This roundtable is tailored to inspire and equip future policymakers with real-world insights into peacebuilding, resilience, and the practicalities of diplomatic work amidst conflict.
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Conversations Across Differences
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
In the year since the Hamas attack on Israel, the deadly conflict has widened into crises beyond Gaza -- in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Yemen. Two experts with long experience in Middle East policymaking return to the Ford School for a substantive policy conversation about the conflict and the broader implications for the region, and the ways in which U.S. policy and policymakers are acting and reacting to the crises. This event is open to Ford School students, faculty, and staff, and will be streamed live and on-demand.
Join this year's Ambassadors' Forum for an in-depth look at the escalating crises in the Middle East and the critical questions surrounding the region’s stability and international involvement.
Watch live from this page
Vandenberg Lecture,
Policy Talks @ the Ford School
The Ford School is pleased to present U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink for the 6th annual Arthur Vandenberg Lecture. Ambassador Brink will give brief remarks on the situation in Ukraine as it enters its third year of war with Russia, followed by a conversation with Weiser Diplomacy Center Director Susan D. Page.
Democracy around the world is both robust -- two billion people will be able to cast a ballot in 2924 -- and fragile, as threats to the voting process, to the structures of democratic society, and to the voters themselves afflict many nations.
Betty Ford Classroom (Room 1110)
Joan & Sanford Weill Hall
Join us for a fireside chat with Charles Luftig, Deputy Director for National Intelligence Policy and Capabilities, as we commemorate the 20-year anniversary of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA). Moderated by Javed Ali, this conversation will explore current intelligence and envision a future shaped by advances in technology like open source intelligence, social media, artificial intelligence, and language learning models.
Former United Nations Under-Secretary General and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), will join us to discuss the intricate relationship between health equity and economic resilience in Africa. Dr. Songwe's insights will highlight Africa's role in global power dynamics and strategies for asserting its agency amid evolving economic landscapes.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
Federal Reserve Bank Vice Chair for Supervision Michael S. Barr, former dean of the Ford School, will discuss the workings of the Fed, his work on banking reform, and the lessons of leadership he has learned in his career in and out of government service.
Meet Mark Jacobson, a seasoned veteran who has made significant contributions to NATO, the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and held key roles at the Department of Defense. Mark's journey spans academia and military service.
Discover the captivating journey of President Zelensky's former press secretary and a globally acclaimed journalist. Uncover the behind-the-scenes stories of her impactful work in Ukraine and the dynamic world of journalism!
Join the Center for Racial Justice in welcoming Dr. Enobong (Anna) Branch, senior vice president for equity at Rutgers University, to discuss her latest publication, Work in Black & White: Striving for the American Dream.
Join the Center for Racial Justice in welcoming Airea D. Matthews, acclaimed poet, educator, and Ford School alumna, to discuss her latest work Bread and Circus, a memoir-in-verse that combines poetry, prose, and imagery to explore the realities of economic necessity, marginal poverty, and commodification, through a personal lens.
Join your fellow Ford Students for CommuniTea! A student-led series of informal, bi-weekly gatherings held in Weill Hall, focusing on key topics of interest to our community
Join us for CommuniTea! A student-led series of informal, bi-weekly gatherings held in Weill Hall, focusing on key topics of interest to our community.
Join the Center for Racial Justice in welcoming Dr. Kris Marsh, author and Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, to discuss her latest book The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class.
Join the Center for Racial Justice on Tuesday, September 26 for our Open House! Get acquainted with the upcoming initiatives CRJ has prepared for the academic year, and join us in extending a warm welcome to our AY 23-24 Visiting and Postdoctoral Fellows!
We're excited to introduce CommuniTea, a student-led series of informal, bi-weekly gatherings held in Weill Hall, focusing on key topics of interest to our community.
Ford School professor Catie Hausman will speak on teaching inclusive and policy-relevant statistical methods as part of the ISR Inclusive Research Matters Seminar Series.
On Thursday, March 30 at 4pm, the Center for Racial Justice invites you to attend our CRJ Visiting Fellows Spring Showcase featuring the work of our inaugural cohort of visiting fellows: sociologist and legal scholar, Dr. Atinuke (Tinu) Adediran; freelance journalist, Makeda Easter; and writer and filmmaker, Julian Brave NoiseCat. Fellows will present their racial justice catalyst projects to the U-M community, followed by remarks from U-M community members: Vikramaditya S. Khanna (U-M Law), Srimoyee Mitra (U-M Stamps), and Forrest Cox (BA '13 and U-M Ross). A post-event reception will be held in the Rebecca M. Blank Great Hall. Please register here!
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Vandenberg Lecture
The Ford School is pleased to present Ambassador Julianne Smith, U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, for the 5th annnual Arthur Vandenberg Lecture: "NATO today: Confronting the crisis in Ukraine and adapting to meet global challenges"
Join us as we welcome Dr. Ruha Benjamin to campus to discuss her newest book, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want. In this talk, Dr. Benjamin draws on the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and introduces a micro-vision of change—a way of looking at the everyday ways people are working to combat unjust systems and build alternatives to the oppressive status quo.
Join the Center for Racial Justice for a workshop on creative practices for authentic community building with Holly Bass, part of our Racial Justice in Practice workshop series. Open to U-M students, faculty, staff, and community partners. In this workshop, we will explore the differences between activism, organizing, and culture shift work. We will explore how to build authentic relationships with those most affected by potential policy changes and those in the best position to bring about legal and social change. We will also explore how creativity and joy can guide our social justice work as individuals and collectives.
Join the Center for Racial Justice for a workshop on changemaking from the inside with Gabrielle Wyatt, part of our Racial Justice in Practice workshop series. Open to U-M students, faculty, staff, and community partners. In this virtual workshop, we will collectively visit frameworks and strategies for affecting change as institutional insiders. Specifically, we will discuss strategies for building and sustaining multi-generational change by exploring power, structural change, and leadership.
Join the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia for a conversation with Ukrainian-born retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, former Director for European Affairs for the United States National Security Council. We'll examine the current state of the war and its impacts on the Ukrainian people; the implications for global security; and prospects for peace and rebuilding.
Join the Center for Racial Justice for a workshop on decolonizing development with Farah Mahesri, part of our Racial Justice in Practice workshop series. Open to U-M students, faculty, staff, and community partners. In this interactive 3-hour session, we will collectively explore what a decolonized space or a decolonized approach for global development actually look like. How can we structure our organizations and our programs to draw to center more liberatory practices and help us radically re-imagine global development?
Dr. Krystal Tsosie will describe community-engaged research and describe paths forward that center Indigenous people as the agents of access for their own genomic and health data. The future of Indigenous genomics is not mere inclusion but through recognition of Indigenous genomic and data sovereignty.
Join the Center for Racial Justice for a workshop on racial equity impact assessment with Niketa Brar (MPP '15), part of our Racial Justice in Practice workshop series. Open to U-M students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
Join the Center for Racial Justice for a workshop on racial equity impact assessment with Niketa Brar (MPP '15), part of our Racial Justice in Practice workshop series. Open to U-M students, faculty, staff, and community partners.