WACC Distinguished Speaker Series Program (Virtual)

March 31st, 2026: WACC Partner Program with James Lindsay, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations – “The Best & Worst: 250 Years of U.S. Foreign Policy”

James Lindsay, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, reveals his definitive rankings of the best—and worst—U.S. foreign policy decisions over the past 250 years. Join us on March 31 for WorldNow with Jim Falk as we examine these pivotal moments, their lasting impact at home and abroad, and what they mean for the future of American foreign policy in the century ahead.

March 31st, 2026: WACC Partner Program with James Lindsay, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations – “The Best & Worst: 250 Years of U.S. Foreign Policy”2026-03-02T17:02:47-05:00

March 10th, 2026: WACC Partner Program with Dan Schnur, Political Analyst – “Tensions and Transitions: Change and Uncertainty in a Time of Global Conflict”

Join us on March 10th for this timely discussion as Dan Schnur explores explore the unfolding situation in Iran following recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes and the subsequent formation of an interim leadership council as Tehran begins a constitutional transition process. The discussion will examine how these events have affected regional security, global responses, and broader international dynamics in 2026. 

March 10th, 2026: WACC Partner Program with Dan Schnur, Political Analyst – “Tensions and Transitions: Change and Uncertainty in a Time of Global Conflict”2026-03-04T12:33:23-05:00

February 10th, 2026: WACC Partner Program with Yi-Ling Liu, Journalist-in-Residence at the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism and Author of “THE WALL DANCERS: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet” (Virtual)

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte on February 10th for a national WAC program featuring author and journalist Yi-Ling Liu tells the untold story of the Chinese internet. In conversation with Jim Falk on WorldNow, Yi-Ling Liu will offer her perspective on how Chinese citizens have navigated the last 30 years of surveillance and censorship while searching for freedom and connection behind the Great Firewall.

February 10th, 2026: WACC Partner Program with Yi-Ling Liu, Journalist-in-Residence at the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism and Author of “THE WALL DANCERS: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet” (Virtual)2026-01-08T13:50:39-05:00

January 28th, 2026: WACC Distinguished Speaker Series with Tom Standage, Deputy Editor of “The Economist” and Editor of “The World Ahead” — “The World Ahead in 2026)

Annually, "The World Ahead" series by The Economist offers a forward-looking perspective on anticipated developments in the upcoming year. Tom Standage, Deputy Editor-In-Chief of The Economist and Editor of "The World Ahead 2026," will provide well-informed predictions, in-depth analyses from foreign policy and current affairs experts, a synopsis of the global economic forecast, and crucial insights into focal issues that are poised to be significant touchpoints in the coming year.

January 28th, 2026: WACC Distinguished Speaker Series with Tom Standage, Deputy Editor of “The Economist” and Editor of “The World Ahead” — “The World Ahead in 2026)2026-03-04T14:54:40-05:00

January 21st, 2026: WACC Partner Program with Bill Hartung, Author and Senior Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft (Virtual)

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte on January 21 for a national WAC program featuring Bill Hartung, senior fellow at the Quincy Institute. In conversation with Jim Falk on WorldNow, Hartung will break down the forces shaping the American military‑industrial complex and explore how rethinking a trillion‑dollar defense system could strengthen America’s future.

January 21st, 2026: WACC Partner Program with Bill Hartung, Author and Senior Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft (Virtual)2026-01-08T10:16:52-05:00

November 12, 2025: WACC Partner Program with WAC Connecticut, Global Sante Fe, and WAC Dallas/Fort Worth — “Autocrats vs Democrats: The New Global Disorder” with Ambassador Michael McFaul” (Via Zoom)

Join us on November 12th for a compelling WorldNow with Jim Falk conversation, in partnership with WAC Connecticut, Global Sante Fe, and World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth featuring former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul. Drawing from his forthcoming book Autocrats vs. Democrats, McFaul explores the global rise of autocracy, growing challenges from Russia and China, and the implications of an inward-turning America. Gain exclusive insight from one of the world’s leading experts on democracy, global security, and the future of U.S. leadership on the world stage.

November 12, 2025: WACC Partner Program with WAC Connecticut, Global Sante Fe, and WAC Dallas/Fort Worth — “Autocrats vs Democrats: The New Global Disorder” with Ambassador Michael McFaul” (Via Zoom)2025-10-27T10:26:38-04:00

November 3, 2025: WACC Partner Program with Alaska World Affairs Council – Ha-Joon Chang, “Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World” (Via Zoom)

Join the Alaska World Affairs Council for a thought-provoking conversation with renowned economist and bestselling author Ha-Joon Chang as he explores the surprising connections between food, economics, and global change. Drawing from his latest work, Edible Economics, Chang uses the stories behind everyday foods to illuminate big questions about globalization, climate change, inequality, and the future of capitalism.

November 3, 2025: WACC Partner Program with Alaska World Affairs Council – Ha-Joon Chang, “Edible Economics: A Hungry Economist Explains the World” (Via Zoom)2025-10-27T10:26:25-04:00

September 9, 2025: “A Tale of Two Kings: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Future of Power in the Middle East” — WACC Partner Program with Global Santa Fe, World Affairs Council of Connecticut, and World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth (FREE VIRTUAL PROGRAM)

Join WorldNow with Jim Falk for an inside look at two very different yet consequential leaders who are shaping the future of the Middle East - and redefining what it means to be king in the 21st century. With Pulitzer Prize-Winner Karen Elliot House, author of The Man Who Would be King: Mohammad Bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia and Aaron Magid, author of The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan.

September 9, 2025: “A Tale of Two Kings: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Future of Power in the Middle East” — WACC Partner Program with Global Santa Fe, World Affairs Council of Connecticut, and World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth (FREE VIRTUAL PROGRAM)2025-09-08T11:12:06-04:00

June 24, 2025: WACC Partner Program with Ian Kumekawa, Historian of Economic Thinking and Capitalism at the Center for History and Economics at Harvard University, Lecturer at MIT, and Author of “Empty Vessel: The Story of the Global Economy in One Barge” (Virtual)

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte as part of a nationwide WAC partnership program on June 24 for a compelling conversation with Harvard scholar and economic historian Ian Kumekawa as he traces the evolution of the modern global economy through the remarkable journey of a single 20th-century barge. Once used as a prison, military barracks, migrant housing, and oil rig support, the barge serves as a powerful symbol of how markets repurpose resources to meet shifting demands.

June 24, 2025: WACC Partner Program with Ian Kumekawa, Historian of Economic Thinking and Capitalism at the Center for History and Economics at Harvard University, Lecturer at MIT, and Author of “Empty Vessel: The Story of the Global Economy in One Barge” (Virtual)2025-07-03T11:39:50-04:00

April 24, 2025: 2025 China Town Hall – “The First 100 Days: President Trump’s China Policy”

Leading China experts Ryan Hass, director of John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution, Matthew Turpin, visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Lingling Wei, chief correspondent at The Wall Street Journal, will be the featured speakers for CHINA Town Hall 2025, a national conversation on how the U.S.-China relationship affects our communities across the country.

April 24, 2025: 2025 China Town Hall – “The First 100 Days: President Trump’s China Policy”2025-04-08T10:22:42-04:00
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