Past Events

2006-2007

The Middle-East Conflict: A French Perspective

Friday, January 19, 2007
3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Topic: His Excellency Jean-David Levitte, French Ambassador to the United States will address the timely topic The Middle-East Conflict: A French Perspective
Location: Crum Auditorium, Collins Executive Education Center

Anti-Americanism: Europe’s New Lingua Franca?

Thursday, March 1, 2007
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm

Seminar and Discussion
Topic: Anti-Americanism: Europe’s New Lingua Franca?
Speaker: Andrei Markovits, W. Deutsch Collegiate Professor of Comparative Politics and German Studies at the University of Michigan
Location: TBD
http://www.andreimarkovits.com/

Luncheon co sponsored with the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations

Monday, March 5, 2007
11:45 am to 1:00 p.m.

Topic: Can We Win the War in Iraq?
Speaker: Dr. Eliot A. Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Chair at The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and Mr. Thomas Donnelly, Resident Fellow, Defense and Security Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Location: Jones Hall - Meadows Museum

3:30 pm to 5:00 pm

Discussion panel with Dr. Cohen and Mr. Donnelly - Moderated by Lee Cullum (Host of “CEO” , A New KERA Television Series)
Location: Smith Auditorium, Meadows Museum

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: What's Next

Wednesday, March 28, 2007
5:30 reception, 6:00 pm Program

Topic: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: What's Next
Speaker: Dr. Harvey Sicherman, President and Director, Foreign Policy Research Institute
Location: Jones Hall, Meadows Museum

Energy Cooperation in the Western hemisphere: Benefits and Impediments

Thursday, March 29, 2007
12:15 to 1:45 pm

Topic: Energy Cooperation in the Western hemisphere: Benefits and Impediments
Speaker: Sidney Weintraub, William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Co-sponsored by the Law Institute of the Americas
Location: Florence Hall, Dedman School of Law

Luncheon: Drugs and Insurgency in Afghanistan and Beyond

Monday, April 2

Topic: Drugs and Insurgency in Afghanistan and Beyond
Speaker: Vanda Felbab Brown, Research Fellow, the Brookings Institution
Location: Faculty Club, SMU

The East Asian Century? Opportunities and Challenges for the United States

Tuesday, April 3 - Luncheon co sponsored by the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations

James B. Steinberg, Dean, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin

Engaging the World: A Global Challenge

Wednesday, April 4

1) Breakfast lecture - Meadows Museum

2) Late morning lecture- Umphrey Lee Ballroom

Dina Habib Powell, Assistant Secretary of State of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Deputy Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy

Iraq: The Wrong War a the Wrong Time, with the Wrong Strategy

Friday, April 6 - informal luncheons seminar

Dan Caldwell, Pepperdine University

What Comes before Truth? The Political Determinants of Truth Commission Initiation

Tuesday, April 17 - Afternoon Seminar

Steven Poe, Professor, University of North Texas, Editor in Chief of International Studies Quarterly

Regime Change: U.S. Strategy through the Prism of 9/11?

Wednesday, April 18, 2007, 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 am

Robert Litwak, Director of International Security Studies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Jones Hall, Meadows Museum

Texas Politics: Governing the Lone Star State

Thursday, April 19

Calvin C. Jillson, Dedman College Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Political Science

Tower Center Boardroom, 227 Carr Collins

U.S. Foreign Policy and the Greater Middle East

Monday, April 23: morning lecture

Richard Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations - former Director of Policy Planning, Dept of State

Japan & the U.S. in Northeast Asia: Current Challenges and Future Prospect

Wednesday, September 13, 12:00 noon Luncheon

Speaker: Evans Revere, Senior Diplomat, and Council on Foreign Relations
Location: Cityplace Conference Center, 42nd Floor
A career diplomat and senior Foreign Service Officer, Evans Revere is currently serving as Cyrus Vance Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He was Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Prior to that, he was the State Department’s Director for Japanese Affairs. During 2000-2003, he was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea, and previously served as Director for Korean Affairs.
Sponsored by the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth

The Great Game in the 21st Century: A British Perspective on the Crisis in Central Asia and the Middle East

Friday, September 15, 1:00 pm lecture

Speaker: Julian Brazier, Member of the British House of Commons and former Shadow Foreign Minister and Minority Whip for the Conservative Party

Location: Smith Auditorium, Meadows Museum of Art

The regions of the Middle East and Central Asia are in upheaval, with the outcomes uncertain. The British have their own perspective on the problems there, and the impact for the world, based on their own experience, strategies and outcomes from their 19th-20th Century colonial period to their recent involvement.

