On Friday, January 24th, the Clements Center for National Security and the LBJ School of Public Affairs, in partnership with Austin PBS, will host a conference on the importance of internationalism, titled “Engagement over Retreat: The Bipartisan History of American Leadership.” As both major political parties increasingly employ isolationist rhetoric and espouse isolationist policies, the actual consequences are poorly understood and rarely anticipated. This poses substantial risk for U.S. security, prosperity, and global stability. This bipartisan effort aims to foster dialogue and encourage sustained American engagement in international affairs, bolstering leadership that improves the lives of Americans and American allies.

“Engagement over Retreat” will feature keynote speakers James Steinberg, Dean of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and former Deputy Secretary of State, and Kristen Silverberg, President and COO of Business Roundtable and former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union. This conference will also convene panels “The Need for American Leadership in a Fragmenting World” and “The Consequences of Retreat: Implications for U.S. Security and Global Stability.” Join us from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm in Bass Lecture Hall at the LBJ School!

Registration is required and does not guarantee seating.

Coffee and light breakfast bites will be available for registrants of Session 1, and a light lunch will be available for registrants of Session 2.

REGISTER

SESSION I: Keynote and Panel 1

9:30 am   •   Registration

9:55 am   •   Welcome

10:00 am – 11:00 am   •   Keynote 1 with Dean James Steinberg

• James Steinberg, Dean, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University; Former Deputy Secretary of State

11:00 am – 12:15 pm   •   Panel 1: The Need for American Leadership in a Fragmenting World

• Alina Polyakova, President and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis
• Dan Twining, President of the International Republican Institute
• Kate Weaver, Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs; Executive Director of Operations, Innovations for Peace and Development, UT-Austin
• Moderator: Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs, University of Texas at Austin

12:15 pm – 12:45 pm   •   Lunch

SESSION II: Keynote and Panel 2

12:45 pm – 1:45 pm   •   Keynote 2 with Ambassador Kristen Silverberg

• Kristen Silverberg, President and COO, Business Roundtable; Former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union

1:45 pm – 3:00 pm   •   Panel 2: The Consequences of Retreat: Implications for U.S. Security and Global Stability

• Alexandra Sukalo, Assistant Professor of National Security Affairs, LBJ School of Public Affairs; Senior National Security Fellow, Clements Center for National Security
• Tanvi Madan, Senior Fellow for Center for Asia Policy Studies, Foreign Policy Program, Brookings Institution
• Himamauli Das, Consultant and Former Director, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (Acting)
• Michael Dennis, Associate Professor of Practice, LBJ School of Public Affairs; former Chief of Intelligence Operations and Chief of Strategic Futures, Army Futures Command
• Moderator: Rachel Hoff, Policy Director, Ronald Reagan Institute

3:00 pm   •   Conference adjourns