Policy Events (Sept 14-20)
Your weekly update on upcoming webinars, conferences and other events held by think tanks around the world.
Each week Policy People lists a number of noteworthy think tank events from around the globe. Below are our picks for the third week of September.
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Online conversation
ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE - Monday 14th September @ 2pm British Summer Time (UTC+1)
RUSI has several interesting events coming up including -
Can Multilateralism be Rebuilt for a Post-Covid World: A Conversation Between The Rt. Hon. Douglas Alexander and Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens
RUSI is delighted to host an online conversation between The Rt. Hon. Douglas Alexander and Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens, ahead of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, reflecting on whether multilateralism can be rebuilt for a post-Covid world. This wide-ranging conversation will cover the multilateral response to the Covid- 19 crisis to date and will look ahead to the key themes of the 75th United Nations General Assembly - from Covid to climate, and from biodiversity to gender - and will consider the future of multilateralism. The discussion will also explore how the upcoming U.S. Presidential Election will shape not just the future of the U.S. but the future of multilateralism. Registration by 13th September is essential.
Register here: https://www.rusi.org/event/ahead-75th-session-united-nations-general-assembly-%E2%80%93-can-multilateralism-be-rebuilt-post-covid
Interactive Online Event
CHATHAM HOUSE - Monday, 14th September @ 3pm British Summer Time (UTC+1)
Reforming the World Trade Organization
Chatham House will convene a group of experts to discuss our latest research paper, 'Reforming the World Trade Organization - Prospects for Transatlantic Cooperation and the Global Trade System'. Following a short presentation of the key findings, the paper’s author and other speakers will discuss some of the most pressing issues affecting the global trading system and the future of the WTO. With trade tensions increasingly politicized and COVID-19 creating huge economic challenges, a modernized and fully functioning WTO is more essential than ever. The discussion will be followed by an interactive Q&A.
Register here: https://www.chathamhouse.org/event/reforming-world-trade-organization
Virtual Event
CENTRE FOR POLICY RESEARCH - 15 to 18 September from 9am India Standard Time (UTC+5:30)
Delivering for Nutrition in India: Insights from Implementation Research
In the changed context of COVID-19 pandemic and India’s national nutrition month in September, the Centre for Policy Research is pleased to announce a virtual event on “Delivering for Nutrition in India: Insights from Implementation Research”.
At this four day event, in collaboration with 14 co-hosts, the Centre will bring together evidence that can inform and support current policy and programme initiatives in India for improving maternal and child nutrition, with a special emphasis on implications for nutrition programming during times of crisis, like COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information and registration: https://www.cprindia.org/events
Virtual Forum
STOCKHOLM ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE - Tuesday, 15th September @ 2pm Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)
Fossil Fuel Supply and Climate Policy - winding down fossil fuel production, with special attention to a COVID-19 recovery.
The International Conference on Fossil Fuel Supply and Climate Policy explores the many opportunities for, and challenges of, policies that aim to explicitly limit fossil fuel production, in recognition that many countries rely on fossil fuel extraction and trade for their energy security, economic development, and political influence. This forum will explore some of the current issues that have altered the energy landscape in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Register here: https://www.sei.org/events/international-conference-on-fossil-fuel-supply-and-climate-policy/
Live Online Book Forum
CATO INSTITUTE - Tuesday, September 15th @ 1pm Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land
As the left and right slide further apart, intrepid journalist P. J. O’Rourke has found himself with nowhere to go but the center. In his new book, A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land, the man who has covered wars in the Middle East, Central America, the Balkans, and other places around the world is now confronting political battles at home. Amid a pandemic and civil unrest, O’Rourke wonders if American politics will be fundamentally changed. His answer is a funny‐yet‐sobering thought for the future: “I’m betting that human nature will triumph over challenge and adversity. And I don’t mean that in a good way.” Join our Executive Vice President David Boaz for a conversation with “America’s funniest writer” (Wall Street Journal) and Cato H. L. Mencken Research Fellow P. J. O’Rourke.
