SAIS Hosted Discussion on Afghanistan With Former Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on December 15
Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, the United Nations and Iraq, and counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, discussed "What Is at Stake for the United States in Afghanistan?" on Tuesday, December 15.

SAIS Hosted Discussion on U.S. Department of Energy’s Updated Energy Forecast on December 14
Richard G. Newell, administrator of the Energy Information Agency (EIA) at the U.S. Department of Energy, discussed the “EIA’s Updated Energy Forecast to 2035” on Monday, December 14.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Spoke at SAIS on December 7
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, prime minister of Turkey, discussed "Turkey in the 21st Century: Building Peace Through Diplomacy” on Monday, December 7. SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations Director Daniel Hamilton moderated the session. Click here for video of this event.

Afghan Ambassador Said Jawad Spoke at SAIS on December 4
Said Jawad, Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United States, discussed "Afghanistan: Where Do We Go From Here?" on Friday, December 4. Robert Guttman, director of the SAIS Center on Politics and Foreign Relations; Beth Mendelsohn, chief of Voice of America’s Afghan Service; and Daniel Dombey, diplomatic correspondent for the Financial Times, served as panelists.
 

Former Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi Spoke at SAIS on December 3
János Martonyi, Hungary's former minister of foreign affairs, and Kurt Volker (moderator), managing director of the SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations, discussed "Europe Shifts Gears: The View From East Central Europe" on Thursday, December 3.
 

SAIS Hosted Book Event on Islam in Southeast Asia on November 18
Senator Christopher S. "Kit" Bond (R - Mo.), and Lewis M. Simons, foreign correspondent and Pulitzer Prize winner, discussed their book, The Next Front: Southeast Asia and the Road to Global Peace With Islam, on Wednesday, November 18.

SAIS Hosted Forum on Insurgents and Warfare on November 16
Thomas Donnelly, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; Shawn Brimley, special adviser to the U.S. under secretary of Defense for Policy; Max Manwaring, research professor of military strategy at the U.S. Army War College; Christopher Preble, director of foreign policy studies at the CATO Institute; and Tom Keaney (moderator), associate director of the SAIS Strategic Studies Program, discussed "Insurgents and the Future of War" on Monday, November 16. David Kilcullen, professorial lecturer in the SAIS Strategic Studies Program, partner at the Crumpton Group and former senior counterinsurgency adviser to General David Petraeus, delivered the keynote address.
 

Former Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman Discussed U.S.-U.K. Relations on November 10
Eric Edelman, former under secretary of Defense for Policy, a fellow at the Merrill Center for Strategic Studies and distinguished fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Analysis, delivered the sixth annual Bernstein Lecture on "The U.S.-U.K. Special Relationship: The End of the Affair?" on Tuesday, November 10. Click here for a copy of his prepared remarks.
 

Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) Spoke at SAIS
on November 9
John McCain, senator from Arizona and 2008 Republican presidential nominee, discussed “Why Freedom Still Matters” on Monday, November 9. Jessica Einhorn, dean of SAIS, and Kurt Volker, senior fellow and managing director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations, delivered introductory remarks. Click here for more information. Click here for the prepared remarks.

SAIS Co-Hosted Forum on Democracy in Latin America with Former Presidents of Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Peru on November 3
SAIS co-hosted a forum entitled, “Social Agenda for Democracy in Latin America for the Next Twenty Years” on Tuesday, November 3. The participants, who co-authored a report of the same name, included Alejandro Toledo, former president of Peru, SAIS scholar and president of the Global Center for Development and Democracy; Nicolas Ardito Barletta, former president of Panama; Vinicio Cerezo, former President of Guatemala; Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico; Ricardo Maduro, former president of Honduras; and Carlos Mesa, former president of Bolivia. The former presidents spoke to SAIS students in a question-and-answer session moderated by International Development Program Director Francis Fukuyama.

SAIS Hosted Conference on Trafficking in Persons on November 2
SAIS hosted a conference entitled, "Trafficking in Persons as a Form of Violence Against Women," on Monday, November 2. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, special rapporteur on trafficking in persons at the United Nations, delivered the keynote address. Mohamed Mattar, executive director of The Protection Project at SAIS, made introductory remarks.

