How may global governance and multilateral cooperation evolve in a world without US leadership?
Thursday, April 30, 2026 223 Philosophy Hall 12 - 2:30 PM *Lunchtime talk*
Panelists:
Philip Yun - IIS Senior Fellow and President, Commonwealth Club of California Steve Vogel - UC Berkeley Professor of Political Economy Amy Hawthorne - Expert...
Join IIS and Ethan Chorin, Founder and Director Red Sea Futures, for a lunchtime talk to discuss the intense competition between regional and global powers in the Red Sea. Over one fifth of the world’s trade passes through this critically important waterway.
April 17, 2026| 12:30 – 2 PM | 223 Philosophy Hall Join IIS to learn how the State of California is navigating international cooperation and standing as a global leader during a period of global rupture. About Evan Reade:
Evan Reade ('79) is a career diplomat and national security professional with over three decades of service across the U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council, and the U.S. military. His foreign service postings span four continents, including assignments as Deputy Counselor for Political-Military Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, First Secretary at...
China's Rare Earth Monopoly: Hong Kong Finance and Threats to Taiwan & the Pacific
Organizer: Hong Kong Affairs Association of Berkeley
Learn how Beijing’s dominance in rare earth mineral mining is enabled by Hong Kong’s USD-pegged markets, banking networks, dollar clearing, and sanctions evasion. Join us for an assessment of risks to Taiwanese security, and potential countermeasures via the US led Rare Earth Alliance.
April 09, 2026| 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM|820 Social Sciences BuildingCloud Capitalism and the AI TransitionWith Kathy Thelen, Ford Professor of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Join MIT political scientist Kathy Thelen at BESI as she explores the origins and implications of the new cloud business model powering the AI boom. She’ll elaborate on how this model differs from the traditional platform model out of which it grew, as well as the technological, political, and distributional impacts of the rise of this new business model. She...
April 16, 2026 | 12:30 – 2 PM | 223 Philosophy Hall
Join IIS for an open and honest conversation about life, escape, and starting again with Charles Ryu, a North Korean defector, speaker, and founder of Freedom Bridge Foundation. Charles Ryu is a North Korean defector who rebuilt his life in the United States after surviving multiple escape attempts. Today, he shares his story to help others better understand life inside North Korea and the challenges many face when starting over.
Through his work, Charles has reached a global audience, offering a rare, firsthand perspective on one...
The U.S. War on Iran has drawn widespread attention to the influence of AI and data science tools on military choices previously left to human judgement. At...
April 10, 2026 | 4 - 7 PM | VLSB 2040 (Valley Life Sciences Building)
The Alexander Hamilton Society is invites you to a special screening of the award-winning PBS documentary Invisible Nation.
Invisible Nation invites viewers on an unprecedented journey with Taiwan’s first female president as she works to secure her nation’s future. The film offers an in-depth look at Taiwan’s past, present, and uncertain future. As a young democracy...
