Panelists Bernard Haykel, Director of the Institute for Transregional Studies at Princeton, and Karim Sadjapour, Senior Associate of the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joined moderator Meghan O'Sullivan, Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School for a discussion of the persisting tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The panelists discussed geopolitical and sectarian explanations for the rivalry, discussed its...

Walter Isaacson addressed the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum after reporters from the Associated Press were awarded the annual Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for their work on “Seafood from Slaves.” He spoke about the intersection of technology and journalism in an increasingly interconnected global community. Isaacson discussed the broken business model of journalism, which he argues needs more support from journalism users rather than simply subscription models and advertisements.

Panelists Helen Branswell, Senior Writer at STAT, Michael VanRooyen M.D., Director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Howard Zucker M.D., New York Commissioner of Health joined moderator Sheila Burke, Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, for a panel discussion to reflect on the recent outbreaks of Zika virus and global implications. The panelists discussed the origins, scope, and severity of the Zika virus, as well as U.S. preparedness to contain its spread.

Zena Agha, Iraqi-Palestinian Poet, Mariah Al Abdeh, Syrian Activist and Director of Women Now for Development, Fouad Faris, Syrian Activist and refugee, Douglas Johnson, Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, and Curt Rhodes, Founder and International Director of Questscope, joined moderator Marco Werman, Host of PRI’s The World, for a discussion on the Syrian Refugee Crisis. The speakers addressed topics ranging from the world’s perception of refugees to the necessary next...

Lawrence H. Summers, the Charles W. Eliot University Professor of Harvard University, joined Senior Investment Columnist for the Financial Times John Authers for a discussion of inclusive growth, income inequality and the challenges facing investors and governments around the world as they attempt to create a system that benefits all people.

Former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, joined Graham Allison, Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, in conversation at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum. Prime Minister Barak discussed the impact of the upcoming Iran deal, the security of Israel, and Middle East relations.

Retired four-star Army general and former CIA director David Petraeus was joined by Susan Hockfield, MIT President from 2004 to 2012, and Boston-area management consultant (and HBS graduate) Paras Bhayani for a conversation about the intersection between technology and security, moderated by Belfer Center director Graham Allison. The discussion focused on areas where defense spending and innovation investment overlap, as well as the unique 21st-century challenges posed by the spread of...

Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, discussed his views on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship with moderator CNN’s David Gergen. Schmidt answered questions about the critical role Google plays in digital enterprises, job creation, and the future of society.

Harvard University Prize Fellow Brandon M. Terry moderated a John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum on Race, Film, and Culture with Pulitzer Prize winner and current Grantland writer Wesley Morris and African and African American Studies Harvard College Fellow Kellie Carter Jackson. The panelists discussed the depiction of men and women of color in popular film and the struggles they faced to headline big budget cinema.

The West Wing’s Bradley Whitford (“Josh Lyman") joined moderator Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC host and former writer and executive producer of The West Wing, for a panel discussion on the making of the popular political drama. They were joined by Janel Maloney ("Donna Moss") via video conference and Richard Schiff ("Toby Ziegler") via telephone.

Eugene Jarecki, writer and director of The House I Live In, joined prominent Harvard Law School professor, Charles Ogletree, for a discussion on the award-winning documentary. After a condensed-version screening, Jarecki and Ogletree answered questions from the audience about the human and financial costs of the war on drugs in the United States.

Rahaa Altalli from Syria, Wafa Bugaighis from Libya, Julia Duncan-Cassell from Liberia, Ja Nan Lahtaw from Myanmar, Sofi Ospina from Colombia, and Sabrina Saqeb from Afghanistan sit with Ambassador Swanee Hunt to discuss their experiences participating in the peace building process. This event was co-sponsored by the Center for Public Leadership, the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, and the Women and Public Policy Program.

Carl-Henric Svanberg, Chairman of BP and AB Volvo, and Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor of Harvard Business School, discuss the future of international energy policy through the lens of business and industry. The speakers address issues such as how to incentivize more environmentally sustainable practices, the shifting role of major oil powers and lessons learned from key environmental events in the oil industry. The event is moderated by David T. Ellwood, Dean...

Jonathan Alter, Bloomberg View lead columnistand Newsweek columnist and senior editor; Carlos Diaz, Harvard lecturer on government and Allston Burr Resident Dean of Dunster House; Nina Easton, Fortune magazine senior editor and Washington columnist; and Mark McKinnon, former chief media advisor to President George W. Bush discuss the 2012 U.S. presidential race. The panelists explored the extent to which the presidential and vice-presidential candidates’ debate performances impacts voter...

Jennie Bowser, National Conference of State Legislatures Senior Fellow; John Fund, National Affairs Columnist for the National Review Online; Tova Wang, Senior Democracy Fellow for Demos and Fellow for The Century Foundation; and Alex Keyssar, Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy for HKS discuss voter ID Laws and its surrounding issues of suppression and fraud as a part of the IOP’s ongoing conversation about the 2012 election. Trey Grayson, IOP Director, moderates...

This Forum, co-sponsored by the National Security Fellows, featured the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin E. Dempsey. General Dempsey began his address by challenging the students in attendance to serve and support their country in any capacity. General Dempsey focused his address on what he called the “security paradox.” The paradox is that on the one hand, the U.S. remains a dominant international force while violence is at an evolutionary low, but on the other hand, the...