International Book Blitz 2025

Celebrate the end of the academic year at our annual International Book Blitz. At this popular event, open to all Weatherhead affiliates, a panel of faculty and alums will each give a seven-minute “speed talk” about their recent book, launching us into compelling issues from around the world.

This forum marks the US semiquincentennial with a panel on the impact of the American Revolution and US Declaration of Independence on international affairs in the past 250 years.

The Trump Administration’s abrupt dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has triggered a wave of already hundreds of thousands of deaths, mostly of children, around the world. Atul Gawande—former leader of global health at the agency—draws on data, historical parallels, and on-the-ground fact-finding to reveal how gains against malnutrition, infectious disease, and child mortality are being rapidly reversed. Gawande argues that this is a case of “public man-made death,” and calls for accountability and renewed commitment to lifesaving global health efforts.

This forum will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping global decision making and diplomatic strategy. What are the opportunities—and risks—AI presents as governments increasingly rely on data-driven tools?

After World War II, the United States committed to building a liberal international order. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the US doubled down on this commitment. In the twenty-first century, that liberal world order is being challenged abroad and at home. In a period of tumult and confusion, the United States must now rethink its core international strategy.