Smart Women, Smart Power

Suzanne Spaulding, Senior Adviser for Homeland Security in the International Security Program at CSIS discusses how Russian influence campaigns are impacting public confidence in democratic systems, including the courts and elections, and what the U.S. should do to counter them.

Dr. Heather Williams, Defense Studies Lecturer at King’s College London in the Center for Science and Security Studies talks with Beverly Kirk about challenges with trust in the institutions, treaties and norms that govern the global nuclear order and what needs to happen to rebuild trust that has been lost between the U.S. and Europe.

Ambassador Ertharin Cousin joins Nina Easton to discuss global food insecurity and hunger and the role they play in other security issues, including violent extremism.

CSIS Europe expert Heather Conley discusses the issues dominating the upcoming Swedish general election, including immigration and the rise of populist/nationalist Sweden Democrats political party. She also looks at the impact populism is having on elections across Europe.

From sanctions to Russian foreign policy strategy to election interference to possible areas of cooperation with the U.S., Olga Oliker, CSIS Senior Adviser and Director of the Russia-Eurasia Program discusses all things Russia.

CSIS experts Dr. Kathleen Hicks and Heather Conley discuss the impact of the July NATO Summit on future relations between the U.S. and Europe and examine the growing rift between the U.S., NATO, and Turkey.

Rebecca Hersman, Director of the Project of Nuclear Issues at CSIS; Katherine Charlet, Director Technology and International Affairs Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Dr. Lindsay Cohn, Associate Professor at the U.S. Naval War College; and Dr. Rupal Mehta, Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln discuss the opportunities and challenges of current and future w...

Recorded while she was Mayor of Kaohsiung, Chen Chu, the current Secretary-General to the Presidential Office, talks to Beverly Kirk about her role as an activist and member of the “Kaohsiung Eight,” her transition to a political leader in Taiwan, and her views on women’s leadership and youth engagement.

Dr. Erin Simpson, Director for Strategic Planning at Northrop Grumman, sits down with Dr. Emma Ashford, Research Fellow at the CATO Institute, Dr. Audrey Kurth Cronin, Professor at American University, Ciara Knudsen, Director of Strategic Planning at the Department of State, and Dr. Maria J. Stephan, Senior Advisor at the United States Institute of Peace to discuss the challenge of non-state actor...

Lynn Good, CEO of Duke Energy sits down with Nina Easton to discuss the trends impacting the energy industry, the challenges it faces, and the efforts being made to create a cleaner, smarter energy future.

Sherrie Deans, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association Foundation, and Beverly Kirk discuss the importance of sports diplomacy, and the humanitarian work that the Players Association Foundation supports globally and in the U.S.

Julie Smith, Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security sits down with Amanda Dory, Faculty at the National War College, Dr. Oriana Skylar Mastro, Assistant Professor at Georgetown University, Dr. Olga Oliker, Senior Adviser and Director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at CSIS, and Dr. Ariane Tabatabai, Director of Curriculum and As...

Dr. Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, joins Beverly Kirk to discuss educating and protecting young girls and improving maternal healthcare both in her country and in other developing countries. She also discusses the relationship between U.S. and African countries.

Dr. Kori Schake, Deputy Director at IISS and Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, discusses her book “Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony” and how these historical contexts can be applied to current conflicts with China and Russia.

Former U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte sits down with Dr. Kathleen Hicks to discuss the Syrian conflict, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and her leadership of CSIS’ new health security commission.  

Kate Germano, a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel, and award-winning journalist, Kelly Kennedy, discuss their newly released book “Fight Like a Girl: The Truth Behind How Female Marines are Trained.” The book examines gender bias, changing the status quo, and how these lessons from the Marine Corps relate to all women.

Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme and Distinguished Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Kimberly Flowers, Director of the Global Food Security Project at CSIS, and Beverly Kirk discuss hunger, food insecurity, and nutrition in the U.S. and around the world.

Dana W. White, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesperson, and Beverly Kirk discuss the Defense Department’s budget, priorities, and the new “This is the Military” initiative helping to inform the public about those who serve our country. Follow the initiative on Twitter with the hashtag .

The Honorable Sue Gordon, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, sits down with Dr. Kathleen Hicks to discuss intelligence, innovation and inclusion in a complex global security environment.

Afghanistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Cooperation, Adela Raz, and Deputy Minister for Policy in the Ministry of Finance, Naheed Sarabi, discuss their country’s security and economic challenges and the government’s efforts to bring women into public service.

On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Sue Mi Terry with violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The indictment alleges activities that took place, in part, during a period in which Ms. Terry was employed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. CSIS is not a party to this litigation and takes the allegations seriously. CSIS mainta...

Samm Sacks, a senior fellow in the CSIS Technology Policy Program, tells host Beverly Kirk about advances and challenges in China’s digital economy and its cyber governance law and analyzes the likelihood of a trade war between the U.S. and China.