The Institute of World Politics

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, this lecture examines the international forces that shaped the nation's rise from thirteen Atlantic colonies to a global power. Mike Watson, Executive Director of the Alexander Hamilton Society, explores how foreign policy and geopolitics influenced America's founding and how the strategic choices of the Founding Fathers continue to...

In his new book, Resources, Power, and Nation Building: Afghanistan and the Promise of Minerals, Dr. Haroon Hakimi analyzes how critical and strategic minerals can either underpin nation building efforts or intensify conflicts. Drawing on his doctoral research at the Institute of World Politics, this lecture examines lessons from U.S. nation building, China’s resource strategy, and the emerging gl...

This presentation examines the growing tension between the sovereignty of nation-states and the expanding ideological and institutional pressure exerted by dominant left-liberal circles in Europe. It begins with the question of why Poland—particularly during the conservative governments of 2015–2023—became one of the primary targets of political and economic pressure from the central institutions...

This talk argues that the ethnic conflicts of Southeast Europe are not the result of “ancient hatreds,” but of a specific historical configuration shaped during the Ottoman period. Under Ottoman rule, earlier forms of statehood did not disappear but survived in memory and identity in a kind of “suspended animation,” while at the same time demographic structures were significantly reshaped. Conflic...

The memoirs of Paweł Z. Woś highlight the significant research challenges encountered by historians of the Intermarium area. Polish conspiracy during the German occupation, participation in the Warsaw Uprising, and operating a small business were all, in reality, acts of anti-communist resistance. The many omissions and instances of imprecision stem not only from the passage of time, but also from...

Unmask the shadowy world of Russian espionage in this lecture with Sean M. Wiswesser, a national security professional whose career spans nearly three decades across intelligence, foreign service, and defense institutions. Drawing on his experience as a senior operations officer with the Central Intelligence Agency—including multiple overseas tours, war-zone deployments, and service as a chief of...

The EU Ambassador to the U.S. Jovita Neliupšienė addresses the European Union’s growing role as a key defense actor. Framed within the broader context of EU-U.S. relations and NATO, the discussion focuses on shifting European security concerns, particularly in response to Russian aggression. The conversation highlights the EU’s strategic perspective and defense dynamics, and showcases its commitme...

In her book, Wife, Mother, Spy: An Extraordinary Life Filled with Ordinary Days, Ms. Ann Butler explores the complexities of balancing a career in the Agency’s Clandestine Service while raising five children with a “non-tandem” spouse. This event will offer students unique insights into the realities of operational tradecraft, specifically the discipline required to maintain work-life balance as a...

Jan Kasprzycki-Rosikon is the Founder and CEO of Convrsy, Inc., an AI-powered communication training platform focused on high-stakes negotiation, crisis communication, and adversarial simulation. Previously, he co-founded and scaled MillionYou, a collective intelligence and crowdsourcing platform acquired by EY. Over the past decade, he has led large-scale innovation and AI initiatives across Euro...

Dr. Caroline Batka analyzes PMCs in Private Military Contractors: Understanding the Non-State Actors Changing the Institution of War. This lecture draws on Dr. Caroline Batka’s compendium of research on Private Military Contractors (PMCs) and examines how they are reshaping the modern institution of war. The presentation explores key similarities and differences in how the U.S. military and the Eu...

Csaba B. Horváth, PhD earned his PhD in International Relations at Corvinus University of Budapest after completing degrees in History and Political Science at Eötvös Loránd University. He is a member of the General Assembly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on geopolitics, with a particular emphasis on the Indo-Pacific as well as on Central and Eastern Europe. He has held...

Professor Przemysław Żurawski vel Grajewski - Polish political scientist, an academic, and an associate professor at the University of Lodz. Furthermore, he is an associate of the European Institute in Łódź, the Center for Political Thought, and a lecturer at the Natolin European Center and the National School of Public Administration. In 2015, Mr. Żurawski vel Grajewski became a member of the Nat...

Dr. Sebastian Bojemski graduated from the Institute of History of Warsaw University and gained his doctoral degree at The Cardinal Wyszyński University in Warsaw. At the Institute of World Politics (Washington, DC) he attended individual courses in geography and strategy, geoeconomy, strategic influence and propaganda. He was awarded scholarships by the Kosciuszko Foundation (USA) and the M. Grabo...

