Dear Friends,

Welcome to this week's WorldBoston Recommends email, highlighting high-quality programming for the upcoming week, special opportunities, and event recordings, whether our own, from other World Affairs Councils, or other excellent venues. 

We hope these recommendations help you stay internationally engaged, wherever you may be.

Best regards,

Your Friends at WorldBoston

Great Decisions with Michael Poznansky | American Foreign Policy At A Crossroads

Thursday, December 11th

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM ET

What is America's role on the global stage? What are the decisions, risks, and opportunities that lie ahead in an increasingly tumultuous international landscape? And how can American foreign policy adapt to the new challenges that the world faces? The answers to these questions could shape American foreign policy and the global order for decades to come.

Join WorldBoston for a timely Great Decisions program on “American Foreign Policy At A Crossroads” featuring Michael Poznansky, Professor and Author on International Relations. This program will feature an expert presentation, live audience Q&A, and time for networking and discussion with other globally-oriented participants. The conversation will be moderated by WorldBoston Board Member, Ryan Morhard.

Disclaimer: All views expressed at this event are the speaker's own and do not represent those of the U.S. Naval War College, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of Defense

Disclaimer: WorldBoston is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, non-advocacy, educational organization dedicated to fostering civil discourse on international affairs. Our speakers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WorldBoston, our affiliates, or our community.

Building a Golden Age for the U.S.-Japan Economic Partnership

Tuesday, December 9th

9:30 AM – 11:15 AM ET

As domestic economic pressures and political constraints intensify in the U.S., Japan, and many other countries, the importance of maintaining stable economic relations is clear. Amid these challenges, how can the U.S. and Japan continue to deepen their economic engagement and work together to promote a future-oriented, politically sustainable economic framework? The speakers for this event will include John J. Hamre, President and CEO of CSIS, Ambassador Daniel J. Kritenbrink, Partner of the The Asia Group, Norihiko Ishiguro, Chairman and CEO of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Robert D. Atkinson, President of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Tsuyoshi Kawase, Professor at Sophia University, Barbara Weisel, Nonresident Scholar of the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Shay Wester, Director of Asian Economic Affairs at the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Kristi Govella, Senior Adviser and Japan Chair at CSIS.

China’s Struggle for Influence in Central Asia 

Tuesday, December 9th

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET

While much of the global conversation around China focuses on its rise through the Belt and Road Initiative and new security partnerships, Beijing’s expanding presence in Central Asia has been met with persistent local resistance—from grassroots protests to elite pushback. This webinar will explore how China’s power projection is not a one-way street, but a negotiated and contested process shaped by local actors, political frictions, and regional complexity. The speakers for this event will be Annette Bohr, Associate Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme, Bradley Jardine, Political Risk Analyst and Strategic Consultant and Managing Director at the The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, and Edward Lemon, President of The Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs.

Venezuela and the U.S.: What Comes Next?

Tuesday, December 9th

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET

Gunboat diplomacy, armed conflict, or all-out regime change? As tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continue to rachet up, all outcomes and more seem to be on the table. The U.S. has declared an armed conflict with Venezuela, increased military pressure in the Caribbean, and has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of heading Cartel de los Soles, recently declared to be a foreign terrorist organization. Simultaneously, President Trump has indicated an openness to talks with his Venezuelan counterpart. Former Ambassador to Venezuela and senior advisor at the Pendleton Group, Charles Shapiro, joins us to unpack everything we know about the potential of further U.S. military action and what could come next.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on one year of a new global trade system

Wednesday, December 10th

10:00 AM ET

Tariffs and trade tools are at the center of U.S. international economic policy, as the administration looks to reshore manufacturing. It has negotiated new trade agreements, providing a model in which the United States can tariff trading partners to achieve more balanced trade while also securing investment commitments and coordination on national security policies. However, major questions remain. Is a system built on higher tariffs sustainable, and what might erode U.S. leverage as major economies such as China adjust? Will the Supreme Court impact the president’s ability to use tariffs? U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, will address these questions and outline how the administration views the new global trading system.