World Affairs Council of Austin

South Korea on the World’s Stage
2024-07-18 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel Street, Austin, TX, 78705, United States
On June 4th and 5th South Korea held its first ever Korea-Africa Summit. They hosted representatives from 48 African nations, including 25 heads of state. South Korea would like to expand its geopolitical influence and forge deeper global partnerships throughout the world. What does this new global perspective mean as it relates to Putin’s recent visit to North Korea, the role of China, working with Japan, the Philippines and Asia-Pacific region? Now South Korea hopes to play a role in Africa and even the Middle East. Finally, what about their politics internally? How do the Koreans themselves see their new role in the world and even their neighbors, near and far?
Please join us at the Neill Cochran Historical House Museum on Thursday, July 18 th , 5:30 p.m.
for a wine and cheese “social” followed by a joint presentation by two excellent scholars in this field: Rodger Baker and Dr. Jooyoun Lee.

RODGER BAKER
Executive Director, Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics
Rodger Baker has spent more than two decades with Stratfor/RANE, where he’s focused on the Indo-Pacific region, with special attention to China and the Korean Peninsula. He addresses the strategic dynamics of an evolving world system — looking at great power competition, the role of middle powers, and the impacts of technological, environmental, and demographic changes on geopolitical relationships. His core emphasis is the multidisciplinary approach to geopolitics and the evolution of international relations to develop mid- and long-term forecasts to assist companies, governments, and other globally engaged organizations make informed decisions.
Rodger is a Senior Fellow at the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations, a Steering Fellow for the Mackinder Forum, and teaches a certificate program in Geopolitical Analysis at Florida Atlantic University.
DR. JOOYOUN LEE
Dr. Lee is a Professor of Global Studies and Political Science at St. Edwards University, where she teaches Global Issues, International Relations, International Security and Conflict Resolution. Her research interests include identity politics, collective memory, East Asian international relations, international security, gender, and popular culture. Prior to undertaking her Ph.D. at Syracuse University, she worked as a research fellow at the Korean Institute for Women and Politics and at the Institute of Civil Society and New Governance at Kyung Hee University in South Korea as well as serving as a program coordinator for the International NGOs conference held in Seoul in cooperation with the United Nations.

Globalist Coffeehouse: South Korea Follow-up Discussion
2024-07-25 18:30 - 19:30 | Shoal Creek Saloon, 909 N. Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX, 78703, United States
Join us at the Globalist Coffeehouse on Thursday, July 25th, 6:30 p.m. at the Shoal Creek Saloon on North Lamar. The topic will be on South Korea. This will be a follow-up discussion to a program on July 18th with two top scholars in this field. Please go to the link below and register. I hope you can attend both events.

For more details contact:
Ellen Murry, Co-chair, of the Globalist Coffeehouse: ellen.murry@yahoo.com
Polina Anastassieva, Co-chair, of the Globalist Coffeehouse: polina@wacaustin.org

WorldNow: End of Ambition with Steven Cook
2024-08-01 18:00 - 19:30 | ONLINE
What’s next for the U.S. in the Middle East? Join author Steven Cook, senior fellow for Middle East & Africa at the Council on Foreign Relations, in conversation with Jim Falk on what went wrong with U.S. involvement in the region, and how the U.S. should reimagine our strategic interests in the Middle East amid a changing global order.
“Cook demonstrates with terrifying clarity that the Middle East’s reputation for devouring the schemes and dreams of great powers is sending to more and is more often than not a place where grandiose American ideas have gone to die.” – Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Purchase The End of Ambition here.
The details:
When: Thursday, August 1 | 6:00PM CT
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: Free | REGISTER HERE
WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Global Santa Fe. Presented in partnership with the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, World Affairs Council of Austin, World Affairs Council of Charlotte, World Affairs Council of Colorado Springs, World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of Orange County, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, WorldOregon, and Perspectives Matter.
About the Book
The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present and Future in the Middle East by Steven Cook
A clear-headed vision for the United States’ role in the Middle East that highlights the changing nature of US national interests and the challenges of grand strategizing at a time of profound change in the international order.
Following a long series of catastrophic misadventures in the Middle East over the last two decades, the American foreign policy community has tried to understand what went wrong. After weighing the evidence, they have mostly advised a retreat from the region. The basic view is that when the United States tries to advance change in the Middle East, it only makes matters worse.
In The End of Ambition, Steven A. Cook argues that while these analysts are rightly concerned that engagement drains US resources and distorts its domestic politics, the broader impulse to disengage tends to neglect important lessons from the past. Moreover, advocates of pulling back overlook the potential risks of withdrawal. Covering the relationship between the US and the Middle East since the end of WWII, Cook makes the bold claim that despite setbacks and moral costs, the United States has been overwhelmingly successful in protecting its core national interests in the Middle East. Conversely, overly ambitious policies to remake the region and leverage US power not only ended in failure, but rendered the region unstable in new and largely misunderstood ways.
While making the case that retrenchment is not the answer to America’s problems in the Middle East, The End of Ambition highlights how America’s interests in the region have begun to change and critically examines alternative approaches to US-Middle East policy. Cook highlights the challenges that policymakers and analysts confront developing a new strategy for the United States in the Middle East against the backdrop of both political uncertainty in the United States and a changing global order.
Purchase The End of Ambition here.
About the Author
Steven A. Cook is Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is an expert on Arab and Turkish politics as well as U.S.-Middle East policy. Cook is the author of False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East. Cook is a columnist at Foreign Policy magazine. He speaks Arabic and Turkish.
About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico he is member of the Board of Global Santa Fe where he chairs the program committee. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

