Global I.q. Minute With Jim Falk

Throughout U.S. history there are presidents whose qualities separated them from the rest and propelled them to the highest office Washington’s honesty, Lincoln’s leadership, Kennedy’s charisma, Roosevelt’s fortitude, the list could go on. But which of these qualities can be transferred to the next generation? What leadership lessons apply today? In Talmage Boston’s new book, How the Best did it: Leadership Lesson’s From our top Presidents, he explores the best qualities of former U.S. presidents and what we can learn from them. Historian and Council friend Jon Meacham calls it “A discerning examination of what all of us can learn from some of our most effective leaders who have held—and wielded—ultimate power at the highest level.” ABOUT THE SPEAKER Talmage Boston is a partner at the Shackelford Law Firm in Dallas. He is also a former board member of the World Affairs Council and a member of the Mallon Circle, an honorary body comprised of members who have served the Council with distinction. He is a histo

KEYNOTE – Salvatore A. Giunta Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself at the risk of his life in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on October 25, 2007. While under heavy enemy fire, Specialist Giunta sprinted towards cover and engaged the enemy. After seeing that his squad leader had fallen, Specialist Giunta exposed himself to enemy fire and raced towards his squad leader, helped him to cover, and administered medical aid. While administering first aid, enemy fire struck Specialist Giunta’s body armor and his secondary weapon. Amidst the ongoing fire, Specialist Giunta continued to engage the enemy before prepping and throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover to hide his position. Attempting to reach additional wounded fellow soldiers, Specialist Giunta and his team encountered a barrage of enemy fire that forced them to the ground. Specialist Giunta’s unwavering courage, selflessness, and decisive leadership while under extreme fire were integral to his platoon’s ability to defeat an e

Cyberspace is like the Wild West – a vast and lawless land. Both cyber warfare and cyberweapons have been used in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Rapid technology advancement and global dynamics challenge governments to protect military and critical infrastructures. Can the 2024 U.S. election occur without interference? Cyber expert Christopher Whyte joins us this January as we kick off our annual International Perspectives Series with The Shifting Geopolitics of Cyber Conflict: American Strategy in a Time of Change. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Dr. Christopher Whyte is an assistant professor of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness at Virginia Commonwealth University. His research focuses on the decision-making dynamics of cyber operations, digital age influence campaigns, and the impact of artificial intelligence on cyber conflict. Whyte is author/co-author of nearly three dozen peer-reviewed articles on these subjects, numerous other articles/reports and four books on cyber conflict, including Information in War, p

Since Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have been in power, Russia and China have been each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Director of China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Bonny Lin notes that “the bond has been decades in the making, but Russia’s war in Ukraine has tightened their embrace.” Leading the BRIC alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), they see the global south as the key to push back against U.S. hegemony in the west. Join the Council in part II of the International Perspectives Series Ordering Disorder: Governing the World to Come with Charles Kupchan to discuss the future of geopolitics and world order. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Charles A. Kupchan is professor of international affairs in the School of Foreign Service and Government department at Georgetown University, and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2014 to 2017, Kupchan served as special assistant to the President and senior director for European Affairs on the National Security Counci

In 2023, 39.1% of all U.S. businesses were owned by female entrepreneurs. The number of women elected in congressional leadership has increased by 15% in the past 20 years. Today, women make up 28% of the 118th U.S. congress. That said, of the 193 member states of the United Nations, only 13 of those leaders are women. There is still much work to be done. Join the Council and Texas Woman’s University in observation of International Women’s Day on March 12. The Council will host a panel discussion featuring Dallas’ very own Nina Vaca, chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group, and Hattie Hill, President & CEO of Hattie Hill Enterprises, to discuss women who lead in such a way that encourages other women leaders. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Rama Yelkur, dean of Texas Woman’s University’s College of Business. ABOUT THE PANELISTS Hattie Hill has spent more than three decades developing successful global diversity and inclusion and gender equity strategies for corporations, nonprofits and foundations acr

“America’s secret weapon is a blue note in a minor key,” proclaimed the New York Times. In the late 1950’s, President Eisenhower looked to fight the Cold War using the cool weapon of jazz. The State Department hoped that showcasing popular American music around the globe would not only introduce audiences to American culture, but also win them over as ideological allies in the cold war. Jazz, structured around improvisation within a set of commonly agreed-upon boundaries, was a perfect metaphor for America in the eyes of the State Department. Renowned artists such as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck toured the globe promoting United States’ culture. Brubeck’s father would famously announce before the crowds, “No dictatorship can tolerate jazz, it is the first sign of a return to freedom.” Join us to explore how the U.S. State Department contracted jazz performers to fight the Cold War in the form of Jazz Diplomacy. ABOUT THE PANELISTS Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney is an adjunct professor at UNT Dal

