DATE: Tuesday, Sep 2nd, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: "American Foreign Policy in Trump 2.0: An Early Assessment" Dr. Gutierrez will draw on over 30 years of studying, teaching, and implementing American foreign policy as a military diplomat, professor of political science, and international policy professional to present an early assessment of the emerging foreign policy of President Donald Trump’s second administration. The termination of international humanitarian aid, innovation of a new global trade regime, and closely observed public statements on our commitments to allies and engagements with traditional adversaries have all raised questions regarding America’s leadership in a dangerous and changing world. Will our allies follow us? Will our enemies fear us?
SPEAKER: Brad Gutierrez is a retired career military officer and public policy executive. He flew combat missions in the B-52 bomber, served on the faculties of the U.S. Air Force Academy and National Defense University, and was a military attaché in the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary. His post-military career focused on international policy leadership roles in homeland security, global humanitarian response, African security development, and science and technology research and higher education. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the USAF Academy in international relations and African Politics, master’s degrees from Central Michigan University in Public Administration and Indiana University in Russian and East European Affairs, and a doctorate from the University of California, San Diego in Political Science.
ZOOM LINK: Click here. Or Meeting ID: 815 0626 7487, Passcode: 705219
DATE: Tuesday, Sep 16th, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: "Digital Threats and Propaganda: How Foreign Actors Target North Carolina and Other States". Foreign intelligence services' attacks and cyber threats are shaping public discourse and influencing communities through digital propaganda campaigns and misinformation. The Alliance for Securing Democracy’s (ADS) groundbreaking research reveals how U.S. adversaries are targeting government institutions, exploiting trusted community voices, and using sophisticated tactics, including AI-generated content, to destabilize American democracy. ADS has published its findings in a report, “The State(s) of Foreign Information Operations: A State-by-State Look at Foreign Information Manipulation in the United States." In recent years, the US government, non-profits, and social media companies ramped up efforts to combat foreign malign influence. Where do those efforts stand during the second Trump administration? Are we prepared to defend against new and emerging threats?
SPEAKER: Bret Schafer, an Alliance for Securing Democracy senior fellow for media and digital disinformation, is the creator and manager of Hamilton 2.0, an online open-source dashboard tracking the outputs of Russian, Chinese, and Iranian state media outlets, diplomats, and government officials. As an expert in computational propaganda, state-backed information operations, and tech regulation, he has spoken at conferences around the globe and advised numerous governments and international organizations. His research has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, and he has been interviewed on NPR, MSNBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, and the BBC. Prior to joining the German Marshall Fund's Alliance for Securing Democracy, he spent more than ten years in the television and film industry, including stints at Cartoon Network and as a freelance writer for Warner Brothers. He also worked in Budapest as a radio host and in Berlin as a semi-professional baseball player in Germany’s Bundesliga. Bret has a BS in communications with a major in radio/television/film from Northwestern University and a master’s in public diplomacy from the University of Southern California where he was the editor-in-chief of Public Diplomacy Magazine.
ZOOM LINK: Click here. Or Meeting ID: 815 0626 7487, Passcode: 705219
DATE: Tuesday, Oct 7th, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: "What’s So Important about U.S. Agricultural Exports?" Because countries view agricultural imports as politically and culturally sensitive, they are among the most regulated and restricted products traded globally. What impact do these sensitivities have on U.S. trade policy, domestic producers, and our economy as a whole? What is the importance of exports to the U.S. agricultural sector and to North Carolina? What has been the economic impact of past trade policies and regulations? What are the potential outcomes of current policies?
SPEAKER: Clay Hamilton retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service in August 2024 at the rank of Career Minister (3-star equivalent) with over 40 years of government experience representing U.S. agriculture development, promoting agriculture exports, and encouraging global policies based on sound science. Clay served in diplomatic posts in Bulgaria, Italy, Japan, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, and India, where he negotiated increased market access, oversaw marketing programs, and resolved trade barriers affecting billions of dollars of U.S. exports. From 2018-2023, he served as Associate Administrator for the Foreign Agricultural Service where he oversaw trade policy development and managed marketing and credit export guarantee programs valued at $5 billion.
ZOOM LINK: Click here. Or Meeting ID: 815 0626 7487, Passcode: 705219
DATE: Tuesday, Nov 4th, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: Russia-Ukraine War
DATE: Tuesday, Dec 2nd, 07:00 to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center, UNCA (click for map)
TOPIC: Refugee Crises
World Affairs Program 2025