WorldNow: Ronald Reagan - His Life & Legend with Max Boot
2024-09-23 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
Historian, author, and CFR foreign policy expert Max Boot reintroduces us to one of America’s most consequential and controversial presidents – and his lasting impact on the U.S. and the world. In conversation with Jim Falk.
“A timely and fascinating book, just what we need to understand, and perhaps transcend, our current age of political paralysis and polarization…Understanding Reagan is key to understanding our politics today.” –Walter Isaacson, author of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs
The details:
When: Monday, September 23 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge | Register for Zoom link
Register Now

WorldNow with Jim Falk is hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Global Santa Fe. Presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council, Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations, SMU Center for Presidential History, World Affairs Council of Albuquerque, World Affairs Council of Austin, World Affairs Council of Colorado Springs, World Affairs Council of Hampton Roads, World Affairs Council of Houston, World Affairs Council of Jacksonville, World Affairs Council of Orange County, World Affairs Council of South Texas, World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, WorldOregon, and Perspectives Matter.

About the Book

Reagan: His Life & Legend by Max Boot
Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician—America’s fortieth President comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profoundly revisionist biography.
From best-selling biographer Max Boot comes this revelatory portrait, a decade in the making, of the actor-turned-politician whose telegenic leadership ushered in a transformative conservative era in American politics. Despite his fame as a Hollywood star and television host, Reagan remained a man of profound contradictions, even to those closest to him. Never resorting to either hagiography or hit job, REAGAN charts his epic journey from Depression-era America to “Morning in America.” Providing fresh insight into “trickle-down economics,” the Cold War’s end, the Iran-Contra affair, and so much more, this definitive biography is as compelling a presidential biography as any in recent decades. Purchase Reagan: His Life & Legend here.

About the Author
Max Boot, historian and foreign-policy analyst, is a senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a columnist for the Washington Post. His New York Times bestseller, The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Biography.

About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and Global Santa Fe’s Program Chair. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

13th Annual Texas-European Union Business Summit
2024-10-03 08:30 - 17:00 | San Jacinto Meeting Rooms, 309 E 21st St, Austin, TX, 78712, United States
In its 13th year, the Texas-EU Business Summit is the premier event for Texas businesses, entrepreneurs and economic development professionals seeking to expand their footprint in Europe.
Texas is already the largest exporting state to the European Union. The Summit builds on that foundation, focusing on promoting the international trade capacity of Texas businesses while creating greater awareness regarding the benefits of exporting.
The Texas-EU Business Summit sessions are led by business leaders, trade and investment officials from EU countries, trade policy experts and political officials.

Event hosts include:
The World Affairs Council of Austin,
Center for European Studies at the University of Texas at Austin,
Austin Community College,
The Consulate General of Ireland in Austin, IDA Ireland,
Access to Culture | Sharon Schweitzer J.D.,
Slovak Pro,
Touch4IT,
HR4U,
Talent’em,
and
Pendas International

WorldNow: America's Cold Warrior Paul Nitze and National Security
2024-10-23 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
Author James Graham Wilson joins us for another episode of WorldNow with Jim Falk on Paul Nitze, America’s most influential national security strategist throughout the Cold War.
“This book is not a stale history of an insignificant person. It is a well written, fascinating story centered around a very influential man. It just happens that the man’s name is unknown to most, even if his acts are not…America’s Cold Warrior is a book for the casual reader and policy wonk alike. If you enjoy history, war, or great biographies, this book is for you.” – Global Security Review
Purchase America’s Cold Warrior here | Buy on Barnes & Noble | Sundance Bookstore | Amazon
The details:
When: Wednesday, October 23 | 7:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar
Tickets: No charge | Register for Zoom link

About the Book
America’s Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze and National Security from Roosevelt to Reagan by James Graham Wilson
In America’s Cold Warrior, James Graham Wilson traces Paul Nitze’s career path in national security after World War II, a time when many of his mentors and peers returned to civilian life. Serving in eight presidential administrations, Nitze commanded White House attention even when he was out of government, especially with his withering criticism of Jimmy Carter during Carter’s presidency. While Nitze is perhaps best known for leading the formulation of NSC-68, which Harry Truman signed in 1950, Wilson contends that Nitze’s most significant contribution to American peace and security came in the painstaking work done in the 1980s to negotiate successful treaties with the Soviets to reduce nuclear weapons while simultaneously deflecting skeptics surrounding Ronald Reagan. America’s Cold Warrior connects Nitze’s career and concerns about strategic vulnerability to the post-9/11 era and the challenges of the 2020s, where the United States finds itself locked in geopolitical competition with the People’s Republic of China and Russia.
Purchase America’s Cold Warrior here | Buy on Barnes & Noble | Sundance Bookstore | Amazon

About the Author
James Graham Wilson is a Historian at the US Department of State, where he is currently responsible for editing volumes in the Foreign Relations of the United States series on arms control and national security during the Reagan Administration. In addition to America’s Cold Warrior, he is also the author of The Triumph of Improvisation: Gorbachev’s Adaptability, Reagan’s Engagement, and the End of the Cold War.
About the Moderator
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico he is member of the Board of Global Santa Fe where he chairs the program committee. Jim co-hosts Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program, that airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

An Evening with the Honorable Cónsul General Humberto Hernández Haddad
2024-11-06 17:30 - 19:00 | Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel Street, Austin, TX, 78705, United States
Join your fellow members of the World Affairs Council of Austin for this special conversation with the Honorable Humberto Hernández Haddad, Consul General of Mexico in Austin.