War is catastrophic for nations and can bring businesses to a complete halt. When Russia attacked Ukraine, U.S. companies such as McDonald’s and Starbucks closed their stores. Millions of dollars of Ukraine’s infrastructure has been destroyed. War’s cost can be simplified into three parts: the opportunity cost of resources, the destruction of physical and human capital, and the reduction of GDP. However, war can also stimulate the economy – World War II pulled the U.S. out of the Great Depression. So what is the global economic toll of war? Join the Council’s virtual discussion on war economics with world-renowned economics professor, bestselling author, and innovative educator Jeffery Sachs. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Jeffery Sachs serves as the director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he holds the rank of University Professor, the university’s highest academic rank. Sachs served as director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University from 2002 to 2016. He is president of

Part of the Dialogues for Democracy Series Forty countries will hold major elections in 2024, including Taiwan, Russia, Mexico, and the U.S. As technology “improves” and cyber-attacks become more difficult to predict, elections have become more susceptible to meddling. At the same time, social media has transformed our news consumption – and it’s harder than ever to decipher what is real and trustworthy. Join us on Thursday, February 15 to hear American political advisor, reform advocate, media columnist, and television producer Mark McKinnon discuss the “Pulse on Politics.” ABOUT THE SPEAKER Mark McKinnon is a multifaceted figure known for his roles as a political advisor, reform advocate, media columnist, and television producer. He is the creator and co-host of Showtime’s acclaimed documentary series The Circus and has worked with President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain, and Bono. Committed to bipartisanship, McKinnon co-founded No Labels and is a board member of Take Back Our Republic, which advo

Even though globalization has become a negative concept for some, the reality is that there is no going back. While the politics of globalization are debated, Professor Małgorzata Zachara-Szymańska says, “All social organizations have ‘gone global’ within the last several decades; they are more interconnected and more dependent on global processes, so the question of effective leadership strategies matching these new realities is highly necessary…” Join us to learn about global power games, leadership crises, and how our world is shifting in the 21stcentury. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Małgorzata Zachara-Szymańska is an associate professor at the Faculty of International and Political Relations, Jagiellonian University in Poland and a lecturer in leadership, global change, and international relations. She has accumulated several years academic experience lecturing and conducting research at different European universities. Her articles on global public goods, global leadership and diplomacy have been published in Lea

ABOUT THE SPEAKER General David Petraeus, U.S. Army (Ret.) served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2011-2012 and as commander of U.S. Central Command from 2008-2010. His highly decorated 37-year military career included combat commanderships of the Surge in Iraq and the U.S./Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. He established the KKR Global Institute in 2013 and is a partner with the global investment firm KKR. Petraeus graduated with distinction from the U.S. Military Academy and earned a Ph.D. from Princeton University. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Meredith M. Walker is Principal and Global Economist at MMW Research, a leading business consultancy, is a renowned speaker, author, and media commentator specializing in strategic insights on the economy, geopolitics, and technology. A member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and the National Association for Business Economics, she focuses her research on cross-sector solutions to global challenges in security and sustainability. Walker

ABOUT THE PANELISTS: Sam Brownback currently serves as co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit, is a senior fellow at Global Christian Relief, and is chairman of the National Committee for Religious Freedom. While serving as ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom under the Trump Administration from 2018 until 2021, Brownback focused on highlighting cases of religious discrimination in various countries such as China and Iran and worked with organizations and coalitions promoting international competence. He began his career in Kansas in 1986 and became the youngest Secretary of Agriculture in that state’s history. Brownback won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1995 and was elected to the U.S. Senate a year later, where he continued to work on international relations concerning religion while involved in the Senate Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Brownback was elected governor of Kansas in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. Rabbi David Saperstein

The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Summit just a few weeks ago revealed the ever-growing presence of nonwestern nations arraying themselves against NATO and the West. The BRICS nations share one common concern: U.S. sanctions on global trade and investment. New alliances and old enemies make understanding U.S. foreign policy a requirement rather than an elective. The world is smaller and faster in this communications age. Not only do relations with China, the Middle East, climate change, terrorism, and global health matter, but understanding how the world views our exporting of our own ethics and values through foreign policy is an important reason to engage in your future and our country’s future. Join postdoctoral fellows Augusta Dell’Omo, Ashlyn Hand, and Jonathan Ng in the 2023 Gail Koppman History Lecture to gain a deeper insight into the forces that are shaping our world and the current state of U.S. foreign policy. Moderated by Jeff Engel. About the Lecture: Gail Koppman was a

ABOUT THE AMBASSADOR His Excellency, Jean-Arthur Regibeau, Belgian Ambassador to the United States The Ambassador represents His Majesty The King of the Belgians and Belgium’s federal government in the United States of America and in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. He is responsible for the direction and work of the Embassy and its Consulates, including bilateral political and economic relations, visa and consular services. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Tara M. Lause serves as the Director for Global Pursuits Northern Europe at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. In this role, she acts as the senior company advisor for the Northern European Command (EUCOM) region, overseeing key customer relationships for Aeronautics products, including the F-35, F-16, and C-130. Lause, with over 20 years of experience at Lockheed Martin, has previously worked as a Capture Manager for the UK, Denmark, and Ireland, identifying new business opportunities. She began her career with Lockheed Martin in 2002 as a software engineer on the F-35 p

