Weiser Diplomacy Center Series

Join for a joint discussion hosted by the Weiser Diplomacy Center at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the American Academy of Diplomacy with four former senior diplomats on the opportunities and challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Weiser Diplomacy Center will host a policy simulation at the Ford School this fall. In this exercise, students will learn about the crisis in Cyprus and be tasked with using diplomacy to address a variety of urgent issues in this scenario.

Join Brent McIntosh, UM alumna and former Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs for a discussion of the power, limits, and risks of economic sanctions as a tool of U.S. statecraft and the evolution of institutions of global financial coordination.

Implications of the Iraq War at its 20-year anniversary

Janae Cooley (BA '98) will discuss her 23 years of service as a diplomat, including disaster relief work at the State Department.

This panel will analyze historical and contemporary instances of sexual violence by state and non-state actors amid armed conflict in South Asia, and discuss some policy and diplomacy tools for violence prevention.

The Peacemaker explores how Ronald Reagan and his national security team developed a multifaceted and successful Cold War strategy to win a peaceful victory over Soviet communism.

Drawing on unprecedented access to all six surviving members of Team Alpha - the first Americans behind enemy lines in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001 - Harnden tells the story of how the CIA and Green Berets infiltrated into the mountains of northern Afghanistan in a mission reminiscent of the OSS in World War II.

This presentation will explain the causes, contours, and possible outcomes of the largely unknown war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Karabakh, which is overwhelmingly Armenian in population but is located wholly inside Azerbaijan.

Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan and the 2016 film Dangal helped reduce India-China tensions, illustrating India’s intangible soft power through the circulation of Bollywood as a malleable cultural form. 

Lou Fintor, Diplomat in Residence North - Central will discuss U.S. Department of State's career paths and upcoming opportunities, including internships and fellowships.

A diplomatic policy simulation on the European energy crisis with a focus on U.S. foreign policy and the positions of key European nations.

Three noted experts will share insights drawn from academic study, civil society engagement, and diplomatic practice.

Eric Schmitt and Dave Philipps will join Associate Professor of Practice Javed Ali in a conversation about their reporting, how it evolved, and the impact it has had on changing US policy with respect to civilian casualties that now extends outside the realm of just counterterrorism operations.

Join us for a discussion with Ambassador Peter Bodde on disaster response in South Asia region, especially his experience in hurricane stricken areas. 

Paul Lettow will discuss lessons learned from Truman to today in U.S. national security strategy in conversation with Professor John Ciorciari. 

Professor John Chin’s (MPP '08) research focuses on the politics of unrest—from coups to nonviolent protest to assassinations—and regime change, authoritarian survival, and democratization.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president of Poland visits the University of Michigan to speak on the global impact of Russia's war on Ukraine.

Center for Strategic Leadership at the U.S. Army War College will host a policy simulation at the Ford School this fall. In this exercise, students will learn about the competition in the Arctic region and be tasked with using diplomacy to address a variety of urgent issues.

The Ford School and PICS students are invited to learn about the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program administered by Howard University that seeks to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers as diplomats in Foreign Services of the U.S. Department of State. 

Visiting Belgian diplomats in conversation with U-M students about transatlantic relations and the challenges the E.U. is facing right now. 

Dr. Bama Athreya is an expert on international labor issues, gender and social inclusion, business and human rights and will run a student workshop style discussion on using trade to address forced labor worldwide.

Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service (Retired) Colonel James T. (Tom) Faust will reflect on his career in the military and civilian service.

Ambassador Rakolta will reflect on his experience as U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and his work on the historic Abraham Accords.

Former Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and Alina Polyakova, president and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis, discuss the state of relations between the United States and Russia. 

David I. Steinberg and Moe Thuzar will discuss the coup in Myanmar and provide the essential context of the crisis. 

In Why Nations Rise, Manjari Miller argues that elites in some states actively reframe their image when their economic and military power increases, applies lessons from historical cases, and reshapes our understanding of rising power.

Eric Beinhart of the U.S. Department of Justice will discuss approaches to police reform in societies affected by conflict and ways to bridge the divide between formal law enforcement and traditional community governance structures in areas where state institutions have lacked capacity and/or legitimacy.

We invite Ford School students to join us for a conversation with Ambassador Joseph Yun on Biden administration's policy options with respect to North Korea. Yun is a senior advisor to the Asia Program at USIP and one of the nation’s leading experts on relations with North Korea.