About the Honorable Cónsul General Humberto Hernández Haddad:
Law degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Master in International Public Policies. National Prize “President Juarez” in 1972 for his constitutional thesis “Constitutional Analysis of the Reform Laws promulgated by President Juarez. His influence on Mexican political thought. ”
Fellow 1977-1978 from the Center for International Affairs of Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Master’s Degree in International Public Policies from the School of advanced International Studies (SAIS) Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C, 1980-1981.
Federal Congressman for Tabasco, Mexico, from 1973 to 1976 and from 1979 to 1982. Chairman of the Science and Technology Commission of the Chamber of Deputies from 1979 to 1982.
Federal Senator for Tabasco, Mexico, from 1982 to 1988. Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Commission 1982-1988.
Consul General of Mexico in San Antonio, Texas, from April 1989 to June 1995.
President of the Accredited Consular Association in South-Central Texas, USA, 1991-1995.
National Journalism Prize 2002 awarded at the Mexican Press Club.
The Government of the United States of America granted him the condecoration Commander´s Award for Public Service, for his performance as Consul General of Mexico in the United States of America.
He received the “Orden de Mayo” condecoration, as Grand Officer, from the Government of the Republic of Argentina.
In 2012 he received the Silver Juchimán Award in Human Rights and for Peace.
Published books: “Colosio and Ruiz Massieu, 20 years later” (September 2014); “The Missing Link” (Penguin Random House, Grijalbo, 2017).
He was president of the Mexican Academy of Social Security Law in 2017-2018.
From December 1st. of 2018, to May 31st. of 2024, he was Undersecretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico.
From August 28th of 2019 to 27th August 2021, he was General Coordinator of the Council for Tourism Diplomacy.
Law Professor at the Faculty of Law at UNAM (Number 754153).

The World Ahead 2025 with Tom Standage
2024-12-12 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Each year, The Economist publishes The World Ahead series: an informed prediction of the major themes that will dominate the coming year. Spanning topics from politics to technology to sociology and more, this series edited by Tom Standage is as ambitious as it is awe-inspiring. On December 12, Standage rejoins the the World Affairs Councils to discuss his publication’s analysis for 2025 in this ONLINE conversation with Jim Falk, the host of WorldNow.
REGISTER HERE

Priorities for the New Administration with H.R. McMaster
2025-01-23 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
Join your fellow World Affairs Council of Austin members for this special WorldNow virtual conversation. Lt. Gen. (ret.) H.R. McMaster served for 13 months as President Trump’s National Security Advisor. Just two days after the inaugural, he joins us to break down the critical national security and foreign policy priorities that will shape the next four years.
McMaster is also the author of War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House.
REGISTER HERE
About the Speaker
Lt. General H. R. McMaster (US Army, Ret.) is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. General McMaster was the 26th National Security Advisor to President Donald J. Trump from February 2017 to April 2018. Upon graduation from the U.S. Military Academy, he served as a commissioned officer for 34 years in the Army before retiring in June 2018.
McMaster earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of several books including At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House; Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World and Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam.
Additionally, General McMaster hosts Battlegrounds: Vital Perspectives on Today’s Challenges, a podcast produced by the Hoover Institution. He is a Distinguished University Fellow at Arizona State University.
About the Host
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. Jim also hosts Perspectives Matter, which airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Globalist Coffeehouse: Economic Migration Around the World
2025-02-19 18:30 - 19:30 | 5280 Burger and Taphouse, 7032 Wood Hollow Dr, Austin, TX, 78731, United States
Please join us for the Globalist Coffeehouse at the 5280 Burger and Taphouse, 7032 Wood Hollow Dr, on WEDNESDAY, February 19th, at 6:30 p.m.

Economic Migration Around the World

Throughout history, migration has played a key role in the establishment of borders, territories, and countries. Think of nomads traveling across vast types of lands and vegetation in order to continue moving onward, despite not having an established settlement. Yet, their influence plays a key in how future settlements came about.

Fast forward to the present day, the level of international reliance on one another- in economic terms- has become a major factor in how we conduct business; it is difficult to imagine otherwise.

When it comes to specific policies, each country has its own understanding in regards to refugees, immigration, and ultimately a path towards citizenship. Although the process might be varied, all countries agree that they want a positive contribution within their borders. However, what happens when there are anomalies? What regulations should be set in place in order to adhere to the laws? What implications might climate change, catastrophe, or war play in how a country dictates its immigration policy?

Please join us for a lively discussion.

For non-members: Please register first to receive your invitation as a guest.

Brexit 5 Years Later - Where are We Now, and What are the Future Implications?
2025-02-27 17:30 - 19:00 | Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel Street, Austin, TX, 78705, United States
In 2020, the UK left the EU. What were the expectations, and where are we now? It’s said that Brexit will cost the UK economy 4% of GDP over the long term. Today, polls show that most individuals in the UK regret the decision. And what about its impact on the EU? Who has benefited from this action? Many would say Ireland and even the EU as corporations moved from London to Dublin, Paris, or other European cities and even countries to remain in the EU. There is talk of a “reset” with a focus from the EU perspective on long-term fishing rights and freedom of movement. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, what are the implications for both organizations, the UK and the EU, with new US administrations’ tariff policies on imports and potentially disengaging from NATO?

Dr. Michael W. Mosser is the Director of the University of Texas at Austin Center for European Studies (CES). He is also an Associate Professor of Instruction with a joint appointment in the Department of Government and the International Relations and Global Studies (IRG) program. He is a Distinguished Scholar at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law and was the Executive Director of the Global Disinformation Lab (GDIL) from 2022 to 2024.

Dr. William Nichols is the Chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Global Studies, and Political Science at St. Edwards University. He has taught various courses over the years, focusing in particular on International Relations, European Politics, American Foreign Relations, and Strategic Intelligence. Dr. Nichols is active in global initiatives on the St. Edwards campus and abroad. He has led 12 European and Asian study programs.

For non-members: Please register first to receive your invitation as a guest.

Commander Jonathan Norris, Naval Aviator and Foreign Area Officer
2025-03-04 17:30 - 19:00 | Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel Street, Austin, TX, 78705, United States
Join us for an engaging talk with Commander Jonathan Norris, a distinguished Naval Aviator and Foreign Area Officer. With over 19 years of service, CDR Norris brings a wealth of experience from his diverse roles in aviation, leadership, and international relations. From piloting helicopters in the Middle East to serving as a military advisor in Washington DC and managing defense cooperation in Azerbaijan and Egypt, his career spans crucial aspects of modern military operations and diplomacy. Currently a Federal Executive Fellow at UT Austin’s Clements Center for National Security, CDR Norris offers unique insights into leadership, national security, and defense strategy. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a decorated officer whose career embodies the multifaceted nature of today’s naval service.

For non-members: Please register first to receive your invitation as a guest.

WorldNow: The Future of Borders with Edward Alden
2025-03-19 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
Join your fellow World Affairs Council of Austin members for this WorldNow virtual conversation. In its first few weeks, the Trump administration announced sweeping changes to immigration policy – from mass deportations and a migrant detention center at Guantanamo Bay to suspending asylum and trying to restrict birthright citizenship. What is the cost of these policies – to citizens and noncitizens alike?
CFR’s Edward Alden joins us on WorldNow with Jim Falk to explain the economic, social, and international impact of the new administration’s border policies and mass deportations.

Meet the Author
Edward Alden is Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Alden’s career spans more than three decades in journalism, think tanks, and academia. He was the bureau chief for the Financial Times newspaper in Toronto, Canada, and Washington, DC before joining the Council on Foreign Relations in 2007.
In addition to his own books and articles, he has worked with senior US policymakers on in-depth investigations of issues such as US immigration policy, US trade policy, border security, and the future of work. Since 2019 he has also been a visiting professor at Western Washington University, and he currently writes a column for Foreign Policy.
Meet the Host
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. Jim also hosts Perspectives Matter, which airs weekly on KERA-Dallas (PBS). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

When the World Closed Its Doors: The Covid-19 Tragedy and the Future of Borders by Edward Alden and Laurie Trautman
A detailed exploration of the most sweeping government border closures in human history during the Covid-19 pandemic and the implications for the future of global mobility.
In When the World Closed Its Doors, Edward Alden and Laurie Trautman tell the story of how nearly every country in the world shut its borders to respond to an external threat and explain how this global shock to the system ended up transforming state border policies around the world.
They detail the consequences of the COVID border restrictions – couples separated for years, children blocked from reuniting with their parents, container ship workers moving essential goods trapped at sea, pregnant citizens barred from returning home – and explain why governments used their harshest containment measures on those coming from outside.
Throughout, Alden and Trautman focus on human stories to show the multiple impacts that states’ increasing restrictiveness has had – economic, demographic, social, and political. And the fallout continues: governments left unchecked will continue to restrict borders with little regard to the collateral damage and disruption they cause.
A sweeping overview of the re-bordering of the world, both during and after 2020, this synthetic, wide-angle view of a singular shock to the international systems of travel and migration highlights why citizens need better protections and governments more robust guardrails.
Get a copy of When the World Closed Its Doors

Foreign Policy ONLINE Town Hall with Senator Chris Murphy
2025-03-31 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Join fellow World Affairs Councilmembers from across the nation for a town hall on U.S. Foreign Policy. We’ll address the massive changes to the State Department, the role of the U.S. in conflicts around the world, and relationships with allies and adversaries alike.
REGISTER HERE
About Senator Murphy

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; and the Appropriations Committee. He previously served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Connecticut’s fifth congressional district. Before being elected to Congress, he served for eight years in the Connecticut state legislature.

Africa: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
2025-04-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel Street, Austin, TX, 78705, United States
Former Ambassador Larry Andre, currently with the L.B.J. School, previously presented a program on Africa to the World Affairs Council. He will return to discuss a continent that has seen radical change in the very recent past. The media tends to focus on a continent facing civil war, militant Islam/terrorism, famine, and even genocide. Is it an accurate portrayal? No. Many African countries offer stability and opportunity to their citizens. Professor Andre will briefly discuss a few positive examples.
American influence in Africa has suffered a setback due to the abrupt cancellation of USAID. Given the importance of some forms of foreign aid in advancing U.S. goals, influence, and interests, Professor Andre will discuss how vital foreign aid functions can operate “post-USAID.” What should the U.S. humanitarian response be for global health, development aid, technical aid, and security assistance?
REGISTER HERE

World Now: Human Scale - A Conversation with Lawrence Wright
2025-05-06 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
In his new political thriller The Human Scale, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright tells the story of an Israeli cop and a Palestinian-American FBI agent who join forces to solve the murder of an Israeli police chief in the West Bank – set against the backdrop of the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict.
Wright joins us on WorldNow to discuss how his novel, which concludes on October 8th, 2023, underscores the human cost of this longstanding conflict. As he writes at the end of the book: “One cannot hope for an end to the strife without acknowledging the separate histories that each side claims.”
A staff writer at The New Yorker, Wright has spent decades reporting from the Middle East as a journalist, playwright, and novelist. He won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, his acclaimed nonfiction account of the rise of Al-Qaeda.
“The politics in this book are impossible to ignore; indeed, they’re the point. Wright is thorough in his recounting of key elements of the conflict.” – The New York Times
REGISTER HERE
Lawrence Wright is an author, screenwriter, playwright, and staff writer for The New Yorker magazine.
He is the author of eleven nonfiction books. His book about the rise of al-Qaeda, “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11” (Knopf, 2006), was published to immediate and widespread acclaim. It won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. It was made into a series for Hulu in 2018, starring Jeff Daniels, Alec Baldwin, and Tahar Rahim.
Wright has published four novels, “Noriega: God’s Favorite” (Simon and Schuster, 2000) which was made into a Showtime movie starring Bob Hoskins; “The End of October” (Knopf, 2020), a bestseller about a viral pandemic that came out right at the beginning of COVID; “Mr. Texas” (Knopf, 2023), which has been optioned as a limited streaming series; and his most recent novel, “The Human Scale,” released in the spring of 2025.
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