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Kevin Cassidy is currently the director and representative to the Bretton Woods and Multilateral Organizations for the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for the U.S. Prior to his appointment, Cassidy served as the senior communications and economic and social affairs officer for 11 years in the ILO office for the United Nations with additional responsibility for partnerships in North America. Cassidy worked with member states to organize heads of state/government and ministerial level events highlighting decent work as well as introducing policy language on key development issues into the resolutions and outcomes documents of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee and the Commissions of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Before his assignments in New York, Cassidy was Chief Technical Adviser for the ILO’s Global Campaign on Promoting Fundamental Rights at Work. Prior to joining the ILO, he worked for the Aga Khan Foundation in London as the operations, communications, and partnership di

Each year, The Economist publishes “The World Ahead” series: an informed prediction of the major themes that will dominate the coming year. Spanning topics from politics to technology to sociology and more, this series edited by Tom Standage is as ambitious as it is awe-inspiring. On December 8, Standage rejoins the Council to discuss his publication’s analysis for 2024. “The World Ahead” is one of the most prestigious launches in The Economist’s annual publishing calendar. This future-gazing publication prepares audiences for the year to come with mind-stretching insights and expert-level analysis. Written by The Economist correspondents and editors alongside globally recognized public figures, it is regarded as essential reading by individuals, professionals, and policymakers alike. It circulates in more than 90 countries, in 24 languages, to a world audience in excess of 2.8 million people. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Tom Standage is deputy editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, “The Worl

Boston College Professor of History Heather Cox Richardson supplies her 1.2 million Substack subscribers with her interpretation of history and current events in her daily newsletter called Letters from an American. In her new book Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America, Richardson argues that “America is at a crossroads. A country that once stood as the global symbol of democracy has been teetering on the brink of authoritarianism.” Still, Richardson remains optimistic about the country’s future. Kirkus Reviews said the book “show(s) her readers how history and the present are in constant conversation.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Heather Cox Richardson is a professor of history at Boston College. She has written about the Civil War, reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the American west in award-winning books whose subjects stretch from the European settlement of the North American continent to the history of the Republican Party through the Trump administration. Her work has appeared in the Washington Po

Soft power – the ability to shape the preferences and behaviors of others through attraction and persuasion, rather than coercion, holds a significant place in today’s global landscape. Through a seemingly innocuous sport, the U.S. and China were able to thaw icy relations in the 1970s - “ping-pong diplomacy” - showcasing how cultural exchanges can bridge political divides. Korea has captured international attention through the global phenomenon of K-pop groups BTS and BlackPink, to Netflix’s most streamed show Squid Game, to the adaptation of Korean skincare. These show that soft power fosters understanding and appreciation and facilitates dialogue that can shape global perception in our interconnected world. About the Speakers: Jenna Gibson is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago, specializing in International Relations. Her research interests include diplomatic rhetoric, public and cultural diplomacy, soft power, South Korean politics and social issues, and U.

“To deeply know and understand others is a way of life,” observes New York Times bestselling author David Brooks in his upcoming book, How to Know a Person. Drawing on insights from psychology, neuroscience, theater, philosophy, history, and education, Brooks presents a comprehensive approach to fostering meaningful human connections that prioritize empathy and understanding. USA Today said, “Original and eye-opening… Brooks is a normative version of Malcolm Gladwell, culling from a wide array of scientists and thinkers to weave an idea bigger than the sum of its parts.” The Council welcomes Brooks to Fort Worth for a discussion moderated by Talmage Boston. David Brooks is one of the nation’s leading writers and commentators. He is an op-ed columnist for the New York Times, a writer for The Atlantic, and appears regularly on PBS Newshour. He is the bestselling author of The Second Mountain, The Road to Character, The Social Animal, Bobos in Paradise, and On Paradise Drive. ABOUT THE MODERATOR Talmage Bo

Congressman Colin Allred is currently serving his third term as the U.S. Representative for Texas’ 32nd Congressional District. Allred was born and raised in North Dallas where he was class president of Hillcrest High School and earned a full-ride football scholarship to Baylor University. He deferred his acceptance to law school to play in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans, where he was a linebacker for five seasons before sustaining a career-ending injury. This opened the door for him to become a civil rights attorney. He served in the General Counsel’s office and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development before returning to Dallas. His congressional priorities include lowering health care costs, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and creating an economy that works for all Americans. About the Moderator: Christopher Connelly is a reporter covering issues related to financial instability and poverty for KERA’s One Crisis Away series. In 2015, he joined KERA to report on Fort Worth and Tarra