British MP Julian Brazier was elected from the district of Canterbury in 1987, after twenty years serving in the British Territorial Army. An expert on military affairs, he was awarded the Territorial Decoration in 1993. In his lecture, he will give a multi-disciplinary - historical, strategic, religious, economic and military – perspective

Sponsored by the Division of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs at SMU.

Margaret Levi

Wednesday Sept 20 – Margaret Levi, Phi Beta Kappa speaker, and former President of the American Political Science Association:

3:00 pm Seminar Cooperation Without Trust?

Location: Tower Center Board Room (227 Carr Collins)

8:00 pm Lecture: Achieving Good Governance: A Comparative Analysis

Location: Fondren Hall 119

Guillermo Ortiz Martínez

Tuesday, Sept. 26, 11:45 pm Luncheon

Speaker: Guillermo Ortiz Martínez, Governor of the Bank of Mexico.

Dr. Ortiz has perfected the notion of Mexico having a truly independent central bank, in the amendments to the Mexican constitution enacted in 1994. Under his leadership, Mexico’s banking sector has become more competitive, less concentrated and more consumer-friendly. The Mexican central bank has also become a practitioner of inflation targeting, resulting in more stable prices and increased foreign investment.

Our guest has agreed to speak frankly about the outlook for Mexico and provide an analysis of Mexico’s prospects in light of the outgoing administration and the election of the new Mexican president and Congress.

Hosted by Richard Fisher, President of the Dallas Fed, and Tower Center Board Director

Mexico: After the Election – Panel Discussion

Wednesday Sept 27

Speakers: Amb. Jim Jones, Former Ambassador of the United States to Mexico

Amb. Andrés Rozental, President, Mexican Council on Foreign Relations

John Authers, Former Mexico City Bureau Chief, Financial Times

Roberto Nevell, President, Mexican Council on Competitiveness

Moderator: Roger Wallace

6:00 PM Registration and Reception, 6:30 PM Program

8:00 PM Dinner (to include Tower Center Board Members)

Location: James M. Collins Executive Center – SMU (3150 Binkley Avenue)

Organized by The Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Program

Co-Sponsored by the Tower Center for Political Studies and the Cox School of Business,And by The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth

Seminar: Economics and Religion

Thursday Oct 5, 3:30 – 5:00
Speaker: Dr. Carmella Chiswick, Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and head of the economics and religion section of the AEA

Location: Umphrey Lee, Room 303

Migration, Trade, and Development

Friday, Oct 6, 8:30 am until 5:00 pm
Sponsored by the Tower Center for Political Studies and the Department of Economics at SMU, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and the Jno E. Owens Foundation

Location: Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

For papers and conference proceedings http://dallasfed.org/news/research/2006/06migration.html

The American Assembly’s Next Generation Project

Oct 19-21

The world has changed since the array of foreign policy and international institutions was created by a group of far-sighted U.S. leaders in the late 40’s. Now, the UN, the IMF, the World Bank, the GATT and NATO provide an ill-fitting framework for the conduct of United States policy in the current world climate. The American Assembly is launching a thoughtful, non-partisan, inclusive, multi-year national initiative aimed at refining or developing an institutional framework more appropriate for the present and the future. This initiative involves a National Assembly in Washington, preceded by regional Assemblies across the country co-sponsored by some of the nation’s leading policy institutions. The Tower Center hosted the first of these regional assemblies.

