Every year, Johns Hopkins hosts the Foreign Affairs Symposium, a series of free lectures featuring some of the most intriguing, inspiring, or otherwise interesting thinkers out there today. This year’s slate of speakers is stellar, as usual:Jack Devine, Feb. 11 – The former associate director of the CIA just published a book about his life as a self-described “spymaster.” Expect to hear: stories that put Argo to shame.
Gloria Steinem, Feb. 25 – The prominent feminist and founder of Ms. magazine has most recently been turning her attention to the role of women in the media, among other things. Fun fact: Christian Bale is her stepson!
ISIS panel, Mar. 11 – A panel of experts will weigh in about the terrorist group; panelists include Robert Ford, former U.S. ambassador to Algeria and Syria; Hadi al-Bahra, president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces; and Washington Post journalist Robin Wright. Expect to hear: really, really smart people.
Brandon Stanton (aka Humans of New York), Mar. 25 – Stanton’s blog and Facebook posts — candid shots of everyday people, along with a paragraph or so of them describing their lives — have become an internet sensation. Fun fact: he’s garnered more than 11 million Facebook “likes” over the course of the project.
Karen Miner-Romanoff, Apr. 7 – The dean of Franklin University’s College of Health and Public Administration is also a prominent criminologist. She’ll speak about crime and punishment in 21st century America.
David Plouffe, Apr. 13 – Plouffe made headlines when he jumped ship from the Obama campaign (where he’d served as a political strategist for the 2008 and 2012 campaigns) to join up with Uber. Expect to hear: lots of platitudes about “disruption” and the share economy.
