Russian Leaders: from Gorbachev to Putin
Dr. Marina Oborotova, CFIS-AIA
April 12, 2015
Russia is in the news again, and will stay there for as long as we can see. We need to look at the country again trying to understand its political trajectory from 1985 to 2015. Oborotova will tell the story of Russia’s evolution focusing on three recent Russian leaders – Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin.
Japan – Grand Strategy and the Future of East Asia
Dr. Richard Samuels, MIT
March 20, 2015
For the past sixty years, the U.S. government has assumed that Japan’s security policies would reinforce American interests in Asia. The political and military profile of Asia is changing rapidly, however. Professor Samuels will explore how changes in the regional security environment have intersected with changes in domestic Japanese politics to shape Japan’s grand strategic choices.
The Traveling Tea Leaf – A Global Journey
Robin Scala, The Fragrant Leaf
March 8, 2015
Since its discovery over 2,500 years ago in China, tea has influenced cultures and societies around the world. Explore the adventurous journey of tea – from its origins in China to its spread to Japan, Tibet and onward to the West. Learn how the tea leaf changed cultures, empires, economies and the daily lives of people.
China’s Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa
Dr. Howard French, Columbia University
February 27, 2015
Dr.French will give a revealing account of China’s burgeoning presence in Africa. He will present a fresh perspective on the unknowns of modern Sino-African relations: why China is making the incursions it is, just how extensive its cultural and economic inroads are, what Africa’s role in the equation is, and just what the ramifications for both parties—and the watching world—will be in the foreseeable future.
U.S. Policy in Africa
Ambassador Robert Jackson, U.S. State Department
February 13, 2015
Ambassador Jackson will focus on U.S. Policy in Africa – what it is and what it isn’t and why. He will discuss various “hot spots” and provide insight into what the U.S. Government is doing to combat Ebola. This is a rare opportunity to listen to one of the best informed experts on Africa.
The Religions of India
Dr. Ned O’Malia, University of New Mexico
February 8, 2015
Many world religions have grown from the fertile spiritual soil of India. Not only Hinduism, with its many branches, but Buddhism and Sikhism also originated in India. The Jains, Roman Catholics Muslims and Jews have also had a long history. This is a rich soup. This lecture will look at many of these traditions and their role in the life of India.
Modi’s India: Change You Can Believe In?
Dr. Milan Vaishnav, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
January 30, 2015
The 2014 Indian general election in May, the largest democratic exercise in history, produced a landslide victory for the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its controversial leader, Narendra Modi. In this lecture, Dr. Milan Vaishnav will reflect on the election results and Modi’s performance in his first seven months in office to evaluate how India’s economy, society, politics, and foreign policy have changed, and how they have not.
The Wonders of India: Art & Architecture
Dr. Ned O’Malia, University of New Mexico
January 11, 2015
India has endowed the world with extraordinary achievements in architecture. It possesses 28 world heritage sites and many more under consideration. This lecture will examine a few of the best known of these structures: The Taj Mahal, the Rajput era Pink Palace of Jaipur, and the erotic temples of Kuranjuro. We shall also discover some lesser known marvels of India, the massive Chhatrapati Shivaji Railroad terminus of Bombay, Fatehpur Sikri and the outlandish Victoria Memorial of Kolkata. Dr. O’Malia will illustrate his talk with wondrous slides from his travels to India.