For a full report of the proceedings see

http://www.nextgenerationproject.org/content/view/42/70/

Location: Collins Executive Education Center, Cox School of Business, SMU


Friday, October 20, 8:00 pm - The Next Generation Project Keynote Address

The world has changed since the array of foreign policy and international institutions was created by a group of far-sighted U.S. leaders in the late 40’s. Now, the UN, the IMF, the World Bank, the GATT and NATO provide an ill-fitting framework for the conduct of United States policy in the current world climate. The American Assembly is launching a thoughtful, non-partisan, inclusive, multi-year national initiative aimed at refining or developing an institutional framework more appropriate for the present and the future. This initiative involves a National Assembly in Washington, preceded by regional Assemblies across the country co-sponsored by some of the nation’s leading policy institutions. The Tower Center will host the first of these regional assemblies.

Speaker: Geoffrey Garrett, President, Pacific Council on International Policy
Location: Crum Auditorium, Collins Executive Education Center

Revolutions in Military Affairs and the War on Terrorism

Wednesday, Nov 1, 11:45 am -1:30 pm Luncheon

Speaker: Max Boot, Senior Fellow, the Council on Foreign Relations

Topic: Revolutions in Military Affairs and the War on Terrorism
Location: Jones Hall, Meadows Museum of Art, 5900 Bishop Blvd.

Hard Power: The New Politics of National Security

Fri, Nov 10 pm Luncheon

Speaker: Michael O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Topic: Hard Power: The New Politics of National Security

Sponsored by the Tower Center and the Dallas Committee on Foreign Affairs

Location: to be determined

Asian Studies Symposium, sponsored by Asian Studies, Tower Center at SMU.

March 22-23, 2007

Japan’s Immigration, Citizenship and National Identity

Dinner April 5, Symposium April 6 at the Meadows Museum

Iran: The Challenge

April 27, 2006, 9:30-10:45 - Room 110 Dedman Life Science Building - SMU

Robert Litwak, Director of International Security Studies at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies in Washington, DC, will discuss his recent book on Iran.

Foreign Policy in Mexico's 2006 Presidential Race

April 28, 2006 - 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. Jones Hall, The Meadows Museum

This luncheon program, co-sponsored with the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations features the Center for Strategic and International Studies Mexico Director Arman Peschar-Sverdrup.

The Great Immigration Policy Debate

Monday, May 8, 11:45-1:30 pm panel discussion and luncheon - Jones Hall, Meadows Museum

The Great Immigration Policy Debate

Speaker: Tamar Jacoby, Senior Fellow on immigration and citizenship, The Manhattan Institute

Respondents: James F. Hollifield, Director, Tower Center at SMU, and Pia Orrenius, Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Moderator: Steven M. Ladik, shareholder, and director of the Immigration Law Practice Group, Jenkens & Gilchrist

2005-2006

Inter-American Relations After Mar del Plata

January 18, 2006, 12 noon – 1:30 pm luncheon and discussion at the Petroleum Club

Dr. Isaac Cohen, Former Washington Bureau Director of the U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Region. A native Guatemalan, Dr. Cohen will give us his intriguing insider’s perspective on pressing economic and political issues in inter-American relations today.

Charting a New Course for U.S.-Mexico Relations, Post-NAFTA

January 24, 2006, 12 noon – 1:30 pm luncheon and discussion at the Meadows Museum of Art

Minister Jaime Serra Puche, Former Mexican Minister of Industry and Trade, Former Minister of Finance, and architect of NAFTA will discuss the future of bilateral trade relations between the United States and Mexico, shedding some light on what key priorities should be on the bilateral agenda in the wake of NAFTA.

The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia

February 7, 2006, 11:30 am registration, 12 pm luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Dallas

The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States His Royal Highness, Prince Turki Al-Faisal will make his first official address outside of New York and Washington, DC since his appointment as ambassador in September 2005. He will discuss what has been involved in maintaining the unique connection between the United States and Saudi Arabia

Pluralism in the Middle East: Myth or Reality?

