CofC Mroz Institute to Host Summit on Conflict, World Cooperation

The Mroz Global Leadership Institute will host the summit, “Conflict, Cooperation, and Diplomacy: Perspectives on the Middle East, Latin America, China, and Russia,” both in person (Rita Hollings Science Center, 101) and virtually, Feb. 22-23, 2024.

From 4-6 p.m. on Feb. 22 and 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Feb. 23, distinguished academics and practitioners will discuss issues about conflict resolution and cooperation around the world. They will focus on cybersecurity and cyberthreats, U.S.-China relations and the role of soft power in the world, the role of diplomats and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in conflict resolution, the conflicts in the Middle East, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and domestic challenges faced by Venezuela and U.S.-Venezuela relations.

The agenda is as follows:

Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, 4 p.m.
“Confronting the Cyber Threat” – David Hickton, Founder of the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security

Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, 5 p.m.
“Are the U.S. and China Destined for War: Cold or Hot?” – fireside chat with Joseph Nye, Emeritus and former Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, 7:45 a.m.
Breakfast

Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, 8:30 a.m.
Opening remarks by College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu, Provost Suzanne Austin and School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs Dean Aimee Arias

Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, 9-9:45 a.m.
“The Role of NGOs in Conflict Resolution” – Jeff Helsing, Executive Director of the Better Evidence Project and Research Associate Professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution

Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, 10–10:45 a.m.
“The Middle East: Post-Conflict Diplomacy and the Two-State Solution” – Toni Verstandig, Executive Director of the Verstandig Family Foundation and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Near Eastern Affairs at the U.S. Department of State

Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, 11-11:45 a.m.
“A New Era for U.S. Foreign Policy” – James Story, Former U.S. Ambassador for Venezuela (2018-2023)

Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, 12-12:45 p.m.
“Diplomacy and Cooperation Without Trust: Responding to Russia’s Nuclear Threats” – Rose Gottemoeller, Lecturer at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and Research Fellow at the Hoover Institute and former Deputy Secretary General of NATO

The event is free and open to the public, and guests can attend the programs in person or remotely.  Register here for the event; this link is valid for all panels.

The summit is sponsored by the Mroz Global Leadership Institute and the College of Charleston School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs.