DATE: Tuesday, Feb 4th, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: "America's Place in the World" Ambassador Stephenson will draw on her 34 years as an American diplomat to present an overview of America's place in the world, beginning with a look at the impact of globalization from the 1990s to now. Is the East really rising and the West declining, as Chinese leader Xi Jinping declared shortly after the financial crisis? How does America's economic performance and military prowess stack up in this age of great power competition? Why do having more allies and more great research universities than our competitors matter to America's standing in the world? And what should we be worried about as we look ahead?
SPEAKER: Barbara Stephenson is vice provost for global affairs and chief global officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation's oldest public university established in 1789. She is a distinguished diplomat, former U.S. ambassador, international leader and prior dean of the Leadership and Management School at the Foreign Service Institute. Stephenson is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and the American College of National Security Leaders. She also serves as vice chair of the board of the World Affairs Councils of America, on the advisory council of Global Ties U.S., and on the executive committee of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Commission on International Initiatives.
ZOOM LINK Click here. Or meeting ID: 996 6769 3494, Passcode: 847071
DATE: Tuesday, Mar 4th, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: "Global Climate Change" In this initial, chaotic phase of the new U.S. Administration, it is difficult to discern a positive forward path that addresses climate change. What will be the impact of America's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the new policy of putting America first in international environmental agreements? What will be the consequences of the Administration's dramatic policy reversals on climate change? How will China and other nations respond, and will it matter?
SPEAKER: Roger Helm worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 25 years assessing the impact of oil and other contaminants on wildlife and pursuing restoration claims against polluters. He co-authored Marine Mammals of California, chapters on the effects of oil on seabirds and marine mammals, and numerous other referred publications on marine birds and mammals and global climate change. Presently, Roger teaches on the effects of global climate change and works with various organizations on solutions to this potentially catastrophic problem. He has a PhD from the University of California Davis (1990).
ZOOM LINK Click here. Or meeting ID: 996 6769 3494, Passcode: 847071
DATE: Tuesday, Mar 18h, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: "Future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)." Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has grown in size and complexity while the United States has continued to play an essential leadership role. NATO is much more than Article 5 of the Atlantic Charter, "an attack on one is an attack on all". Moreover, with the advent of the war in Ukraine, the whole idea of future NATO expansion has become a subject of international debate, particularly in light of recent statements by Secretary of Defense Hegseth and Vice-president Vance in Europe. NATO has been an essential element of the US national security strategy. Will it be so in the future?
SPEAKER: Dr. John Plant served in the United States Army from 1972 to 2001, retiring at the rank of Colonel. His last seven years in the Army were in US European Command, where he served in a variety of roles, including teaching military-to-military classes in new NATO and NATO aspirant countries, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, and Albania. From 2001 to 2007, he served as an advisor to the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic for a US Army-sponsored defense modernization contract. He received his Ph.D. degree in 2018 from George Mason University’s Shar School of Policy and Government.
ZOOM LINK Click here. Or meeting ID: 996 6769 3494, Passcode: 847071
DATE: Tuesday, Apr 1st, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: "Beyond Traditional Diplomacy: Grassroots Ties Safeguard the U.S.-Japan Alliance" With alliances and traditional diplomacy now called into question under America First policies, how can we sustain our vital partnership with Japan—long regarded as the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in Asia? Drawing on a 25-year career as a U.S. diplomat, Margot Carrington will share key moments in U.S.-Japan diplomatic relations, such as President Obama’s historic 2016 visit to Hiroshima—the first by a sitting U.S. president. She will also highlight the myriad ways in which sister cities exchanges, citizen diplomacy programs, and other grassroots ties bolster the strong government-to-government relationship that has been forged with Japan during the post-war period. Finally, she will explore how your involvement in grassroots diplomacy can help ensure that the U.S.-Japan alliance remains strong, even in today’s challenging diplomatic environment.
SPEAKER: Margot Carrington retired from the U.S. diplomatic service after a 25-year career focused on Japan, where she served four tours. She is the recipient of multiple honors, including a Japanese Language Award and the prestigious Lois Roth Award for Cultural Diplomacy. In retirement, Margot remains deeply involved in U.S.-Japan grassroots initiatives. She actively supports organizations such as the U.S.-Japan Council and the Japan-America Society of North Carolina. She also serves on the boards of the National Association of Japan-America Societies and the Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative (JWLI). Margot graduated, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Florida with a master’s degree in international relations.
ZOOM LINK Click here. Or meeting ID: 996 6769 3494, Passcode: 847071
DATE: Tuesday, Apr 15th, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: "New Paradigms? Chinese Responses to the New Trump Administration" The Trump Administration’s overtures to Vladimir Putin and challenges to the United States alliance networks are fundamentally realigning global power relationships. How is the Chinese party-state responding to swings in US policy? What impact will this round of tariffs have on the Chinese economy and the US-China relationship? Will US treatment of Ukraine have any influence on China’s position toward Taiwan? Is China really a bigger threat to US interests than Russia? What, if anything, can be done to improve the US-China relationship while promoting American interests and values?
SPEAKER: Dr. Katherine Palmer Kaup is James B. Duke Professor of Asian Studies and Politics and International Affairs at Furman University. Her research focuses on ethnic minorities, rule of law, and human rights developments in China. She is the author of Creating the Zhuang: Ethnic Politics in China and several articles and chapters on ethnic minorities and is editor and contributor to the textbook, Understanding Contemporary Asia (2nd edition 2021). She has served as a Director on the Board for the National Committee on United States-China Relations, special adviser for Minority Nationalities Affairs at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Yunnan Minzu University, Visiting Scholar at the Guangxi Ethnic Affairs Commission, and PI/Program Director for several federally funded Chinese language programs and for the Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment. She speaks Chinese and regularly leads university and other delegations to China. She holds a BA from Princeton and MA/PhD from the University of Virginia in Government and Foreign Affairs.
ZOOM LINK Click here. Or meeting ID: 996 6769 3494, Passcode: 847071
DATE: Tuesday, May 6th, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: "Artificial Intelligence (AI) and U.S. National Security: Enhancement or Threat?" The AI revolution is the leading edge of a larger high-tech revolution which promises to transform the world. Experts argue that international cooperation is needed to expand the opportunities these new technologies hold while protecting societies from their dangers. What are the key policy debates in this area, and what are the opportunities and limits on AI rules of the road? How will the AI revolution impact American national security? What are its policy options to secure the benefits of AI and guard against its dangers?
SPEAKER Major General Rick Devereaux graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1978 with a B.S. in International Affairs. During his 34-year career, he piloted several aircraft, including the C-5 Galaxy and the KC-135 Stratotanker. He held a variety of leadership positions that included avionics manager for the C-17 aircraft development program, two tours on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, Director of Air Force Training Operations, and the Air Force's Director of Regional Affairs at the Pentagon. General Devereaux also commanded five organizations, including a C-5 flying squadron, a mobility operations group, a flying wing and base in England, a technical training wing in Texas, and the Air Force's Expeditionary Center in New Jersey. His last assignment was the Air Force’s Director of Operational Planning, Policy, and Strategy at the Pentagon. He holds three advanced degrees, including an M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College in Washington DC. After retiring from the Air Force in 2012, General Devereaux worked as a consultant for several defense industry firms, an energy start-up, and various national security think tanks. Locally, Rick currently is the Vice Chair of Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Board of Directors and serves on the boards of the Leadership Asheville Forum, the City of Asheville Civil Service Board, and the World Affairs Council of Western North Carolina.
ZOOM LINK Click here. Or meeting ID: 996 6769 3494, Passcode: 847071
World Affairs Program 2025