February 10, 2006, 12 noon – 1:30 pm luncheon and discussion at the Meadows Museum of Art

Dr. Paul Liptz is a Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies at the University of Tel Aviv. He will discuss the role of religion in politics in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

SMU Political Forum Young Leaders Program

February 16, 2006, 12 noon – 1:30 pm luncheon and discussion at the Tower Club

Richard Fisher, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas will make remarks in an off-the-record setting for our Young Leaders group.

American Foreign Policy and the War on Terror

February 21, 2006, 12 noon - 1:30 luncheon - location TBA

Frank Gaffney, President and CEO of the Center for Security Policy and editor of War Footing: 10 Steps America Must Take to Prevail in the War for the Free World, will join us to discuss the current War on Terror, who the enemy is, and how the United States should go about winning.

Thinking About Chinese Power and What It Means for the World

February 22, 2006, 6:00 Reception, 6:30-7:30 program, Taubman Atrium in Meadows School of the Arts

Parking available on Bishop Boulevard

Dr. David Lampton, Dean of Faculty, Hyman Professor of China Studies, and Director of the China Program at Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, SAIS, will discuss China’s recent status as the poster child for those aspects of globalization that threaten the United States.

The Fifth Tower Center Medal of Freedom Awards Ceremony

March 6, 2006, 4:30-6:00 pm, Medal Presentation Ceremony Followed by Private Reception

Senator John McCain will receive the fifth Tower Center Medal of Freedom Award, after which he will make remarks. Members and their guests are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony in McFarlin Auditorium as well as the private reception in Umphrey-Lee Ballroom.

Prospects for Democracy and Stability in Iraq

March 8, 2006, lecture and discussion, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m., Smith Auditorium, Meadows Museum of Art

Larry Diamond will discuss the current situation facing the United States and its military in Iraq, as well as take a look at the future for the country and the region. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the author of The Squandered Victory: The American Occupation and the Bungled Effort to Bring Democracy to Iraq.

No God But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam

March 9, 2006, 7:30 pm, McCord Auditorium in Dallas Hall at SMU

Join Jasper Neel for the Dedman College Book Club where he will be leading a discussion on this new and timely book. The discussion will be followed by a reception with dessert and coffee.

NGO’s: The New Diplomacy

March 30, 2006, 6:00 – 7:30 pm reception and discussion, Meadows Museum of Art, Jones Room

David Davenport, Former President and current Distinguished Professor at Pepperdine University, and Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, will join us to discuss several facets of the political effort by NGO's and middle-power states to change the nature of diplomacy and treaties.

on Global Warming

Wednesday, April 5, 2006, The Science Place - Dallas Museum of Natural History - 6:30 pm

Tim Flannery, one of Australia's leading thinkers and writer, an internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer and conservationist is the author of The Weather Maker, and is the Director of the South Australian Museum in Melbourne and teaches at the University of Adelaide.

China: Energy Needs, Prospects, and Global Policy Implications.

April 12, 2006 - 4:30 - 5:30 Crum Auditorium, Collins Executive Center

Robert Theleen, noted sinologist will give this lecture co sponsored by the Edwin L. Cox School of Business.

True Faith and Allegiance: Immigration and American Civic Nationalism

August 18, 2005, 3:00 – 4:00 pm Seminar

Dr. Noah Pickus, Associate Director of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, will discuss his new book, which is a provocative account of nationalism and the politics of turning immigrants into citizens and Americans. He argues for a renewed American identity that tempers the polarized positions on immigration and citizenship of the past two decades.

Tower Center Board Room

Transatlantic Relations: Crossing the Great Divide

August 23, 2005, 6:00 pm Reception; 6:30 pm Program

Part I in a Two Part Series on the EU

Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, Mr. Volker, will discuss current relations between the United States and the European Union, highlighting what he sees as the most pressing and important issues for the U.S. to address today.

The Crescent Court Hotel

Assessing the State of the Global Economy

September 13, 2005, 12:00 noon

Richard Fisher, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, will give us his insights on the current state of the global economy. He will discuss the economies of the EU, the Middle East, Russia, Asia and particularly China, as well as the opportunities and pitfalls that exist for the United States economy.

