Events for the Week of February 8

UMD EVENTS:

Cybersecurity and Environmental Security: Relationships in Critical National Priorities

WHEN: Tuesday, February 9 (12:00-1:00pm)
WHERE: ESSIC Headquarters, 5825 University Research Court, Room 4012, College Park

DESCRIPTION: Speaker:  Robert F. Brammer (M.A. '70, Ph.D. '72, Mathematics), President and CEO of Brammer Technology, LLC

Despite some continuing skepticism, many people agree that cybersecurity and environmental security have become very significant issues for the US and many other countries. For example, they are now both high priorities in the current US national and homeland security strategies. Despite their significance and wide public discussion, most people regard them as disconnected from one another. However, there are important and growing relationships between them in many economic, military, and political areas. This lecture will survey current trends and provide examples of current and likely near-term developments in these relationships.

LINK/RSVP: https://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/events/3411

Saul I. Stern Lecture – Preventing Violent Extremism: UNESCO Acting for Peace

WHEN: Thursday, February 11 (12:00-1:15pm)

WHERE: SPP Atrium, Van Munching hall

DESCRIPTION: Irina Bokova, born on July 12, 1952 in Sofia (Bulgaria) has been the director-general of UNESCO since November 15, 2009, and was successfully reelected for a second term in 2013. She is the first woman and the first Eastern European to lead the organization.

As director-general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova is actively engaged in international efforts to advance gender equality, promote quality education for all and combat terrorist financing by preventing the illicit traffic of cultural goods. A leading champion in the fight against racism and anti-Semitism, Bokova has spearheaded UNESCO’s activities on Holocaust remembrance and awareness and is the first director-general of the organization to appoint a Special Envoy for Holocaust Education.

She is a leading advocate for ensuring quality education for all and has championed gender equality, making this her own personal priority for the organization. Other fields of action include enabling scientific cooperation for sustainable development, such as early warning systems for tsunamis or trans-boundary water management agreements and global advocacy for the safety of journalists and freedom of expression. 

Having graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and studied at the University of Maryland (Washington) and the John F. Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University), Irina Bokova joined the United Nations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria in 1977. In charge of political and legal affairs at the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations in New York, she was also member of the Bulgarian Delegation at the United Nations conferences on the equality of women in Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995). As member of Parliament (1990-1991 and 2001-2005), she advocated for Bulgaria’s membership in EU and NATO and participated in the drafting of Bulgaria’s new constitution.

Irina Bokova was minister for foreign affairs a.i, coordinator of Bulgaria-European Union relations and ambassador of Bulgaria to France, Monaco and UNESCO and personal representative of the president of the Republic of Bulgaria to the “Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.” As secretary of the Council of Ministers for European Integration and as foreign minister a.i, Irina Bokova has always advocated for European integration. She is a founding member and chairman of the European Policy Forum, an NGO created to promote European identity and encourage dialogue to overcome divisions in Europe. This is an example of her work to endorse the values of dialogue, diversity, human dignity and human rights. Irina Bokova is executive secretary of the steering committee of the UN secretary-general’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) and co-vice-chair of the Broadband Commission.

Irina Bokova has received state distinctions from countries across the world and is Doctor Honoris causa of leading universities.

In addition to her mother tongue, she speaks English, French, Spanish and Russian. She is married with two grown children who live and work in the United States.

LINK/RSVP: http://publicpolicy.umd.edu/events/saul-i-stern-lecture-preventing-violent-extremism-unesco-acting-peace-0

Study Abroad Fair

WHEN: Thursday, February 11 (3:00-6:00pm)

WHERE: Adele H. Stamp Student Union, Grand Ballroom

DESCRIPTION: Fearless Terps get out of the classroom!

Explore the possibilities and get inspired at the Study Abroad Fair! Break out of the ordinary and find your extraordinary in China. Be a social entrepreneur in Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic. Develop your professional portfolio with an internship in the UK or Spain. Learn a language or go beyond the basics to do field work or research. At the Study Abroad Fair, you can meet with Program Directors, College representatives, and advisors to find your perfect program.

The Fair will take place on Thursday, February 11th from 3:00 - 6:00PM in the Grand Ballroom at Stamp. For more information, please email educationabroad@umd.edu or call 301-314-7746.

LINK: http://globalmaryland.umd.edu/offices/education-abroad/study-abroad-fair-0

DC EVENTS:

The Syrian refugee crisis and the United States

WHEN: Monday, February 8 (10:00-11:30am)

WHERE: Brookings Institution, Saul/Zilkha Rooms, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

DESCRIPTION: Terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino have stoked fears among some Americans regarding the possible entry of Syrian refugees into the United States. Concerns exist that, along with refugees, members of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations might enter the country and carry out attacks against the U.S. homeland. These fears, coupled with often vitriolic political rhetoric, have alarmed American Muslims. What is the true level of danger refugees pose? How can the United States best contribute to managing the Syrian refugee problem? Given the 2016 presidential elections, what options are politically viable?

On February 8, the Center for Middle East Policy and the Governance Studies program at Brookings will host a discussion on the U.S. role in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis. The panel will include Elizabeth Ferris and William Galston of Brookings, experts on refugee resettlement and U.S. politics respectively, as well as Robert McKenzie, a new Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World visiting fellow whose research focuses on Muslim communities in the West. Daniel Byman, senior fellow and research director of the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings, will provide introductory remarks and moderate the panel. Following the discussion, the panelists will take audience questions.

This discussion is part of a series of Foreign Policy at Brookings events focusing on the refugee crisis and the U.S. and international community’s response.