United States Foreign Policy in the New Century: Defining Vital Interests
2025-05-21 17:30 - 19:00
How will we define the vital interests of the U.S. related to our foreign policy in this new century? What should be our priorities, and how will we assess tradeoffs from Geostrategy to Economics? Also, what will be our role in promoting Human Rights, Democracy, and Development? Will we continue to lead America’s “Unfinished Fight for Democracy?” If so, how?
Dr. Jeremi Suri, the author of “Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy,” will address these questions and issues in a very engaging program.
This event is by invitation-only. Please notify us of your interest to receive an invitation by providing your contact information in the form below. Priority registration is available for World Affairs Council of Austin members. Bring your invitation to the event. Invitations are non-transferable.
REQUEST AN INVITATION HERE
Dr. Jeremi Suri holds the Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a professor in the University’s Department of History and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Dr. Suri is the author and editor of eleven books on contemporary politics and foreign policy, most recently Civil War By Other Means: America’s Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. His other books include The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America’s Highest Office; Henry Kissinger and the American Century; Liberty’s Surest Guardian: American Nation-Building from the Founders to Obama; and Foreign Policy Breakthroughs: Cases in Successful Diplomacy (with Robert Hutchings).
Dr. Suri writes for major newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Fortune, The American Prospect and Wired — as well as for various online sites and blogs. He is a popular public lecturer and appears frequently on radio and television.
Education:
Ph.D. in History, Yale University, 2001
M.A. in History, Ohio University, 1996
A.B. in History, Stanford University, 1994

REQUEST AN INVITATION HERE

Globalist Coffeehouse: Defining our Vital Interests in a New Century
2025-06-25 18:30 - 20:00
As a country and world power, we are in a period of transition, from how we approach both our allies and potential adversaries to the impact of technology, from drone warfare to cybertechnology and even AI. We are in the process of redefining our role in the world. What are our vital interests? Is there a role for the US in promoting Democracy, Human Rights, and Development? How do we establish priorities and implement corresponding policies to serve our vital interests?

We hope you will join us for what will be a very timely and consequently “lively” conversation!
REGISTER HERE
For more details contact:
Ellen Murry, Co-chair, of the Globalist Coffeehouse: ellen.murry@yahoo.com
Polina Anastassieva, Co-chair, of the Globalist Coffeehouse: polina@wacaustin.org

Federal Foreign Policy Briefing
2025-07-29 17:30 - 19:00
Join the World Affairs Council of Austin and hear from our featured guest speaker, Kiersten Kullenberg, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Outreach Director for Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. Ms. Kullenberg will share details of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s (USGLC) brand new report, “Economic Security is National Security.” In addition to explaining USGLC’s work across the country and in Washington DC, Ms. Kullenberg will address USGLC’s recommendations for Rebuilding America’s International Assistance Infrastructure.
This event is by invitation-only. Please notify us of your interest to receive an invitation by providing your contact information in the form below. Priority registration is available for World Affairs Council of Austin members. Bring your invitation to the event. Invitations are non-transferable.
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION HERE
Kiersten Kullenberg serves as The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Outreach Director for Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) works in our nation’s capital and across the country to champion America’s civilian-led tools of development and diplomacy to advance our national security, economic prosperity, and leadership position in the world. By advocating for a strong International Affairs Budget, the USGLC is working to make America’s international affairs programs a keystone of U.S. foreign policy. Prior to joining USGLC’s staff, Kiersten served as Director of Programs for the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Kiersten earned her B.A. in political science and international relations from Louisiana State University, studied abroad in Morocco, and was a member of The Golden Band From Tigerland.

Globalist Coffeehouse: Economic Security is National Security
2025-08-20 18:30 - 20:00 | Khon Thai Kitchen, 5800 Burnet Road, Austin, 78756, United States
The global threats to US national security increase day by day, with our adversaries and competitors working together to create chaos and disruption, not just on the military front, but also economically, and they are playing to win. Yet, too often, security and economic threats are addressed on separate tracks, not recognizing the connection between our financial security and national security. The fact that over the last decade, China has increased its investments in the developing world by 525% is just one excellent example. Simultaneously, many would suggest that most recently, we have actually retreated, with Africa and USAID being just the latest policy reversal.
While Americans certainly don’t want to be the “policeman of the world,” we do need to protect our interests. In addition to strengthening supply chains, bolstering infrastructure in emerging economies, and leveraging technology, some would suggest that using “soft power,” through US economic/development aid, is also a highly cost-effective tool. How should/will we use these tools at our disposal? What should our global role be, both economically and militarily, in future decades?

For more details contact:
Ellen Murry, Co-chair, of the Globalist Coffeehouse: ellen.murry@yahoo.com
Polina Anastassieva, Co-chair, of the Globalist Coffeehouse: polina@wacaustin.org

World Now: A Tale of Two Kings - Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Future of Power in the Middle East
2025-09-09 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman – de facto ruler of one of the wealthiest states in the Middle East – has positioned himself as a transformative leader. His rule is defined by economic and social change, a close relationship with President Trump, and concerns about human rights abuses and power consolidation.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II leads one of the region’s most economically challenged countries with a steady hand and traditional approach. His rule is characterized by alliance building and cautious political reform, while also stifling political opposition.
Join us on WorldNow with Jim Falk for an inside look at two very different yet consequential leaders who are shaping the future of the Middle East – and redefining what it means to be king in the 21st century. With Pulitzer Prize-Winner Karen Elliot House, author of The Man Who Would be King: Mohammad Bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia and Aaron Magid, author of The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan.

