.S.-bound cargo planes. His calls for violent jihad remain prominent on the Internet, and his influence has turned up in many cases since his death, including the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013 and the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris early this year. In a new book, “Objective Troy: A Terrorist, A President, and the Rise of the Drone” (Crown, 2015), The New York Times national security reporter Scott Shane, drawing on in-depth field research in Yemen and interviews with U.S. government officials, charts the intimate details of the life and death of al-Awlaki, including his radicalization, his recruiting efforts for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, and the use of drone strikes by the United States to prosecute its counterterrorism goals.

On September 17, the Intelligence Project will host Shane to examine the roles played by al-Awlaki in al-Qaida plots against the United States, al-Awlaki’s continued influence on terrorism, and the current state of al-Qaida today. Brookings Senior Fellow Bruce Riedel, director of the Intelligence Project, will provide introductory remarks and moderate the discussion. Following their remarks, Riedel and Shane will take questions from the audience.

Location: Brookings Institution1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 (map)
Room: Falk Auditorium

Talks@Pulitzer: Untold Stories From The Front Lines of Ebola – Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting

Date: Thursday, September 17, 2015, 5:30pm

Join German filmmaker Carl Gierstorfer and science journalist Erika Check Hayden as they present their reporting on Ebola and the human toll of the deadly disease at our Talks @ Pulitzer on Thursday, September 17.
Gierstorfer shares the story of one community’s fight in Liberia for survival against Ebola and provides a preview of his latest film, while Check Hayden reveals the untold stories of heroism and hope from first responders in Sierra Leone.

Space is limited so reserve your seat today: rsvp@pulitzercenter.org—specify in subject line: “September 17 Talks @ Pulitzer.”

Location: Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting1779 Massachusetts Ave NW #615, Washington, DC 20036 (map), Room: 615