LINK/RSVP: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2016/01/25-syrian-refugees-united-states

United States of Jihad (DC Launch): Investigating America’s Homegrown

WHEN: Tuesday, February 9 (12:15-1:45pm)

WHERE: 740 15^th Street N.W., Suite 900, Washington, D.C. 20005

DESCRIPTION: The recent tragic attacks in Paris and San Bernardino provide fresh evidence that “homegrown” terrorism is a real and present danger. In UNITED STATES OF JIHAD: Investigating America’s Homegrown Terrorists (Crown; February 2, 2016), Peter Bergen offers an unprecedented look at the factors that lead to the radicalization of American citizens and offers expert insights into the shape of the threat confronting us.

For over two decades, CNN national security analyst and New York Times bestselling author Peter Bergen has been our foremost chronicler of Islamist terrorism, through groundbreaking reporting on the Middle East, al-Qaeda, and homeland security. Since 9/11, more than 300 Americans have been indicted or convicted on charges of Islamist terrorism. With hometowns in New Mexico and New Jersey, Minnesota and Alabama, dozens of American citizens have sought to join overseas terrorist groups including al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab, and more recently ISIS. Among those who have succeeded, some have risen to positions of deadly influence. Who are these individuals? What motivates them? And what can be done to stem the tide of extremism?

LINK/RSVP: https://www.newamerica.org/international-security/united-states-of-jihad-dc-launch/

Inside the Iran Negotiations: A Conversation with Chief Negotiator Wendy Sherman
WHEN: Tuesday, February 9 (4:00-5:00pm)
WHERE: 6th Floor, Woodrow Wilson Center
DESCRIPTION: What was it like to be inside the room during the roller coaster saga of the historic nuclear deal with Iran? What role did personal relationships and domestic politics play in this landmark accord? What were the key moments that made success possible or could have threatened the deal? And what lessons can be learned from U.S.-Iranian negotiations?

Join us for an extraordinary event as Chief U.S. Negotiator Ambassador Wendy Sherman takes us inside thbe room for an intimate look at the personalities, politics and negotiating dynamics that defined the nuclear agreement.
LINK/RSVP: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/inside-the-iran-negotiations-conversation-chief-negotiator-wendy-sherman

Tremors in the Chinese economy: Debating the road ahead

WHEN: Wednesday, February 10 (11:00am-12:30pm)

WHERE: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

DESCRIPTION: A cascade of events has jolted China’s economy and rattled markets around the world. In just the first two weeks of the new year, the Chinese stock market shed nearly a fifth of its value. Unnerved by the volatility, investors in the United States sent the Dow Jones plunging more than 8 percent. Even China’s top leadership has acknowledged the serious challenge it faces in keeping growth apace. How profound are the risks to the Chinese and global economies? Are recent events signs of turmoil to come or merely isolated disturbances? Do the doomsayers go too far in forecasting China’s economic collapse?

On February 10, the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution will convene a debate between leading economists on the risks and opportunities that lie ahead for China.

Questions will be taken from the audience following the discussion.

LINK/RSVP: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2016/02/10-chinese-economy-debate-road-ahead

The future of securing global cities

WHEN: Wednesday, February 10 (2:00-3:30pm)
WHERE: Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

DESCRIPTION: On February 10, the Foreign Policy program at Brookings will convene a panel discussion to introduce Securing Global Cities, a new project based in Foreign Policy's Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence. Securing Global Cities will be co-chaired by Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and General Ray Odierno, former chief of staff of the U.S. Army and JPMorgan Chase senior advisor. It is part of the Global Cities Initiative, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and JPMorgan Chase.

The goal of the project is to help cities around the world improve the physical safety of their citizens from various forms of violence. The overarching motivation of the project is the belief that cities have much to learn from each other by analyzing systematically and sharing best practices that strengthen their roles in a globalized world, bolster their economies, and protect their communities and citizens.

The project will identify different types of threats--from terrorists to narcotraffickers and other international criminal networks, gangs, insurgents, and abusive security forces--and examine the various tools that governments can deploy to address these diverse and complex problems. The tools will include reformed and strengthened police forces, justice systems, paramilitary and military institutions, intelligence capabilities, and a range of other instruments.

The discussion will be moderated by Martin Indyk, executive vice president of Brookings. Following the discussion, the panelists will take audience questions.

JPMorgan Chase is a donor to the Brookings Institution. Brookings recognizes the value it provides is in its absolute commitment to quality, independence and impact. Activities supported by its donors reflect this commitment.

This event will be live webcast. Join the conversation on Twitter at #GlobalCities.

LINK/RSVP: http://www.brookings.edu/events/2016/02/10-securing-global-cities

Tibet: Intensified Crackdown, Popular Resistance

WHEN: Thursday, February 11 (12:30-1:30pm)

WHERE: Freedom House, 1850 M Street N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20036
DESCRIPTION: Please join us for a conversation with Dr. Lobsang Sangay, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, about intensified repression in the region under Chinese President Xi Jinping, ongoing popular resistance by Tibetans, priorities of his administration, and prospects for change in Tibet in the coming years.

Dr. Sangay has served since 2011 as the democratically elected head of the Tibetan government-in-exile and the political successor to Tibetans’ spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Dr. Sangay has worked to advance self-reliance and strategic nonviolent resistance, promote high-quality education and youth empowerment among the Tibetan diaspora, and garner further international attention and support for freedom in Tibet.

The conversation will be moderated by Freedom House Executive Vice President Daniel Calingaert. Senior Research Analyst for East Asia, Sarah Cook, will serve as discussant.

Lunch will be served at noon; the program will begin at 12:30 p.m.
LINK/RSVP: http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6580/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=80673