This event will explore national security and foreign policy across the Biden and Trump administrations, offering a deep dive into key issues shaping the 2020s.
Watch live from this page
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series
The COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd rocked American cities in 2020. The mayors of Chicago and Seattle share their experiences and the lessons of governing during times of crisis.
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
The Ford School invites the U-M community -- students, faculty, and staff -- for an election debrief, analysis, and discussion with faculty experts Javed Ali, J. Alex Halderman, Rusty Hills, Vincent Hutchings, Barbara L. McQuade and Mara Ostfeld.
Join us for an inside look at how the FBI is tackling the evolving threats to U.S. elections, from cyberattacks to terrorism. Deputy Director Abbate will discuss the FBI's latest strategies and hard-earned lessons in defending democracy.
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.
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.
Join Dr. Abdul El-Sayed - physician, epidemiologist, and newly appointed Director of the Wayne County Health, Human & Veterans Services Department, and a Ford School Towsley Policymaker in Residence - for a conversation with policymakers at the intersection of social justice and environmental concerns. Dr. El-Sayed will be joined by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and Michigan Senator Stephanie Chang (MPP/MSW '14) to reflect on their work to address environmental injustice in Michigan and beyond, and the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Josh Rosenthal Education Fund Lecture
Weill Hall 1110
(Betty Ford Classroom), and livestreamed
Representative Elissa Slotkin of Michigan's 8th district joins the Ford School for a special event, in partnership with Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies (LRCCS).
Students will be able to participate in a Q&A in regards to Sasha Ingber's national security expertise that ranges from covering the collapse of Afghanistan to her efforts in the non-profit sector.
Public Policy and Institutional Discrimination Series
The series, open to U-M students, faculty, and staff, is designed to foster dialogue on important issues of U.S. public policy. Facilitated by faculty discussants Susan Page and Javed Ali, this session focuses on the need for diversity in one of the nation’s oldest government agencies.
The attacks on September 11, 2001 irrevocably changed how the United States conducts counterterrorism and national security operations. Join our expert panelists for a discussion of 9/11 and how it has shaped our international affairs landscape over the past 20 years.
Margaret Anadu, Global Head of Investment Banking Services at Goldman Sachs, will discuss how banks can help create opportunity for underserved communities, in conversation with Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence William Bynum.
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series
Discussion will explore what key factors led to the insurrection on January 6, what policy gaps were exposed in the run-up to the events, and how different approaches are needed to tackle this threat before it worsens.
Watch live from this page
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Conversations Across Differences
Join the Ford School for a Conversations Across Differences event with U.S. Representatives Elissa Slotkin (D-MI 8th District) and Peter Meijer (R-MI 3rd District) moderated by Ford School Dean Michael S. Barr.
Adrienne Harris will moderate a discussion regarding the impressive growth of the fintech industry across the African continent and the benefits as well as challenges for economies, governance, and society. Participants will include thought leaders from industry, government, and higher education.
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series,
Policy Talks @ the Ford School
Join us for a discussion on elections and campaigns, in 2020 and beyond. The discussion will include Katie Packer Beeson, former deputy campaign manager for the Romney/Ryan campaign in 2012 and founding partner of Burning Glass Consulting, and Greg Schultz, general election strategist and senior advisor for the 2020 Biden campaign. Broderick Johnson, Towsley Policymaker in Residence, will moderate.
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series,
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
STPP Lecture Series
In this conversation, Paul Abbate, Associate Deputy Director of the FBI, and David Levy, Vice President of Amazon Web Services, will discuss some of the challenges in addressing current cybersecurity threats, formulating policy, and calibrating responses.
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series,
Weiser Diplomacy Center Series
This Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture will examine the nexus between labor rights and trade—a crucial topic as U.S. and global trade arrangements are being renegotiated. It will feature a conversation between two experts who have long worked to advance worker’s rights in the context of global trade—Dr. Bama Athreya, a visiting policy expert at the Weiser Diplomacy Center, and Ford School Professor of Practice Sander Levin.
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series,
Policy Talks @ the Ford School
A conversation with LTG James Clapper (USAF, ret.), LTG Michael Nagata (USA, ret.), and Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) on national security, service, and policy.
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series,
Policy Talks @ the Ford School
Towsley Policymaker in Residence Javed Ali will moderate a panel discussion with three leading counterterrorism experts--Peter Bergen, Barbara McQuade, and Chris Costa.
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series
The panelists will discuss their work in helping to deliver capital to America’s communities, the growth and transformation of the industry, headwinds the field faces and what’s in store for the next 40 years of community development finance.
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series,
Policy Talks @ the Ford School
Join us for a panel discussion on the future of federal education policy, including the priorities of the new administration and the congressional agenda. Panel will be hosted by former deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and current Ford School Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence James Kvaal.
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Lecture Series
Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Muñoz (AB '84) returns to the University of Michigan to chair a panel of public servants from rebounding Midwestern cities: Detroit, Michigan; Gary, Indiana; and Youngstown, Ohio. Each provides an example of the Obama Administration's "place-based" approach in action.
