Asia Pacific

The Evolution of US-China Competition

February 13, 2026

February 24, 2026 | 6:30 - 8 PM | 223 Philosophy Hall

On Tuesday, February 24th, at 6:30 PM in Philosophy Hall, Room 223, the Alexander Hamilton Society, a student-led organization, will host Frank Lavin, former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and senior U.S. trade official, now affiliated with the Hoover Institution.

Ambassador Lavin will speak on “U.S.–China Competition,” examining its evolution and future implications. The discussion will be moderated by Professor Vinod Aggarwal, a UC Berkeley political scientist specializing in international...

Jessica Olney

IIS Executive Director

Jessica Olney joined the Institute of International Studies the Executive Director in January 2026.

Jess brings extensive international experience as a practitioner and researcher on conflict, peacebuilding, human rights, and humanitarian response. She has led studies for and advised various governments, embassies, international NGOs, UN agencies, universities, institutional and private donors, and the International Criminal Court. She is passionate about working with students, and has trained dozens of refugee youth to lead research, advocacy, and humanitarian...

February 26: Junta on the Defense - Making Sense of Myanmar in 2026

January 28, 2026

February 26, 2026 | 12:30 - 2:00 PM | 223 Philosophy Hall

Nearly 80 percent of Myanmar’s territory is now either contested or controlled by anti-junta resistance groups. Aung Kyaw Moe, Deputy Minister of Human Rights for Myanmar’s pro-democracy government-in-exile, will offer an analysis of Myanmar’s rapidly evolving conflict and political landscape, explaining the advance of resistance forces over the past year.

He will discuss the regime’s recent elections, widely considered a sham to entrench junta rule. What does the electoral process mean...

February 6 Film Screening of Thabyay: Creative Resistance in Myanmar

January 28, 2026
February 6, 2026 | 5:00 - 7:00 PM | 370 Dwinelle Hall Film Screening & Discussion What happens when non-violent leaders are pushed to support armed struggle against a brutal regime in a forgotten war?

IIS is pleased to partner with the UC Berkeley Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS), Center for Southeast Asia Studies, and...

Aftershocks: Myanmar Earthquake in Perspective

April 25, 2025

April 25, 2025 | 4:00 PM | IEAS Conference Room

This hybrid Late Breaking News panel invites experts to discuss what the March 28 earthquake - and other ruptures and fissures in the domestic, regional and global political landscape - mean for the people of Myanmar.

https://events.berkeley.edu/cseas/event/297409-aftershocks-myanmar-earthquake-in…