Centennial Speaker Series

Nine Questions for the World

This series, which commemorates CFR's centennial, will feature some of today's biggest thinkers including Margaret MacMillan, Anne Applebaum, Nicholas Stern, Minouche Shafik, Nicholas Eberstadt, Michelle McMurry-Heath, Elizabeth Perry, and Fei-Fei Li.

CFR President Richard Haass will lead conversations on the future of democracy, globalization, climate change, and other issues that will define the century.The series also aired as a podcast called Nine Questions for the World.

 
Presider
Richard N. Haass
President, Council on Foreign Relations; Author, The World: A Brief Introduction

Past Events

Centennial Speaker Series Session 1: What Are the Lessons of History for Our Era?
Margaret MacMillan
Richard Haass
Play
Centennial Speaker Series Session 2: Can Democracy Survive?
Anne E. Applebaum
Richard Haass
Play
Centennial Speaker Series Session 3: Will Climate Change Us Before We Change It?
Nicholas Stern
Richard Haass
Play
Centennial Speaker Series Session 4: Balancing the Role of Government and Markets
Minouche Shafik
Richard Haass
Play
Centennial Speaker Series Session 5: Comparative Demographic Trends & Their Implications
Nicholas Eberstadt
Richard Haass
Play
Centennial Speaker Series Session 6: What Are the Potential Benefits and Risks of Biotechnology?
Michelle T. McMurry-Heath
Richard Haass
Play
Centennial Speaker Series Session 7: Will the 21st Century be China's?
Elizabeth J. Perry
Richard Haass
Play
Centennial Speaker Series Session 8: Will Technology Save Us or Threaten Us?
Fei-Fei Li
Richard Haass
Play
Centennial Speaker Series Session 9: The Future of World Order
Richard Haass
Fareed Zakaria
Play

Iran

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
Conceived as the principal defenders of the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has evolved into an institution with vast political, economic, and military power.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors April 17, 2024

United States

Is Rising Student Debt Harming the U.S. Economy?
Higher education provides students many socioeconomic benefits and increases the global competitiveness of the United States, but mounting student loan debt has sparked a debate over federal lending policies.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors April 16, 2024 Renewing America

Iran

Iran’s Regional Armed Network
Iran’s web of armed partners such as Hezbollah and the Houthis serves to strengthen its influence in the Middle East and could pose a significant threat to the United States and U.S. allies in the region, especially Israel.  

Article by Kali Robinson and Will Merrow April 15, 2024

Top Stories on CFR

Sudan

What Is the Extent of Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis?
A year into the civil war in Sudan, more than eight million people have been displaced, exacerbating an already devastating humanitarian crisis.

In Brief by Mariel Ferragamo and Diana Roy April 16, 2024

Iran

Iran Attack Means an Even Tougher Balancing Act for the U.S. in the Middle East
The unprecedented Iranian attack on Israel presents U.S. officials with mounting challenges in trying to contain the conflict and maintain a deterrence against Iran and its allies.

In Brief by Steven A. Cook April 14, 2024 Middle East Program

Japan

Prime Minister Kishida’s Tour de Force

The highlights from Kishida Fumio's busy week in Washington.

Blog Post by Sheila A. Smith April 15, 2024 Asia Unbound