Belfer at the Forum: 2025

Trump’s Return to the White House

In February 2024, the Belfer Center co-sponsored a conversation with the IOP on President Trump's return to the White House, and what it will mean both domestically and abroad. Topics included the economy, the Middle East, competition with China, and more. Featuring Graham Allison, Jason Furman, Meghan O'Sullivan, Dan Balz, Cornell William Brooks, and Brittany Shepherd (moderator). 
 

A View from Ukraine

The 2025 Lamont Lecture features Dmytro Kuleba, Belfer Center Senior Fellow and the youngest foreign affairs minister in Ukraine's history. Kuleba led Ukraine's diplomacy through its most challenging times during Russian aggression, playing a key role in building alliances, securing arms, imposing sanctions, advancing Ukraine’s EU and NATO bids, and expanding ties with Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Moderated by Director Meghan L. O'Sullivan. 

The U.S. and China: Navigating the World's Most Important Bilateral Relationship

On the heels of his return to the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Nick Burns discusses the many facets of the critical U.S./China relationship, and his tenure as United States Ambassador to the People's Republic of China under the Biden Administration.Moderated by Rana Mitter, ST Lee Chair in U.S.-Asia Relations.  

America's Role in the World: A Conversation on National Security

Jake Sullivan, former National Security Advisor and newly appointed Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order, joins Graham Allison for a discussion on America's role in the world, and the state of national security today. Sullivan offers his reflections and analysis on regions including the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine, and China, among others.

The Long Game and What Comes Next: Where U.S.-China Competition Has Come From and Where It’s Going

Rush Doshi,
Deputy Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs on National Security Council (2021-2024), joins

Rana Mitter--

ST Lee Chair in U.S.-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School-- as part of the 2025 S.T. Lee Lecture, giving attendees insight and guidance on how to view U.S.-China competition and how grand strategy may play a role here. The S.T. Lee Lecture focuses on military history and how it might shape global approaches to policymaking. The lecture also reflects Dr. Lee's dedication to providing a platform for scholars and policymakers to address critical international issues.

New Geopolitical Realities: American Power in the World

Wendy Sherman, former Deputy Secretary of State (2021-23) and Joint Fellow with the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and the Center for Public Leadership, joined moderator Roya Talibova, Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman Assistant Professor of International Relations, and Harvard College Undergraduate Robert Fogel for a conversation about geopolitics today. 

The Happiness Recipe: A Conversation between Dr. Arthur Brooks and Professor Tarek Masoud

The Fall 2025 JFK Jr. Forum season kicked off with Arthur Brooks joining Tarek Masoud for a conversation on how to find lasting and meaningful happiness, and reversing an international happiness crisis.

Science and Technology in American Democracy ft. Arati Prabhakar

Arati Prabhakar, former Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (2022-2025), joins Meghan L. O'Sullivan for a conversation about the role of science and technology in our democracy - including Federal funding for research and the implications of recent cuts; the role of science and technology in U.S. national security and the economy; current frontiers in science and implications for U.S. competitiveness; and confronting today’s crisis and building for the future.

Middle East Dialogues: A Conversation with Alan Dershowitz

Middle East Initiative Faculty Chair Professor Tarek Masoud moderates a discussion with Alan Dershowitz, lawyer, Harvard Law School Professor Emeritus, and author of The Case for Israel, as part of the Middle East Initiative's Middle East Dialogues-- a series of in-depth conversations with leading scholars, intellectuals, and public servants exposing students and the public to varied and vital perspectives on the region, the transformations and turmoil underway, and prospects for peace and prosperity.

Middle East Dialogues: A Conversation with H.E. Ehud Olmert

A conversation between Middle East Initiative Faculty Chair Professor Tarek Masoud and H.E. Ehud Olmert, former Prime Minister of Israel. This event is part of the Middle East Initiative's Middle East Dialogues, a series of in-depth conversations with leading scholars, intellectuals, and public servants exposing students and the public to varied and vital perspectives on the region, the transformations and turmoil underway, and prospects for peace and prosperity.

Geopolitics in a Turbulent Age ft. Ian Bremmer

Meghan L. O'Sullivan, Director of the Belfer Center and Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs hosts Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, for a timely and important discussion on how to make sense of geopolitical events and trends in an era of great power competition, technological advance, political uncertainty, and profound questions over the international order.

Assessing the Trump Revolution ft. Kevin McCarthy

The 55th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, joins Professor Graham Allison for an in-depth discussion of the modern Republican Party and the influence of President Trump on the party going forward.

America After Hegemony: The New Economic and Strategic Perspective ft. Oren Cass

Oren Cass joins us for a discussion on the new world order in the Trump era, and his proposed approach toward a grand strategy of reciprocity, how it would work, and his argument for why it would best serve American interests. Mr. Cass will be joined in conversation with Jake Sullivan, former United States National Security Advisor.

Kissinger and the Future of AI ft. Eric Schmidt

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Professor Graham Allison team up once again for a discussion on one of the hottest topics on people's minds today: Artificial Intelligence. Both Schmidt and Allison have published works on AI along with the 56th Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and will draw on those works to inform a lively and timely discussion.