Jones Hall, Meadows Museum of Art

The Long War of the 21st Century: How We Must Fight It

Friday, October 07 11:30 to 12:45 PM (Luncheon by invitation only)

Co-sponsored with the John Dallas Committee on Foreighn Relations

Speaker: James Woolsey, Former CIA Director
Location: Southern Methodist University, Meadows Museum of Art in The Jones Room, 5900 Bishop Boulevard Dallas, Texas 75205 .

Please note that Mr. Woolsey will also be speaking at the SMU Cox School of Business (Maguire Energy Institute) following the luncheon, and Forum members are invited to attend this program as well. This lecture will take place from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Crumm Auditorium in the new Collins Executive Education Center, also at SMU

The State of the European Union

October 20, 2005, 6:00 pm Reception; 6:30 pm Program

Part II in a Two Part Series on the EU

Dr. George Ross, Professor of Politics and Sociology at Brandeis, and Senior Fellow at the Center for European Studies at Harvard, and Dr. Julius William Friend, retired Professor of European History at George Washington University, will discuss the current state of affairs in the European Union and its recent struggles over currency, a constitution, and other political topics. SMU Professor Dan Orlovsky will moderate.

Umphrey Lee Ballroom, SMU

In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns

October 28, 2005, 12:00 Noon Luncheon

John Geer, Title, will discuss the role of attack ads in presidential campaigns and the impact they have on the voter. Join us for a lively and thought-provoking discussion.

Location: Jones Room, Museum

The Unfolding Energy Crisis and its Impact on Development Patterns

November 1, 2005, 6:00-9:45 PM

Seminar organized by the Greater Dallas Planning Council and the SMU Environmental Science Program, co sponsored by the Tower Center -( see http://www.smu.edu/isem/simmons_kunstler.html for more information )

In recognition of the pivotal economic role of oil supply and demand, starkly illustrated by the effects of recent events, and given the ultimate impact of energy availability on sustaining development in North Texas Matthew Simmons (Chairman and former CEO of Simmons & Company International, a specialized energy investment banking firm) and James Kunstler (urban planning advocate, journalist and novelist ) are coming to Dallas for one evening to share their vision of oil’s future and how we can adapt and plan for a new era of energy use and sustainable development

Location: Wesley Hall at the Highland Park United Methodist - tickets available through ISEM

The Dresden Bombing Revisited

November 7, 2005

Dr. Tami Davis Biddle, George C. Marshall Chair of Military History at the U.S. Army War College, will discuss her recent work on the bombing of Dresden. Sixty years after the Allies’ bombing of Dresden enveloped the city in flames, controversy persists over whether the attack was militarily justified or morally indefensible. But another question, no less crucial, is seldom asked: Did wartime conditions allow military leaders to look away as they violated their own principles?

DeGolyer Library, SMU

Arab Political Culture: The Middle East in the 21st Century

November 8, 2005

Luncheon co sponsored by the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, with the cooperation of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Dallas

Speaker: Dr. Kenneth W. Stein, William Schatten Professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern History, Political Science, and Israeli Studies at Emory University

Dr. Stein is a renowned scholar on the Middle East, author of four books and numerous journal & newspaper articles. His work has focused on American foreign policy, European views of the Middle East, the origins of modern Israel, Palestinian social and political history, the Arab-Israeli negotiating process, Israel and the Arab World, and modern Arab politics. Since 1977, he founded the International Studies Center, was first director of the Carter Center, established the Middle East Research Center, and the Institute of Modern Israel at Emory University.

Location: Meadows Museum, Jones Room

U.S.-Canada Relations

November 9, 2005

Ambassador Frank McKenna, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, discussed cross-border relations, the state of Canada’s support for U.S. foreign policy, and North American integration.

Location: The Crescent

Opportunities for Success in Japan's Real Estate and Finance Sectors

November 9, 2005 - luncheon Sponsored by the Japan American Society of Dallas Fort Worth (Tower Center cosponsored)

Tim Clark, nonresident Senior Fellow for Tokyo-based venture capital firm Sunbridge, co-author of Saying Yes to Japan: How Outsiders Are Reviving a Trillion Dollar Services Market looked at the potential of Japan's domestic service economy

Lawyering in the Age of Terror: Human Rights, Armed Conflict and the UN

December 1, 2005 - Luncheon

Ruth Wedgwood, Edward. B. Burling Professor of International Law and Diplomacy and Director of the International Law and Organization Program, at SAIS, John's Hopkins University discussed the war on terrorism, and the implication of US policy on detainment in the context of international law

Location: The Tower Club, Cumberland Room

2005 events

Foreign Policy Discussion with a U.S. Senator

January 5, 2005, 6:00 p.m. reception, 6:30 p.m. dinner and program

Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) discusses current foreign policy issues confronting the United States Congress and the new Bush Administration.

Jones Hall, Meadows Museum of Art

Middle East Peace Process: What Next?

January 25, 12:00 noon luncheon program

Ambassador Martin Indyk, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and current director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution discusses opportunities and challenges in the Middle East Peace Process given Arafat’s recent passing, the Palestinian elections, developments in the Sharon government, and the renewed commitment by President Bush to work towards peace in the region.

Ernst & young Gallery, Cox School of Business

The U.S. and the U.N.: Can This Marriage Be Saved?

January 27, 2005, 3:30-4:50 p.m. lecture

Gillian Sorenson, Senior Advisor to the United Nations Foundation, discusses the recent world events that have brought the U.N., the U.S. and its relationship into the spotlight, and gives us her perspective from 20 years of working for the United Nations.

Florence 100

Pursuing the American Dream: Opportunity and Exclusion Over Four Centuries

February 10, 2005, 3:00-4:15 p.m.

Cal Jillson will discuss his book and how the reality of the American Dream has long depended on the circumstances of the dreamer.

Tower Center Board Room

A Very Long Engagement: America’s, Japan’s and China’s Regional Trade Relationships

February 11, 2005, 3:00-4:15 p.m.

Dr. Joseph A. Massey, Professor of International Business and Director of the Center for International Business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth will be coming to speak to a small group about U.S.-China relations and the current trade negotiations going on among Japan, China and the United States. Dr. Massey was the former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan and China under Presidents Reagan and Bush 41, and he also served as the Deputy Assistant Director for Commerce and Trade in the White House Office of Policy Development.

Tower Center Board Room

Shaping Iraq’s Future

February 16, 2005, 5:30 p.m. program, 6:30 p.m. reception

Colonel Donald A. Bird will join us from Fort Hood where he is now stationed with the III Corps C of S (Rear). He has recently returned from being stationed in Iraq where he worked closely with Ambassador Paul “Jerry” Bremer and the Iraqi Governing Council, preparing a new constitution for the country. He will give us some insight into the challenges that the Interim Government of Iraq faces, and the prospect for America’s role in helping Iraq shape its own future.

Founders Room, Meadows Museum of Art

The Limits of Protectionism: Building Coalitions for Free Trade

February 23, 2005, 3:00-4:15 p.m.

Mike Lusztig will discuss his book and how governments can navigate the narrow path between economic success and political failure through the artful construction of free-trade coalitions.

Tower Center Board Room

Political Legacies of the American West

February 26, 2005, all day

The American West occupies a central place in the political culture of the twentieth-century United States. In fact, one cannot understand American politics without understanding western politics. Western politicians, trends, organizations, and movements have driven the American political agenda for much of the century, yet little has been written about them. This symposium will address this historiographic gap by offering ten original essays on the subject.

Clements Center for Southwest Studies

A lecture by Dr. Andrew Geddes, Professor in the Department of Politics, Sheffield University, England

March 30, 2005, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Dr. Geddes is an authority on European integration, especially immigration issues, and he will be discussing the challenges facing Europe as it unifies and eliminates internal borders. He also will address issues of growing ethnic diversity in Europe.