SAIS Hosted Conference on Political and Economic Development in Myanmar/Burma on October 30
SAIS hosted a conference entitled, “Myanmar/Burma: Outside Interests, Inside Challenges,” on Friday, October 30. Scot Marciel, deputy assistant secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific; Khin Zaw Win, NGO leader in Yangon; Andrew Selth, research fellow at Griffith University; and Priscilla Clapp (moderator), former chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Yangon, discussed “Pursuing a Smart U.S. Policy.”

SAIS Hosted Forum on Women and Politics in the Middle East on October 27
Lina Abou Habib, executive director of Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action; Mahnaz Afkhami, president and CEO of Women's Learning Partnership and former minister for women's affairs in Iran; Wajeeha Al-Baharna, founding member and vice president of Bahrain Women Association; Asma Khader, secretary general of the Jordanian National Commission for Women; and Rabea Naciri, founding member of the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women, discussed "Women and the Politics of Change in the Middle East." Azar Nafisi, executive director of SAIS Cultural Conversations, delivered opening remarks at this Year of Religion event on Tuesday, October 27.

SAIS Hosts Forum on Transatlantic Trade Policy on October 26
Catherine Ashton, commissioner for trade at the European Commission, and Ewa Björling, Swedish minister for trade and the presidency of the European Union, discussed "Present and Future Challenges in Transatlantic Trade Policy" on Monday, October 26.

Bishop John Rucyahana Discussed Role of Religion in Reconciliation on October 19
John Rucyahana, bishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda and head of the Mustard Seed Project, discussed “Rwanda, Reconciliation and the Mustard Seed Project” on Monday, October 19. Jessica Einhorn, dean of SAIS, and Peter Lewis, director of the African Studies Program, delivered introductory remarks.

SAIS Professor Francis Fukuyama Discussed Origins of Accountable Government on October 14
Francis Fukuyama, director of the International Development Program, discussed "The Origins of Accountable Government" on Wednesday, October 14, as the final part of his lecture series entitled, "Getting to Denmark: Where the State, Rule of Law and Accountable Government Come From."

SAIS Hosted Book Event with Author Haleh Esfandiari on October 8
Haleh Esfandiari, author of My Prison, My Home: One Woman's Story of Captivity in Iran, and director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, discussed her new book on Thursday, October 8. Azar Nafisi, author and director of the SAIS Cultural Conversations Program, and Mahnaz Afkhami, author and director of the Foundation for Iranian Studies and Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP), also spoke during this event.

SAIS Hosted Panel Discussion on Ronald Reagan’s Legacy on October 7
James Mann, author of The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan: A History of the End of the Cold War and author-in-residence at the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute; John McLaughlin, senior research fellow at the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at SAIS; Fritz Ermarth, former chairman of the National Intelligence Council under President Ronald Reagan; Richard Perle, former U.S. assistant secretary of Defense during the Reagan administration; and Michael Mandelbaum, director of the SAIS American Foreign Policy Program, discussed Mann's book on Wednesday, October 7.

Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa Spoke at SAIS on October 7
Ali Gomaa, grand mufti of Egypt, discussed "The Challenge of Moderation in Islam: Egypt's Religious Institution Versus Extremism" on Wednesday, October 7, as part of the Year of Religion at SAIS.

SAIS Professor Francis Fukuyama Discusses Origins of the Rule of Law on October 7
Francis Fukuyama, director of the International Development Program, discussed "The Origins of the Rule of Law: Europe and the Middle East" on Wednesday, October 7, as part of his four-part lecture series entitled, "Getting to Denmark: Where the State, Rule of Law and Accountable Government Come From."

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim Spoke at SAIS on October 5
Anwar Ibrahim, opposition leader and former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, discussed "Southeast Asia in the 21st Century: Prospects and Challenges" on Monday, October 5.

SAIS Hosted Discussion on Women in Iran and Iraq on September 30
Azar Nafisi, executive director of Cultural Conversations and author of Things I've Been Silent About; Zainab Salbi, author of The Other Side of War; and Margaret Warner (moderator), senior correspondent for PBS's "The NewsHour with Jim Leher," discussed "Breaking the Silence: Voices of Iranian and Iraqi Women," on Wednesday, September 30.

