2020 VCWA Speaker Series:
Climate Change and a New Era of Geopolitics in the Arctic
February 19th
Join special guest Rebecca Pincus, Assistant Professor in the Strategic and Operational Research Department in the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the US Naval War College and a member of the Institute for Future Warfare Studies, as she discusses how climate change will impact global geopolitics and how nations around the world are working to combat climate change.
6:00-7:30 pm | ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain | 1 College St, Burlington, VT 05401
China's Grand Strategy: Weaving a New Silk Road to Global Primacy
March 4th
Join special guest Sarwar Kashmeri, Applied Research Fellow at Norwich University’s Peace & War Center and Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association, as he discusses China’s “One Belt, One Road” Plan and the country’s growing influence in the Western Hemisphere and around the world. How will China’s increasing role in Latin America and elsewhere impact the United States’ historic relationship with China and countries throughout the world? How can America engage China strategically in a rapidly closing window of opportunity?
6:00-7:30 pm | The Gallery at Main Street Landing | 3 Main St, Burlington, VT 05401
Two Global Powers: A Transformation in India-US Relations
March 18th
Join special guest Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India to New York, as he discusses the state of relations between India and the United States, the lasting implications of President Trump’s recent visit to India, and the strengthening of economic and political relations.
6:00-7:30 pm | The Gallery at Main Street Landing | 3 Main St, Burlington, VT 05401
Human Trafficking: A View of the International, Local, and Individual Context
April 15
Join special guests Erin Albright, anti-trafficking trainer, speaker, and consultant; Edith Klimoski, Director of Give Way to Freedom; and Courtney Albert, Founder and President of Give Way to Freedom, as they discuss the global, national, and local impacts of human trafficking and modern slavery. By offering insights into the nuances surrounding human trafficking and the mindset of traffickers, they will explore the impact the trauma associated with this victimization has on survivors and the community at large.
6:00-7:30 pm | Virtual Webinar
Security, Politics, and Diplomacy in the Red Sea Region
April 29th
Join special guest Payton Knopf, Africa Program Adviser at the US Institute of Peace, to discuss the current state of affairs in the Red Sea region. How are regional and international geopolitics impacting the economics, politics, and security of this important region, and what are some of the potential flash-points in the area? Join us to discuss these questions and more!
6:00-7:30 pm | Virtual Webinar
Artificial Intelligence and Data
May 13th
Join special guest John Cohn, IBM Fellow and member of the Vermont Artificial Intelligence Taskforce, as he discusses the growing ubiquity of Artificial Intelligence and the ways countries throughout the world are beginning to regulate the companies developing these technologies.
6:00-7:30 pm | Virtual Webinar