Meet the Authors
Karen Elliott House is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist with nearly five decades of experience covering Saudi Arabia. She is also a former executive of Dow Jones & Company and former chair of the Rand Corp. Her deep expertise informs her latest book, The Man Who Would Be King: Mohammed bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia, which draws on more than half a dozen in-depth interviews with the Crown Prince himself. House spent over 30 years at The Wall Street Journal, serving as a reporter, editor, and ultimately publisher. She resides in Princeton, New Jersey.

Aaron Magid is a former Amman-based journalist and the author of the recently published The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan. His analysis on the Hashemite Kingdom has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Al-Monitor, the Atlantic Council, France 24, Al-Jazeera, and the Middle East Institute. He hosts the podcast On Jordan. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University.

Meet the Host
Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

About the Books
The Man Who Would Be King: Mohammed Bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia by Karen Elliot House
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and former Wall Street Journal publisher, Karen House has gained unprecedented insights into Saudi Arabia and its controversial leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman through her more than forty years of experience covering the Arab kingdom.
House reveals a leader who, like Peter the Great, is a reformer determined to modernize his kingdom but also an autocrat who jails political opponents and rival princes to assure his grip on power. Drawing on extensive interviews with the Crown Prince, his royal relatives, and his inner ring of advisors, The Man Who Would Be King explains in full what shaped the man who is reshaping Saudi Arabia. It is an unprecedented and much needed in-depth portrait of the leader who, at only thirty-nine, will be a major player on the world stage for the next half century.
Get a copy of The Man Who Would Be King on Bookshop.org to support your local bookstore.

The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan by Aaron Magid
The first comprehensive biography on Jordan’s King Abdullah, The Most American King details Abdullah’s rise to power, survival amid protests from Jordanians, and his efforts to cement an alliance with Washington.
Aaron Magid, a former Amman-based journalist, charts Abdullah’s path to power from a Massachusetts prep school to a British military academy to the throne, and reveals how Abdullah has remained in power for over a quarter century. While leaders nearby were ousted during the 2011 Arab Spring protests, Abdullah survived the wave of discontent. Drawing on interviews with over 100 of King Abdullah’s classmates, former Jordanian ministers, and CIA directors, The Most American King offers a thorough account of this key Arab leader.
Get a copy of The Most American King.

A Conversation with Lawrence Wright
2025-09-18 17:30 - 19:00
Join your fellow World Affairs Council of Austin members for a conversation with Lawrence Wright, author, screenwriter, and playwright.
Mr. Wright received the Pulitzer Prize for this book, “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11.” With a degree from American University in Cairo, he has spent time living and reporting on the Middle East. His latest book, “The Human Scale,” released in 2025, set in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Publisher’s Weekly calls it a “superb thriller from Pulitzer winner Wright…an uncomfortable and unforgettable plunge into the heart of a devastating conflict.”
Mr. Wright will discuss and provide insights on the current social, economic, and political scene in the Middle East.
This event is by invitation-only. Please notify us of your interest to receive an invitation by providing your contact information in the form below. Priority registration is available for World Affairs Council of Austin members. Bring your invitation to the event. Invitations are non-transferable.
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION HERE
Lawrence Wright is an author, screenwriter, playwright, and staff writer for The New Yorker Magazine, where he has published numerous prize-winning articles, earning him three National Magazine Awards. He is a graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans and the American University in Cairo.
He is the author of eleven nonfiction works, including “Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief,” which was made into a documentary for HBO, winning six Emmys; and “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11,” which won the Pulitzer Prize and became a series for Hulu, starring Jeff Daniels, Alec Baldwin, and Tahar Rahim.
“The Human Scale” is Wright’s fourth novel. His previous works include “The End of October,” and “Mr. Texas.” In 2006, Wright premiered his first one-person play, “My Trip to Al-Qaeda,” at The New Yorker Festival. It was made into a documentary film of the same name, directed by Alex Gibney, for HBO.
Wright is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Society of American Historians, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also serves as the keyboard player in the Austin-based blues band, WhoDo.

Global Security Forum 2025: Fireside Chat with LTG Robert Ashley, USA (Ret.)
2025-10-07 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
An online conversation with LTG Robert Ashley, USA (Ret.), 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and MG Garrett Yee, USA (Ret.)
About the speakers:
Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr. retired from the U.S. Army November 2020 after over 36 years of activity duty service as an intelligence officer. He assumed his last duty position on 3 October 2017 when he became the 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
He formerly served as the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, where he was the senior advisor to the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff for all aspects of intelligence, counterintelligence and security. He has commanded at the company, battalion, squadron, and brigade levels with six combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a squadron, brigade commander, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (J-2). Other key assignments include the Director of Intelligence, United States Army Joint Special Operations Command; the Director of Intelligence, United States Central Command; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, International Security Assistance Force and Director of Intelligence, United States Forces, Afghanistan; and Commanding General and Commandant United States Army Intelligence Center and School Fort Huachuca, AZ.
Lieutenant General Ashley has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Appalachian State University, a master’s degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University (formerly known as the Defense Intelligence College) and a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. Lieutenant General Ashley is the CEO of Ashley Global Leadership and Security (LLC).
Garrett Yee currently serves as a Vice President within the Defense Division at General Dynamics Information Technology. In this role, he is responsible for the successful operation, execution, and management for GDIT’s Army mission programs.
Prior to GDIT, Garrett served in the U.S. Army retiring as Major General. In his final assignment with the Army, Garrett served at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) where he helped to lead a global organization of approximately 8,000 military and civilian personnel who plan, develop, deliver, and operate joint, interoperable, command and control capabilities and a global enterprise infrastructure in direct support of the president, secretary of defense, joint chiefs of staff, combatant commanders, Department of Defense components, and other mission partners across the full spectrum of operations.
Prior to his assignment at DISA, Garrett served as the Military Deputy to the Army CIO/G-6 and Senior Information Security Officer in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO)/G6, Headquarters, Department of the Army in the Pentagon. Garrett holds a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University.
This event is part of the Global Security Forum Series 2025 (GSF2025).
The theme of GSF2025 is Unraveling Order. We will explore the edge of uncertainty – the threats that emerge when norms collapse and the opportunities that arise when power shifts. GSF2025 gathers the world’s top leaders and minds to ask: when certainty collapses, what comes next?
GSF2025 is evolving to reach a growing number of attendees and to host more international and national leaders than ever before. GSF has expanded from its traditional form of a one-day gathering into a series of over 10 in-person and virtual events held throughout Fall 2025. Learn more and find the full schedule here.