Tower Center Board Room

Winning the Oil Endgame

March 29, 2004, 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. luncheon program with the Maguire Energy Institute

Amory Lovins will discuss his book Winning the Oil Endgame and his plan for reducing America’s oil dependency. According to Lovins, independence from oil imports or even self-sufficiency in oil is not enough to solve the problems of oil dependency such as economic volatility and geopolitical instability. Lovins believes that the problem is oil use and not oil imports. He advocates finding an entirely new vehicle fuel efficiency.

Ernst & Young Gallery, Cox School of Business

March 30, 2005, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

A lecture by Dr. Eiko Thielemann, Professor in European Politics & Policy, London School of Economics, England

Refugee burdens among OECD countries are very unequally distributed with smaller states in particular shouldering a disproportionate share of responsibilities in this area. This constitutes a problem not only for receiving states but also for refugees and has led for calls to develop regional or international refugee burden-sharing regimes. Combining new market-based burden-sharing mechanisms with more traditional ones (such as policy harmonisation and quotas) might contribute to more equitable, efficient and effective international refugee burden-sharing.

Tower Center Board Room

2004 Events

America: More or Less Secure?

December 9, 2004, 5:00 reception, 5:30 program Meadows School of the Arts - SMU Campus

The Stanley Foundation, along with the Tower Center for Political Studies at SMU and the World Affairs Council of Greater Dallas, is sponsoring a debate between two security experts from opposing ends of the political spectrum on whether policies enacted since 9/11 have made the United States more or less secure.? Melvin Goodman, Senior Fellow and Director at the Center for International Policy, will give us the liberal perspective, and Baker Spring, F.M. Kirby Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, will articulate the conservative viewpoint.

Understanding the Election of 2004

November 4, 2004, 7:30 p.m.

Post-election discussion with Cal Jillson, Dennis Simon and Harold Stanley, noted political analysts of the SMU Tower Center for Political Studies*

Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, SMU

Personal Perspectives on Political Campaigns, a lecture by George McGovern

October 28, 2004, 7:30 p.m.

Special Forum members-only privileges for this pre-election event, including book signing and reception*

Bridwell Library, Perkins

“Burke in America?” a lecture by Professor Mark Hulliung, Department of History at Brandeis

October 25, 2004, 3:00 p.m.

Texana Room of the De Golyer Library

Luncheon with Richard Fisher

October 18, 2004, 12:00 noon

An exclusive event for Political Forum members with the Honorable Richard Fisher, former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

Jones Great Room, Meadows Museum of Art

Race, Ethnicity and Ideas, a lecture by Professor Erik Bleich, Department of Political Science at Middlebury College

October 14, 2004, 3:00 p.m.

Tower Center Boardroom (227 Carr Collins), SMU

Conventions, Debates & Campaigns, a lecture by David Eisenhower

October 14, 2004, 7:30 p.m.

Special Forum members-only privileges for this pre-election event, including book signing and reception*

Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology

The People Speak

October 6, 2004, 7:30 p.m.

This is an exclusive political event featuring speakers from both sides of the aisle in interactive discussion with the audience. Produced by ABC News with Nightline Reporter, Chris Bury. Forum members will also be invited to a private dinner preceding the event. To find out more visit: www.thepeoplespeak.org

Taubman Atrium/Caruth Auditorium, Meadows School of the Arts

Asian Studies Symposium

April 22-23, 2004

Japan's Political Economy: Accidental Overachiever or Temporary Underachiever?
Organized by the John G. Tower Center for Political Studies, and the Office of the Dean, Dedman College, Southern Methodist University in Cooperation with Meadows Museum of Art

Sponsored by American Airlines & the Sun and Star Legacy Trust
The John G. Tower Center for Political Studies in conjunction with the Office of the Dean, Dedman College at Southern Methodist University is excited to bring you the opportunity to examine the current Japanese political economy in depth. Our conference begins with a dinner where a guest speaker will give us an overview of the current atmosphere in Japan, politically, economically, and with regard to security. The next day, we will have an all day symposium to discuss several aspects of the Japanese economy in further depth. We will begin the day with a panel discussion on the Japanese economy and performance. Our second panel will examine the role of politics in the Japanese economy, and our third and final panel will focus on Japan's role in the region and in the world.