George Byczynski is a defense and security expert specializing in Central and Eastern Europe. He is an Adviser to the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Poland and a Chief Operating Officer of Anders de Wiart Associates. A former Adviser to the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Lithuania and Ukraine and a founder of the British Poles Media Group. He holds an LLM in International Law from the Un...

IWP Professor Glenn Corn provides an update on the situation in Ukraine based on his recent travels to that country, including visits to multiple cities/locations. **Learn more about IWP graduate programs: https://www.iwp.edu/academics/graduate-degree-programs/ ***Make a gift to IWP: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E231090&id=3

Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi offers a firsthand perspective on the war in Ukraine, focusing on children, families, and resilience. Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi will offer a firsthand pastoral perspective on life amid the prolonged war in Ukraine, with particular attention to the experiences of children and families. Drawing on his role as Roman Catholic Bishop of Kyiv–Zhytomyr, he will discuss how the C...

About the Lecture: The Israeli, a novel by veteran journalist Phil Kurata, is set in the years 1947 to 1965, after the end of World War II, when in the Middle East, newly independent countries were shaking off the colonial powers of Britain and France. It reimagines the life of famed spy Eli Cohen. Beginning in Alexandria, Egypt, it transitions to a nascent Israel and then to Syria, where Cohen sp...

About the Lecture: This lecture will discuss the dangers that advanced AI would pose to the United States, the world, and humanity if developed and deployed without proper safeguards. These dangers would include its impact on our economy, geopolitical relations, and our national security. About the Speaker: Brendan Steinhauser is a Partner with Steinhauser Strategies, a public affairs firm based i...

Overview Book talk and signing with Capt. Bryan Leese on At Sea Against the Soviet Fleet—the evolution of U.S. naval intelligence in the Cold War. ***This lecture is sponsored by the IWP IAFIE Alpha Student Chapter*** About the Lecture: At Sea Against the Soviet Fleet examines the critical transformation of naval intelligence during a pivotal era marked by the Cold War and the Vietnam conflict. Br...

About the Lecture: "Our democracy is getting self-destroyed, for it abused the rights of freedom and of equality; for it taught the citizens to regard insolence as a right, illegality as freedom, impertinence as equality, and anarchy as happiness." Isocrates, Athenian orator (436-338 BC) Democracy first emerged in ancient Athens in 507 BC following a long turbulent period of aristocracy and tyrann...

Overview Join Dr. Susan Yoshihara for a lecture, reception, and signing of "Women, Peace, & Security in U.S. Security Cooperation." About the Lecture: The authors of this groundbreaking book explore the origins, rationale, and evolution of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) efforts in the context of US security cooperation. Focusing on real-world policy and practice, they draw on cases ranging from...

About the Lecture: In the summer and fall of 1919 not only the fate of Russia, but also that of Europe and the world, was hanging in the balance as the White anti-Bolshevik forces approached Moscow from the south. Lenin’s Bolshevik regime was teetering on the edge and appeared increasingly close to total collapse. However, the Red Army eventually counter-attacked and, turning a fighting retreat in...

About the Lecture: Dr. Saeed speaks about the Halabja Massacre that occurred on March 16, 1988—a chemical weapons attack under the direction of Ali Hassan al-Majid (“Chemical Ali”), a cousin of Saddam Hussein. The attack claimed between 7,000 and 10,000 civilian lives. Dr. Saeed will discuss the lasting impact on Kurdish and Iraqi history, its role in the discussion of genocide, and his own experi...

About this Event: Join us for a fireside chat, “The Future of U.S. Involvement in the Middle East,” featuring House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul (R-Tex.), in conversation with journalist Dr. James Robbins. The discussion will be moderated by Haley Byrd Witt, Senior Reporter at NOTUS. This event will examine the evolving role of the United States in the Middle East thr...

About the Lecture This presentation will explore the scope and evolution of Russian information and cyber warfare, drawing key lessons from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Ambassador Smith will begin with an overview of Russia’s cyber capabilities and principal actors, then examine how Russian cyber attacks on Ukraine have developed over time and the implications for Ukraine, the United States, a...