Register here: https://www.cato.org/events/cry-far-middle-dispatches-divided-land
Online Event
BROOKINGS - Tuesday, September 15th @ 2pm Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
Brookings has several interesting events coming up including -
Defense Policy and the 2020 Election
The 2020 election takes place at an extraordinarily polarized moment in American history. Having claimed over 180,000 lives and destroyed millions of jobs, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate headlines and will be at the forefront of voters’ minds when they cast their ballots in November. Yet, America also faces a wide array of national security threats beyond the pandemic, threats that require attention, planning, and investment from national leadership. While the National Defense Strategy places a rising China and a revanchist Russia at the heart of defense planning, other threats such as extremist actors, climate change, and transnational criminal organizations challenge the U.S. as well. Moreover, as the nation embraces historically high deficits to tackle the pandemic, Congress and the administration will need to make difficult trade-offs to pay for it all, promising a contentious debate in the coming year about the future of the defense budget.
Register here: https://www.brookings.edu/events/defense-policy-and-the-2020-election/
Web Event
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES - Wednesday, 16th September @ 10am British Summer Time (UTC+1)
India−UK relations post-COVID and post-Brexit
While the UK’s largest diplomatic network is in India and there is much ongoing cooperation between the two countries on investment and trade; technology and innovation; education and culture; diaspora; climate change; and defence and security, the overall impact of the India−UK partnership has been underwhelming. Can the ‘natural partnership’ between India and the UK be reinvigorated in a post-Brexit and post-COVID world? How can the two countries maximise cooperation in the western Indian Ocean and on cyber security, defence, counter-terrorism and climate change? Could India and the UK have a meaningful dialogue on China? And would a boost in bilateral relations enable the UK to reclaim its position as one of India’s top strategic partners? Join a panel of experts as they ponder these questions and more.
For registration: https://www.iiss.org/events/2020/09/india-uk-relations-post-covid-post-brexit
Online Conference
MERICS - Wednesday, 16th September from 9:15am to 5:00pm Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)
Charting a new course for European China Policy
The coronavirus crisis has hampered what the German government had originally envisaged to be an opportunity to progress EU-China relations during Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2020. Instead, the pandemic has further exposed growing tensions in EU-China relations, bringing to the fore elements of systemic rivalry in the context of a rapidly shifting global context, while also illustrating the significant degree of interdependencies that have come to define EU-China relations. In line with the hybrid style of this conference we will incorporate participants’ views through interactive polling. You will also be given the choice to join one of three parallel workshop sessions. Later on, senior decision-makers from Europe and the US will discuss key issues in EU-China relations and place them in the context of the US-China-Europe triangle. The conference will also present views from European capitals in search for an alignment on China policy.
For more information: https://merics.org/en/events/merics-conference-charting-new-course-european-china-policy
Online Event
FOREIGN POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE - Thursday, 17th September @ 10am Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
Latin America in Great Power Competition
China, Russia and the United States are vying for influence in Latin America. The impact of great power politics on the region is the greatest it has been in decades. From hotspots like Venezuela to influence over international institutions to investment in infrastructure, competition between Russia, China, and the U.S. is reshaping the region’s politics. How do the U.S., Russia, and China view the region? How is their interaction likely to change in the future? Join FPRI’s Eurasia fellows Maximilian Hess, Barbara Fick and Chris Miller to explore these questions and more.
Register here: https://www.fpri.org/event/2020/central-asia-event/
Webinar
INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS - Thursday, September 17th @ 7pm Irish Standard Time (UTC+1)
The IIEA is holding many events this week including -
YPN WEBINAR: Ireland, the US and the 2020 Race for the White House
Ahead of November’s US Presidential Election, Suzanne Lynch will discuss the state of play of the campaign less than 50 days out from polling day. She will reflect on the respective outlooks of President Trump and Joe Biden, what the outcome of the election may mean for Ireland and transatlantic relations, and for the future of US politics.
