Past Events
The Sandzak Divided: Language and Identity Politics on Either Side of the New Serbian/Montenegrin Border
March 28, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
European Studies
In the post-Yugoslav context, members of these Muslim communities have largely self-identified as Bosniaks, an ethnic/national term that gained prominence among Bosnian Muslims in the period immediately following the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the outbreak of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. While language policies in this region were centrally formulated in the joint state, with the dissolution of the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, the two halves of the Sandžak experienced divergent language policies. In his presentation, Robert Greenberg, professor of linguistics at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, argues that the division of the Sandžak may have been a catalyst for destabilizing and radicalized forces to emerge in the years following the formal Serbia/Montenegro split.
China in Latin America: Public Impressions and Policy Implications
March 28, 2013 // 9:00am — 11:00am
Latin American Program
The Latin American Program and Vanderbilt University's Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) are bringing together a panel of experts to discuss public perceptions of China in the region and how these compare to public perceptions of the U.S.
Russia and the World: A Dynamic Landscape
March 28, 2013 // 8:30am — 3:30pm
Kennan Institute
This March 28, 2013 conference was organized by the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington in partnership with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, The Herbert J. Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, and The Kennan Institute. Four panels of academic, industry and government experts examined current developments in Russia’s strategic and economic relationships in honor of Dr. Herbert J. Ellison.
Petro-Aggression: When Oil Causes War
March 27, 2013 // 10:30am — 12:00pm
Environmental Change and Security Program
While there has been much research on the effect of valuable natural resource extraction on a state’s domestic development (e.g., the “resource curse”), Wilson Center Fellow Jeff Colgan focuses on how natural resource extraction affects foreign policy. In 'Petro-Aggression: When Oil Causes War,' Colgan finds that “petrostates” – countries where revenue from oil exports exceeds 10 percent of GDP – are twice as likely to engage in inter-state conflict than non-petrostates.
Explaining the Soviet ‘West’ and ‘Exotic’: Lithuanian and Georgian Writers
March 26, 2013 // 3:30pm — 5:30pm
Kennan Institute
Soviet writers were some of the most publicly recognizable intellectuals and were tasked by the state to transform society. The presentation outlined Georgian and Lithuanian writers, members of Writers’ Union, focusing on their participation in the establishment and the dynamics of ideas. The perspective of three generations in both countries reveals the rise of ethnic (local) interests and the disconnection of everyday-life from official goals. Both writers’ organizations expressed a clear character of localism (mestnichestvo), but the Georgian case illustrates more active participation at the central level while Lithuanian writers maintained a more peripheral and less active role in the druzhba narodov (“friendship of peoples”) narratives.
Balancing Act on the Mekong: Building Linkages for Sustainable Dam Development
March 25, 2013 // 2:00pm — 3:30pm
China Environment Forum
The Mekong Region is a massive ecosystem that is the lifeline for more than 60 million people across six countries: China, Laos, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. For the people in the Lower Mekong Basin, it provides more fish to more people than any other river in the world.
Russian Citizenship: From Empire to Soviet Union
March 25, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:00pm
Kennan Institute
"Russian Citizenship" is the first book to trace the Russian state’s citizenship policy throughout its history. Focusing on the period from the mid-nineteenth century to the consolidation of Stalin’s power in the 1930s, Eric Lohr considers whom the state counted among its citizens and whom it took pains to exclude. His research reveals that the Russian attitude toward citizenship was less xenophobic and isolationist and more similar to European attitudes than has been previously thought—until the drive toward autarky after 1914 eventually sealed the state off and set it apart.
Third Brazilian Congressional Study Mission on Innovation
March 24, 2013 // 9:00pm — March 28, 2013 // 5:00pm
Brazil Institute
In the annual Congressional Study Mission on Innovation, Brazilian congressman head to California to understand how the state has become an innovation hub.
Diplomatic Careers: Challenges and Opportunities in the Foreign Service
March 22, 2013 // 1:30pm — 2:30pm
The Wilson Center in partnership with the John Glenn School of Public Affairs Washington Office is hosting a policy salon on the U.S. Foreign Service. Students and young professionals alike will convene to discuss the multifaceted nature of diplomatic careers. The distinguished panel, chaired by Wilson Center Senior Scholar William Milam, will focus on a variety of topics related to the foreign service.
Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?: A New Framework for Assessing Bioweapons Threats
March 22, 2013 // 12:00pm — 1:30pm
International Security Studies
This book discussion event with author Kathleen Vogel is part of an ongoing series that provides a forum for policy specialists from Congress and the Executive, business, academia, and journalism to exchange information and share perspectives on current nonproliferation issues.