2024-2025 Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series

The Naples Council on World Affairs is pleased to present its "crown jewel," the 2024-2025 Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series. 

Out of Peril and Chaos: Can We Find Order?

2024 -2025 Lectures and Programs
3:45 and 7:30 pm

Monday, November 4:  “Pipe Dream or Strategic Windfall: What the United States Should Expect from India in a Changing World Order” Dr. Daniel S. Markey, a senior advisor on South Asia at the United States Institute of Peace and a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Monday, November 18:  Germany, NATO and Nuclear Doctrine: “Germany after Merkel - Still a Leader of the Free World?” Dr. Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations and an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University in the Center for German and European Studies.

Monday, December 2:  "Are We Embedded In a New Cold War? Will Russia Win?" Ian J. Brzezinski leads the Brzezinski Group, which provides strategic insight and advice to commercial and government clients, and is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on Strategy and Security. 

Monday, December 9:  “The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present and Future in the Middle East”, Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations.

A special in-person discussion with the author of his book by the same title will be held on December 9 from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

January 6:  "The Next World Order: Does Europe Still Matter?" Dr. Charles A. Kupchan, 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.

January 27:  "Will China become the World’s Strongest Power?" Ryan Hass, director of the John L. Thornton China Center and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at the Brookings Institution and a Senior Fellow in the Center for Asia Policy Studies.

February 10:  "Iran’s New Patrons," Dr. Ray Takeyh, Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), specializing in Iran, U.S. foreign policy, and the modern Middle East. 

Friday, February 21:  The Ninth Biennial National War College Event: Multiple speakers, “Our National Security”

March 10:  "American Statecraft," Aaron David Miller, a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on U.S. foreign policy. He previously was vice president for new initiatives at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

March 24:  "Artificial Intelligence," Ylli Bajraktari, president and CEO of the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a nonpartisan nonprofit that makes recommendations to strengthen America's long-term competitiveness in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies reshaping our national security, economy and society. He previously served as the executive director of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, was chief of staff to the National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, and held a variety of leadership roles in the Department of Defense. 

April 7:  "Immigration," Eddie Aldrete, Senior Vice President of International Bank of Commerce, and chairman, National Immigration Forum.

The lectures will be live-streamed via Zoom at the time of the lecture, as well as made available as archived recordings accessed through our website soon after the event. Emailed announcements will provide details for access of each lecture.

The afternoon lecture begins at 3:45 pm and the evening lecture at 7:30 pm. Membership cards were mailed in late September. Please check your card for the lecture time that you requested when you enrolled.

If you became a member after the cards were mailed, please check in at the table at the entrance to the lecture hall for a card to be issued to you.

You may access prior recordings and videos, as well as those to date, by clicking Lecture Archive. The lecture list for last season is shown below.

Note: Speakers and/or topics may be adjusted to reflect the most current international developments as the season unfolds. Any changes will be announced via email, the NCWA newsletter and/or via the website.

                                                                           ~ Mimi Gregory, Vice President for Programs