Hudson Institute Events Podcast

China’s menacing behavior toward Taiwan should terrify the international community. First, the island is indispensable for world’s tech industry, and according to a Bloomberg Economics estimate, a Chinese blockade of Taiwan could cost the global economy $10 trillion—about 10 percent of global GDP. Second, a conflict over Taiwan would create geopolitical fallout, and a Chinese victory would upend the current world order. Lastly, Taiwanese freedom matters, and the example of Asia’s top-ranked democracy would be lost if Beijing coerced 23 million Taiwanese into servitude. The United States therefore needs to create layers of deterrence among democratic allies and partners to deter China.Executive Director of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation Jonas Parello-Plesner, author of The Battle for Taiwan, will join Hudson’s Patrick Cronin to discuss Taiwan’s importance to the US and the world. 

With a civil war tearing apart Sudan, terrorist threats escalating across Africa, tensions growing between Ethiopia, Somalia, and Egypt, and Russia deepening its involvement in the Sahel, Africa remains a hotbed of geopolitical turmoil.The United States military’s recent withdrawal from Niger and the Russia-China-Iran axis’s rising influence further exemplify the pressing foreign policy obstacles the US faces on the continent.How is great power competition reshaping Africa? What major terrorist organizations threaten African security, and why do these groups matter for America’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization  and Middle Eastern allies? And most importantly, what conclusions should policymakers draw from the Biden administration’s Africa policy?Join Hudson for an expert discussion on these critical issues.

The US-India Business Council (USIBC), in partnership with the Hudson Institute, is pleased to present a panel discussion on the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the US-India economic relationship. As AI continues to reshape industries and drive innovation, it presents unique opportunities for deepening collaboration between two of the world's leading economies.This panel will explore the evolving role of AI in fostering economic growth, enhancing bilateral cooperation, and addressing regulatory and ethical challenges. Featuring insights from key US and Indian government officials, industry leaders, and experts in technology policy, the discussion will focus on how both nations can harness AI’s potential to build a stronger, more innovative digital economy.

On October 7, Hamas launched the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust, marking a profound shift not only for Israel but for the entire Middle East. At the time, Iran and its proxies viewed the attack as a strategic opportunity to increase pressure on Israel and other American allies.How have things changed since then? How has the October 7 attack affected United States–Israel relations? And what strategies should the US adopt to counter Iran?Join Zineb Riboua and Michael Doran of Hudson’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East for a discussion on these questions.

The Chinese Communist Party made a seemingly sudden decision to end its international adoption program in late August. Then, in September, the State Department told American families who were matched with children in China that they would likely never be united with the children they were pursuing for adoption. The news was a devastating blow to the hopes and dreams of hundreds of Chinese children and their prospective families, many of whom had been waiting for their adoptions to be finalized since before the start of the pandemic. This decision also leaves hundreds of thousands of children, most of whom have special needs, languishing in Chinese orphanages.Join Hudson for a conversation on what the US government and the international community can do to help these children and their families.

Technologies for advanced mobile communications are key to our global innovation economy, and the patents that protect these technologies are critical drivers of innovation. Patents create incentives to invest in development, and these public legal documents make it possible for companies to contribute their technologies to the creation of the technological standards for advanced mobile communications, such as 5G. Policymakers around the globe recognize the importance of balance in patent policy. But there are differences in how different jurisdictions define this balance. Some policymakers have proposed extensive regulatory regimes and mandates, and others have taken a more cautious approach in adopting new regulations. To learn more about these policy developments, join Hudson for an event featuring prominent representatives from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office, and the European Patent Office. The panelists will share their perspectives on the latest developments and policy considerations in this dynamic sector of the global innovation economy.

Any successful strategy to deter the People’s Republic of China from invading Taiwan will involve American military and diplomatic power. And the lattice of partnerships among partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific is playing an increasingly important role in the competition between Washington and Beijing.Representative Andy Kim (D-NJ) will join Hudson Japan Chair Kenneth Weinstein to discuss how the United States can build on multilateral economic and security initiatives among allies like Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea present a pressing threat to the United States and its allies. Russia’s war against Ukraine seeks to break the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s unity and render US defense commitments unreliable. Iran is waging a proxy war to destroy Israel and force the United States out of the Middle East. And China and North Korea are materially supporting these efforts while menacing their Indo-Pacific neighbors.This threat environment is teaching American defense planners and policymakers hard lessons about the need to adapt and change the way the United States budgets, tests, acquires, and deploys new and existing weapon systems. Join Hudson for two panels that will discuss these lessons and why Washington urgently needs to apply them. 

Join renowned philosopher and author Bernard-Henri Lévy for a conversation with Hudson Senior Fellow Liel Leibovitz on how the attack of October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza are likely to shape geopolitics for decades to come.

The Commission on the National Defense Strategy released its bipartisan and unanimous report in July 2024. The commission concluded that the threats to American national security and interests are greater than at any time since World War II. The nature of the threats facing the United States also makes the security environment more complex than the Cold War.For a discussion of the report and how the US can respond to these threats, join Commissioners Eric Edelman and Mariah Sixkiller and Hudson’s Rebeccah Heinrichs for this live event.