SAIS Hosted Discussion on U.S.-Japanese Relations on September 30
Kent Calder, director of the SAIS Japan Studies Program and author of Pacific Alliance: Reviving U.S.-Japan Relations; Michael Mandelbaum, director of the SAIS American Foreign Policy Program; Kenji Shinoda, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Japan; and Terrence Hopmann, director of the SAIS Conflict Management Program spoke on this topic.

Former President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga Spoke at SAIS on September 29
Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former president of Latvia, discussed "Transatlantic Cooperation and Security" on Tuesday, September 29.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick Spoke at SAIS on September 28
World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick assessed the political and economic impact of the global economic crisis, and its implications for development and globalization, in a speech entitled, "Crisis: Shaping the Future" on Monday, September 28. Click here for video of the event. Click here for a copy of the prepared remarks.

SAIS Hosted Discussion on Greening the Global Economy on September 25
Achim Steiner, executive director of United Nations Environment Programme; David Foster, executive director of Blue Green Alliance; William Hohenstein, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Global Change Program Office; Rick Leaman, CEO of Osram; Kaj den Daas, chairman and CEO of Philips Lighting North America; and Debbie Bleviss (moderator), acting director of the SAIS Energy, Resources and Environment Program discussed, "Toward Copenhagen: Greening the Global Economy” on Friday, September 25.

SAIS Professor Francis Fukuyama Spoke on State Creation on September 23
Francis Fukuyama, director of the International Development Program, discussed "The Origins of the State: China and India" on Wednesday, September 23, as part of his four-part lecture series entitled, "Getting to Denmark: Where the State, Rule of Law and Accountable Government Come From."

Hungarian Government Honors SAIS Professor Charles Gati on September 21
On Monday, September 21, Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai presented Charles Gati, Foreign Policy Institute fellow and senior adjunct professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at SAIS, the “Commander’s Cross with the Star of the Order of Merit,” one of the highest state decorations of the Republic of Hungary. Bajnai cited the professor’s “objective and subtle” scholarly work on the politics of Central and Eastern European countries as well as the former Soviet Union. The surprise ceremony took place in New York, on the occasion of Gati’s 75th birthday and after a lecture by Bajnai on Hungarian economic and political development. Click here for a related news article from a Hungarian newspaper.

SAIS Scholar and Former President of Peru Alejandro Toledo Spoke on September 21
Alejandro Toledo, former president of Peru and distinguished visiting scholar at SAIS, discussed "Challenges and Opportunities of the Global Crisis: Poverty, Growth and Democracy" on Monday, September 21.

SAIS Professor Francis Fukuyama Spoke on Political Development on September 16
Francis Fukuyama, director of the International Development Program, discussed "Political Development and Political Decay" on Wednesday, September 16, as part of his four-part lecture series entitled, "Getting to Denmark: Where the State, Rule of Law and Accountable Government Come From."

Assistant Secretary of State Robert O. Blake Spoke at SAIS on September 9
Robert O. Blake, assistant secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and a SAIS graduate, discussed "The Obama Administration’s Policy Toward South Asia" on Wednesday, September 9. Click here for the prepared remarks.

SAIS Hosted Discussion on Japan’s General Election on September 1
Kent Calder, director of the Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies at SAIS, and Rust Deming, professorial lecturer in the SAIS Japan Studies Program, discussed "Japan's Historical General Election: Implications for U.S.-Japan Relations” on Tuesday, September 1.

SAIS Remembers Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)
The late Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) spoke at SAIS in 2005, 2003 and 2002 on the U.S. war in Iraq. Audio of the three speeches is available on the SAIS Web site, along with the complete transcript to Senator Kennedy's 2002 speech detailing his views on the lead-up to the Iraq War. Click here to access Senator Kennedy's speeches.

SAIS Professor Mitchell Orenstein wins Levine Prize for his recent book Privatizing Pensions
Mitchell Orenstein, S. Richard Hirsch Associate Professor of European Studies at SAIS, was awarded the 2009 Levine Prize for Privatizing Pensions: The Transnational Campaign for Social Security Reform (Princeton University Press, 2008). The prize is awarded by the international policy journal Governance, to a book that makes "a contribution of considerable theoretical or practical significance in the field of public policy and administration, takes an explicitly comparative perspective, and is written in an accessible style." Click here for more.