Global Security Forum 2025: Unraveling Order - The Threat of Nuclear Anarchy
2025-10-20 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
As the nuclear threat heats up, we sit down with Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control & International.
As the under secretary of state for arms control and international security from 2021 to 2024, Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins oversaw three bureaus: Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability; International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN); and Political-Military Affairs. In May 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken named Jenkins, the first African American to serve as an under secretary of state, as the department’s lead on implementation of AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Jenkins served as special envoy for cooperative threat reduction programs in the ISN bureau from July 2009 until January 2017. She coordinated U.S. government efforts alongside international programs that prevent non-state actors from developing chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. She was the State Department’s lead for the President’s Nuclear Security Summits and the U.S. representative to the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, and she led diplomatic efforts to promote the Global Health Security Agenda. She was the 2016 ISN nominee for the Secretary of State’s Award for Excellence.
From its inception in 2017 until April 2021, Jenkins was the founder, executive director, and board chair of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security. From 2005 to 2009, she was the program officer for U.S. foreign and security policy at the Ford Foundation. She also served as counsel on the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission).
Jenkins was a legal adviser to the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. She has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law School, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, George Washington University, the University of Virginia, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Minnesota. Jenkins designed and led arms control simulations at Stanford University. Jenkins is a retired U.S. Naval Reserve officer.

This event is part of the Global Security Forum Series 2025 (GSF2025).
The theme of GSF2025 is Unraveling Order. We will explore the edge of uncertainty – the threats that emerge when norms collapse and the opportunities that arise when power shifts. GSF2025 gathers the world’s top leaders and minds to ask: when certainty collapses, what comes next?
GSF2025 is evolving to reach a growing number of attendees and to host more international and national leaders than ever before. GSF has expanded from its traditional form of a one-day gathering into a series of over 10 in-person and virtual events held throughout Fall 2025. Learn more and find the full schedule here.

Globalist Coffeehouse: The Middle East - Where are We Now?
2025-10-22 18:30 - 20:00 | Khon Thai Kitchen, 5800 Burnet Road, Austin, 78756, United States
What is the region’s future, starting with Gaza and the West Bank? What will be the role of the US and countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt?
The US has announced a 20-point plan for the region, and at this time, some would say that a ceasefire and the return of the Israeli hostages is perhaps feasible. However, the more critical issue is where the region moves forward from there. The details in the proposal are often rather vague, even aspirational. A cease-fire and hostage exchange is not necessarily peace in the Middle East.
Please join us for a lively discussion on what is currently essentially a fluid process.

Ukraine and Innovation at the Edge
2025-10-29 17:30 - 19:00
Join your fellow World Affairs Council of Austin members for Ukraine and Innovation at the Edge featuring Ross Guieb, Executive Director for the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex at the Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus in Bryan.
This event is by invitation-only. Please notify us of your interest to receive an invitation by providing your contact information in the form below. Priority registration is available for World Affairs Council of Austin members. Bring your invitation to the event. Invitations are non-transferable.
REQUEST YOUR INVITATION HERE
Ross Guieb is the Executive Director for the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex at the Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus in Bryan, Texas. He is a husband, Aggie Dad, and a “Soldier for Life.”
As Executive Director, Ross provides oversight of a unique ecosystem of state-of-the-art facilities, researchers, staff and faculty, organized and focused to accelerate priority Department of Defense technologies from the lab to the field. This includes developing strategic partnerships across DoD, academia, and the defense industrial base. BCDC represents a more than $200M combined investment from the Texas A&M University System, State of Texas, and Army Futures Command.
A decorated combat Veteran, Ross retired in 2020 as a Colonel with 29 years of service in the U.S. Army.
As a senior staff executive, Ross played an instrumental role in the development of Army Futures Command and the reorganization of the Army’s modernization enterprise, and brings to the Texas A&M
University System tremendous insight on how to best support national security research priorities. Ross holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of California, a Masters of Arts in Business and Organizational Security Management from Websters University, a Masters of Science in Adult Education from Kansas State University and a Masters of Science in National Security Policy and Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School at the National War College. He is also a graduate of the FBI Academy, and received professional certification from the University of St Andrews (Scotland) Centre for the Study of Terrorism. Ross was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (x3), and Bronze Star (x3). Ross was also awarded the Key to the City of London.
Ross is married to Kathleen a lifelong public educator and is the proud father of three sons, two are currently on ROTC scholarship with the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University. Ross’ oldest son is a proud graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles.