Location: Smith Auditorium, Meadows Museum of Art, SMU Campus

North American Integration: Migration, Trade and Security

April 1 – 2, 2004

Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa

Organized by the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP.org) in collaboration with The John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies at Southern Methodist University (Dallas), this conference is the second in a series of three conferences that bring together American, Canadian and Mexican scholars and practitioners. This conference will focus on the relationship between trade, migration and investment; the issues and options relating to labour mobility and a North American perimeter; the role of civil society; and the need for new institutions to manage these relationships and issues.

Confirmed speakers, panelists, and discussants include Sidney Weintraub, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Thomas Axworthy, Queen’s University; Maria Teresa de Madero, Mexican Ambassador to Canada; Gordon Giffin, former US Ambassador to Canada; Allan Gotlieb, former Canadian Ambassador to the US; John Helliwell, University of British Columbia; Susan Martin, Georgetown University; John Noble, Carleton University; Mitch Optican, US Department of Homeland Secuirty; Sandra Polaski, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Gustavo Vega, El Colegio de México.

For further information, please visit http://www.irpp.org/events/index.htm or see conference brochure.

Annette Strauss Internationalizing Dallas Lecture Series present:

March 18, 2004

"The U.S. and Europe: Partners or Rivals," a panel discussion on the future relations between the United States and Europe (in collaboration with the Greater Dallas World Affairs Council, The American Council on Germany, and the Dallas Goethe Center.

Members of the panel include His Excellency Sorin Ducaru, Romanian Ambassador to the United States; Charles P. Ries, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Eiropean and Eurasian Affairs, Department of State; Professor Martin A. Schain, Director for the Center for European Studies at NYU, and Heiner Model, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany. The event will be moderated by professor James F. Hollifield.

Location: Umphrey Lee Ballroom, SMU Campus

For information or tickets for the November 5, 2003 Medal of Freedom Event with General Tommy Franks (USA, Ret.) please go to: http://www.smu.edu/rsvp/medal-of-freedom.asp

If you have any questions about any of these programs please call 214-768-3665 or e-mail tower@smu.edu.

2003 Events

The Current Political and Economic Outlook for China

October 7, 2003

Luncheon with Mr. Robert A. Theelen, Chairman and CEO of ChinaVest, Inc. Chinavest is the oldest independent venture capital firm in China, with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Shanghai and Taipei. China has recently increased its role and prominence in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. In the last decade, China has moved to recognize capitalism in its economy, join the World Trade Organization, and play an influential role in security negotiations with North Korea. China's economy seems to growing as Japan's continues to shrink. China has become a more important ally of the United States, yet there continue to be frictions between the two countries, such as trade disputes and the forced landing of a U.S. military plane in 2001. The John G. Tower Center is pleased to welcome Mr. Robert A. Theleen to Southern Methodist University to give us some insight into the current political and economic situation in China today. As one of the first venture capitalists to open an office in China, Mr. Theleen is particularly well-suited to give us some information on what is really happening on the ground in China.

Jones Great Room - Meadows Museum, 5900 Bishop Boulevard - SMU Campus - 12:00 noon

A conversation on the Middle East: Where do we go from here?

October 2, 2003

Featuring Yossi Alpher and moderated by Prof. Jim Hollifield at 5:30 p.m. in the Umphrey Lee Ballroom.

Joseph (Yossi) Alpher is a consultant on Israel-related strategic issues. He is a former Director of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University.He served as Senior Adviser to Prime Minister Ehud Barak during the July 2000 Camp David talks.Mr. Alpher is Co-Creator (with Ghassan Khatib from Ramallah) of bitterlemons.org, an internet based Israeli-Palestinian weekly dialogue. He is the author of "And the Wolf Shall Dwell with the Wolf: The Settlers and the Palestinians".

This event is free for the SMU community. This lecture is cosponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council.

Marian G. Tower International Conference

Thursday, April 22, 2003

The Ethics of Immigration Policy: Seeking the Common Good