Register here: https://www.iiea.com/events
Web event
AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE - Thursday, September 17th @ 11am Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
AEI has two interesting events planned for this week, including -
‘Remember the ladies’: Reflections on a centennial of women’s suffrage
This year marks the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibits the denial of the right to vote on the basis of sex. The road to women’s enfranchisement was paved with difficulties, setbacks, and triumphs, reflecting not just resistance against women’s shifting role in society but tensions within American democracy itself. And although the 19th Amendment represented a key advancement of women’s rights, its adoption was not sufficient to satisfy many of its proponents’ demands and hopes. Please join AEI for the ninth annual Walter Berns Constitution Day Lecture, as Catherine Zuckert discusses the suffrage movement and how Henry James’ “The Bostonians” raises both the challenges and opportunities facing women in the political arena.
For more information and registration: https://www.aei.org/events/
Webinar
MACDONALD-LAURIER INSTITUTE - Thursday, 17th September @ 11am Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
Know Thy Enemies: Understanding the threat posed by Russia and China in the Post-Covid Era.
Despite decades of trying to bring China and Russia into the world as legitimate partners, both countries have sought to take advantage of the West's good will. For its part, China sidelined democratic allies of the West, developed intelligence networks and foreign influence operations, and brought numerous developing countries under its sway. China lied about COVID-19 at massive expense and suffering in the world, and then positioned itself to take advantage of the crisis for strategic gain. Similarly, Russia has weakened NATO and the EU, driving a wedge between democratic allies. This webinar will explore Chinese and Russian ambitions and actions, particularly during the COVID crisis, and what they mean for the post-COVID world order. It will examine disinformation and foreign influence operations aimed at subverting western institutions, and also consider the challenge posed by their conventional military buildups and asymmetric warfare capabilities.
Register here: https://www.macdonaldlaurier.ca/event/know-thy-enemies-understanding-threat-posed-russia-china-post-covid-era/
Online event
WORLD AFFAIRS - Thursday, 17th September @ 12pm Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
Shifting Priorities: US Foreign Policy in the Middle East
With each new administration we see a shift in US foreign policy strategy in the Middle East. It was no different when Donald Trump took office in 2016. We quickly saw U.S. interests shift more in line with Saudi Arabia, which has changed the balance of power in the region. The question is, why Saudi Arabia? Join David Rundell, former Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Riyadh for a conversation on the power dynamics and politics of the Arab World. What are the major foreign policy implications in the Middle East today? How might Middle East strategy and priorities change under a Joe Biden administration? What is the US role in Israel now that an imminent threat of a new Gaza War has reared its head? How have US interests around oil, Yemen, and al Qaida changed in the last few years? David Rundell, former Chief of Mission, American Embassy in Riyadh will speak to these matters.
Register here: https://www.worldaffairs.org/events/event/2108
Webinar
YUSOF ISHAK INSTITUTE - Friday, 18th September @ 10am Singapore Time
The South China Sea Dispute: US-China Rivalry, Lawfare and the Prospects for a Code of Conduct
Tensions in the South China Sea have escalated in the first half of this year due to a series of actions and counteractions taken by the claimant states as well as growing US-China rivalry. To counter China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, the Trump administration has significantly stepped up freedom of navigation operations and presence missions in the area. There has also been a war of words between the Chinese and American embassies in Southeast Asia over the dispute. The Southeast Asian claimants have continued to assert their claims to varying degrees while trying to navigate the intricacies of great power dynamics. ASEAN itself also has a stake in the overall peace and stability of the region. This webinar will discuss key issues such as the significance of the latest US position on the South China Sea, China’s calculations and objectives, as well as the responses and options of key ASEAN claimant states such as Vietnam and the Philippines.
Register here: https://www.iseas.edu.sg/mec-events/the-south-china-sea-dispute-us-china-rivalry-lawfare-and-the-prospects-for-a-code-of-conduct/
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