The Alabama World Affairs Council has announced its 2017-2018 schedule of speakers, which will kick off on Sept. 12 with an event featuring Dr. Jack Matlock, former ambassador to Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.
The Alabama World Affairs Council sponsors lectures and programs on current and recent events of national and international interest throughout the year with the aim to increase individuals’ knowledge of world affairs and how they impact the United States. The Council also serves as a platform to showcase some of the world-class faculty at Maxwell Air Force Base’s Air University.
Through its partnership with Troy University, all ALWAC events are held in the Gold Room in Whitley Hall at the University’s Montgomery Campus. Held generally on Tuesdays, each event begins with reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the presentation from a guest speaker.
Dr. Matlock, who will also serve as TROY’s Ambassador-in-Residence during his visit, will discuss U.S.-Russia relations during the Sept. 12 event. In addition to serving as an ambassador, Dr. Matlock is a former director for European and Soviet Affairs on the National Security Council.
On Oct. 17, ALWAC will welcome Dr. Loch Johnson, Regents Professor at the University of Georgia, who will address “American Foreign Policy in a World Both Uncertain and Dangerous.” Dr. Johnson has written 30 books and more than 200 articles on U.S. foreign policy and intelligence and is a former Congressional staff member.
Professor Jorge Dominquez, chair of the Harvard University Academy for International and Area Studies and a former vice-provost for international affairs, will speak on “Cuba: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” on Thursday, Nov. 16. He has written numerous books and articles on Latin American politics and is a specialist on Cuba.
Air War College Professor Gabriel Aquilera will access recent events in Venezuela during an event on Feb. 13. Educated at California State University Chico, Aquilera holds a master’s and a doctoral degree from Harvard.
Gen. Michael Hayden, USAF (ret.), will speak on “Global Security” during an event on April 10. Gen. Hayden is the only man to have been head of both the CIA and the National Security Agency and is a frequent commentator on television news. He also is the author of the book, “Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror.”
On May 8, ALWAC will welcome a panel of professors from the Air War College, who will present regional reports from their travels as a part of the Regional and Cultural Studies curriculum.
Events are free to members and $20 per event for the public. Those who plan to attend should register by noon Friday of the week before the event. Visit ALWAC.org to learn more about membership or to register for an event. For further information and reservations, contact Dahdee Bullen at (334) 567-0953.
In addition to guest speakers, ALWAC also will present the Great Decisions Program, beginning in January. The weekly program will run for 8 weeks and utilize topics and materials produced by the Foreign Policy Association. Further information will be forthcoming in October when topics are announced.