WorldNow: The New Global Disorder with Ambassador Michael McFaul
2025-11-12 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins us on WorldNow with Jim Falk to explore the global rise of autocracy, new challenges posed by an assertive Russia and China, and an increasingly insular America – and what it all means for democracy and security in a changing world.
In Autocrats vs. Democrats, Ambassador McFaul makes the case for democsracy and defines the threats posed by China, Russia, and America’s shift to isolationism to the global international order as we know it.
Join us November 12th to hear exclusive insight from Ambassador McFaul, the leading Russia and Eurasian affairs expert, on his forthcoming book and his vision of American leadership on the world stage.

About the Book
Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder by Michael McFaul
A bold, clear-eyed look at how the autocracies of China and Russia are challenging the current global order, and how America’s future depends on successfully confronting this threat.
The rise of China, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the reelection of President Donald Trump have reinforced a gloomy yet growing consensus: the old global order has ended, and a new Cold War has begun.
In this sweeping account of great power competition between the United States, China, and Russia over the past three centuries, Michael McFaul—former ambassador to Russia and international affairs analyst for NBC News—argues persuasively that today’s challenges require fresh thinking, not constrained by distant memories of the Cold War or the nationalist dreams of MAGA.
Acknowledging how Xi’s China, Putin’s Russia, and Trump’s America are upending the current international system, Autocrats vs Democrats makes the case against America’s retreat from the world, detailing why:

Russia’s disruptive ambitions should not be underestimated.
China’s capabilities should not be overestimated.
Trump’s shift toward isolationism and autocracy will weaken America’s place in the world.

At once a clarion call for American diplomacy and a forceful rebuttal of the Trump administration’s policies, Autocrats vs Democrats provides a nuanced assessment of the China and Russia threats, as well as a bold vision for renewing America’s leadership on the world stage.
Pre-order a copy of Autocrats vs. Democrats, coming October 28th, 2025

Globalist Coffeehouse: US Currency & Its Global Influence
2025-11-20 18:30 - 20:00 | 5280 Burger and Taphouse, 7032 Wood Hollow Dr, Austin, TX, 78731, United States
In 1785, the US adopted the dollar sign as its official currency. Just three years later, in 1789, the very first dollar bill was issued. By 1791, Alexander Hamilton established the Bank of the United States. For over the last century, the dollar has been a dominant force in international trade.

An interesting fact is that the most significant bill to have ever been produced was between December 18, 1934, and January 9, 1935. It was worth $100,000, printed with the portrait of then-President Woodrow Wilson.

Despite recent economic shifts and, perhaps more importantly, technological evolution, the US dollar remains the global currency. What was the role of the dollar’s stability in the 20th century? What exactly made it much more appealing to other countries than their own currency? Most importantly, what will be the status of the dollar in the first half of the 21st century and beyond?

Please join us for a lively discussion on such a vital topic.

WorldNow: The World Ahead 2026 with The Economist's Editor Tom Standage
2025-12-08 11:00 - 12:00 | ONLINE
Each year, The Economist publishes The World Ahead series: an informed prediction of the major themes that will dominate the coming year. Spanning topics from politics to technology to sociology and more, this series edited by Tom Standage is as ambitious as it is awe-inspiring.
On December 8, Standage rejoins the Council to discuss his publication’s analysis for 2026. In conversation with Jim Falk, host of WorldNow.
Join us to unpack all of the trends that will define 2026 – from a possible AI bubble and global climate policy controversies to evolving global conflicts, problems for Europe, and China’s rise.
The details:
When: Monday, December 8 | 12:00PM ET
Where: Zoom Webinar | Registration required
REGISTER HERE: No charge, RSVP required

Meet the Economist
Tom Standage is deputy editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, “The World Ahead.” Standage directs the newspaper’s digital strategy and the development of new digital products and is the author of seven history books, including Writing on the Wall (2013), The Victorian Internet (1998), and A History of the World in 6 Glasses (2005). He studied engineering and computing at Oxford University and has written for other publications including the New York Times, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, and Wired.

Meet the Host

Jim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe, NM, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. In addition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk, Jim produces and hosts The Forum, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Venezuela and the U.S.: What Comes Next?
2025-12-09 18:00 - 19:00 | ONLINE
Gunboat diplomacy, armed conflict, or all-out regime change? As tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continue to rachet up, all outcomes and more seem to be on the table.
The U.S. has declared an armed conflict with Venezuela, increased military pressure in the Caribbean, and accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of heading Cartel de los Soles, recently declared to be a foreign terrorist organization. Simultaneously, President Trump has indicated an openness to talks with his Venezuelan counterpart.
Is the U.S. headed towards war with Venezuela?
Former Ambassador to Venezuela, Charles Shapiro, joins us to unpack everything we know about the potential of further U.S. military action and what could come next.
A career foreign service officer with 34 years of service, Amb. Shapiro held a number of senior positions at the United States Department of State including Ambassador to Venezuela, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, and Coordinator for Cuban Affairs.
REGISTER HERE

Featuring
Ambassador Charles Shapiro
Ambassador (ret.) Charles Shapiro is a senior advisor at the Pendleton Group, co-founder of Art of Diplomacy Tours, and a Professor of Practice at the Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech.
A career foreign service officer with 34 years of service, Shapiro held a number of senior positions at the United States Department of State including Ambassador to Venezuela, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, and Coordinator for Cuban Affairs.
In 2011 Shapiro became the president of the Institute of the Americas, a think tank at the University of California San Diego. In 2014 he became president of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta. While at the World Affairs Council, he taught international business in the Executive MBA program at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.
Shapiro’s op-eds have been published in the Toronto Star, Efecto Cocuyo, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the Miami Herald, the San Diego Union Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times.
