Colin P. Clarke is a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, where his research focuses on terrorism, insurgency and criminal networks. At RAND, Clarke has directed studies on ISIS financing, the future of terrorism and transnational crime, and lessons learned from all insurgencies between the end of WWII and 2009. In addition to his work […]
Mary Thompson-Jones, Ed.D. is a Professor at the U.S. Naval War College. Before joining the USNWC, she directed a master’s program in Global Studies at Northeastern University. Prior to entering academia, she had a highly successful diplomatic career, spanning 23 years a as U.S. Foreign Service Officer in leadership roles in the Czech Republic, Canada, […]
Steven Karl Pifer (born 1953) is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center on the United States and Europe as well as the director of Brookings' Arms Control Initiative. He was formerly senior adviser with the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, D.C., and the third United States Ambassador to Ukraine from […]
Andrew T. Wolff, Associate professor of political science and international studies at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. My primary research concerns are NATO, European security, and American foreign policy. At Dickinson, he teaches courses on American foreign policy, European security, national security, international diplomacy, and international relations. In the Fall 2021 semester he was in […]
Fahad Nazer is the official spokesperson for the Embassy of Saudi Arabia to the United States. He was appointed to this role on January 18, 2019. Prior to this appointment, Nazer was a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and served as an International Fellow at the National Council on U.S. […]
Dr. Ely Ratner served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. Prior to confirmation, he served as the Director, DoD China Task Force and as a Senior Advisor to China to the Secretary of Defense. Before arriving at the Department of Defense, Dr. Ratner was the Executive Vice President and Director of […]
Kani Xulam is a native of Kurdistan. He studied International Relations at the University of Toronto, holds a BA in history from the University of California Santa Barbara and an MA in the International Service program at American University. At the University of Toronto, he represented Kurdistan at the Model United Nations, which passed a […]
READING, PA — The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosted the 2026 AcademicWorldQuest competition on March 12, 2026, at the McGlinn Conference Center at AlverniaUniversity. Teams of ninth- through twelfth-grade students from across Berks County faced offin a fast-paced test of international affairs knowledge, with Wilson High School’s Red Teamclaiming first place and earning […]
Dr. Paul D. Esqueda is a Professor Emeritus Engineering. His areas of interest are project management, negotiations, and operations management. He has a particular interest in developing negotiation case studies. For the last 30 years, Esqueda has been primarily dedicated to administration in academic institutions. Past positions include Division Head of Engineering, Business, and Computing […]
EXCURSION 2026 TWO TREASURES OF HARRISBURG Monday, April 20, 2026 Featuring the Pennsylvania State Capitol & National Civil War Museum The Capitol Experience Our day begins at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, where Senator Judith Schwank willhost our group for an inside look at state government in action. Highlights include: Guided tour of the historic Capitol […]