Hudson Institute Events Podcast

Join Hudson for a conversation with Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine, who will discuss their new book Lost Decade: The US Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power. The book argues that the United States should undergo a renewed pivot to Asia while maintaining commitments to Europe and the Middle East. As the international order becomes more unstable, Blackwill and Fontaine stress that the US has far less margin for foreign policy error today than a decade ago. They also say policymakers need to understand what the pivot aimed to achieve―and where it fell short―to muster the resources, alliances, and resolve to preserve an open order in Asia and elsewhere. Crafting an effective policy for the region, they contend, is crucial for preserving American security, prosperity, and democratic values. Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill is the Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for US Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor for strategic planning under President George W. Bush, presidential envoy to Iraq, and US ambassador to India from 2001 to 2003. Richard Fontaine is the chief executive officer of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Previously, he was foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain and worked at the State Department, the National Security Council, and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Dr. Patrick M. Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair and senior fellow at Hudson, will moderate the discussion. Ambassador Blackwill will join the conversation remotely.

Soon after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the Jewish state found itself under attack on seven fronts: in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen. Meanwhile, its enemies came out of the woodwork in Europe and North America as antisemitic and anti-Zionist demonstrations exploded on college campuses and city streets. From Houthi attacks on international shipping to “tentifadas” on American campuses, it is not hard to see that something more than just support for Gaza is at work here. Many different groups are hitching a ride on the Israel-Palestine conflict. What are the hidden agendas of antisemites and anti-Zionists? What are the implications of this agenda for national security? And what is to be done? To discuss these questions, Hudson’s Michael Doran hosts Daniel Schwammenthal, the director of the American Jewish Committee’s Transatlantic Institute; Ilan Berman, the vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council; Professor Paul Caresse of Arizona State University; and Senior Fellow Liel Leibovitz.

Last year, Chinese diplomats brokered an Iran–Saudi Arabia deal that elevated Beijing’s status as a mediator in the Middle East. China hoped the deal would induce a greater “wave of reconciliation” in the region and strengthen its position. But Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel changed Beijing’s calculations. To discuss China’s ambitions in the Middle East, Beijing’s position in the Israel-Hamas conflict, and what this all means for American interests in the region, Hudson’s Zineb Riboua hosts a discussion with Senior Fellow John Lee and Atlantic Council Nonresident Fellow Tuvia Gering.

Although Latin America’s economies have stabilized since the COVID-19 pandemic, economic growth in most of the region has stalled, and its forecasted growth rates are the lowest of any region in the world. Such low growth will mean greater poverty and inequality, leaving citizens’ expectations for greater economic opportunity unfulfilled. While a slowing global economy, high investment costs, and many other factors play a role, persistently low productivity in the region is an important constraint on growth. The World Bank has pointed to the need for greater competition in Latin America’s economies, which would improve productivity by accelerating innovation and technological improvements, delivering important benefits to consumers. The World Bank has also highlighted the geography of productivity and outlined promising ideas for how Latin American cities can once again drive economic growth. Join Hudson for a conversation with World Bank economists William Maloney and Elena Ianchovichina on how productivity gains could help accelerate economic growth in Latin America.

Long a crossroads between East and West, the Black Sea region today occupies a crucial geography from which the future security and prosperity of the transatlantic community will radiate. Russia’s unrelenting, unprovoked war against Ukraine has focused the world on the Black Sea. In the process, the world has grown to appreciate the role of Romania as a shoreline of stability. Twenty years after joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Romania is one of America’s strongest and closest allies, with an ambitious and ongoing defense modernization program centered on American-made capabilities. The strategic partnership between the United States and Romania has further manifested itself through economic and security agreements, joint exercises, and a US presence at key bases in Romania. Join Hudson for a discussion with Romanian Foreign Minister Luminiţa-Teodora Odobescu on why Russia’s war against Ukraine and the broader contest for the future of the Black Sea region is a global inflection point with far-reaching ramifications. The West today faces a stark choice: disengage and watch the Black Sea radiate instability and embolden autocrats, or seize the opportunity to transform the region into a driver of future transatlantic prosperity and security.

Last year, Chinese diplomats brokered an Iran–Saudi Arabia deal that elevated Beijing’s status as a mediator in the Middle East. China hoped the deal would induce a greater “wave of reconciliation” in the region and strengthen its position. But Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel changed Beijing’s calculations. To discuss China’s ambitions in the Middle East, Beijing’s position in the Israel-Hamas conflict, and what this all means for American interests in the region, Hudson’s Zineb Riboua hosts a discussion with Senior Fellow John Lee and Atlantic Council Nonresident Fellow Tuvia Gering.

United States Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) have served as cochairs of the bipartisan Senate North Atlantic Treaty Organization Observer Group since its reestablishment in 2018. The two senators have been outspoken in their support for the alliance, including NATO’s recent round of enlargement to Sweden and Finland. Both have also been stalwart in their support of Ukraine. As they wrote to President Joe Biden in April, “We believe Ukraine should be offered a realistic path to NATO membership once all NATO Alliance members agree that Ukraine has met the conditions and requirements for membership.” Additionally, the senators have underscored the importance of burden sharing, which they reinforced in a letter last month urging Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to increase his country’s defense spending. They have supported the idea, acknowledged at the NATO summit in Vilnius last year, that spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense should be the floor—not the ceiling—for members. Please join Senior Fellow Peter Rough for a discussion with the senators on NATO, Ukraine, the Black Sea region, and transatlantic relations just weeks before the Washington summit.

When Abiy Ahmed unexpectedly became Ethiopia’s prime minister in April 2018, he rapidly unleashed a wave of liberal political and economic reforms and shocked the world by making peace with longtime foe Eritrea. This earned him international adoration that culminated in the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Just a year later, however, Africa’s second largest state descended into a horrific civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead and tarnished Abiy’s reformist image. Though his regime nearly collapsed during the war, Abiy ultimately emerged victorious and now rules over a country that is at once internally unstable and regionally ambitious. The Economist’s Africa correspondent, Tom Gardner, joins Hudson Research Fellow James Barnett to discuss Gardner’s new book, The Abiy Project: God, Power and War in the New Ethiopia, and Ethiopia’s future in the volatile and strategically vital Red Sea region.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, is developing 6G specifications through the International Mobile Telecommunications 2030 (IMT-2030) program, aiming to release them by 2030. This program, introduced in the 6G framework document, outlines the vision, timelines, and candidate technologies for next generation telecommunications. IMT-2030 aims to connect humans, machines, and software to enable various applications and services. The framework promises immersive experiences for humans through advanced human-machine interfaces like extended reality (XR) displays, haptic sensors, and multisensory interfaces. Machines are expected to become intelligent, autonomous, and precise as they benefit from advancements in machine perception and interaction and artificial intelligence management. In this vision, advanced sensors and AI facilitate seamless interaction between humans and machines in the physical and digital worlds. IMT-2030 integrates sensing and AI capabilities into communication, serving as a fundamental infrastructure for emerging user and application trends. The program also supports diverse use cases, including direct voice communication. Moreover, IMT-2030 technology is anticipated to promote economic growth, societal change, digital equality, and ubiquitous connectivity while also enhancing security and resilience. In a Hudson event, Professor Kiran Kuchi of the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad will discuss technology trends, network evolution, AI-driven devices for 6G, and the integration and interoperability of terrestrial and non-terrestrial systems.

In an era of rising geopolitical instability, energy is an increasingly valuable tool to promote peace and economic stability as authoritarian regimes seek to undermine freedom and the United States–led world order. Join Hudson Institute for a two-part event on how the US can effectively wield its natural resources to achieve energy independence and aid its allies.