2013 Schedule

Introduction and Welcome

Bill Foster, Mayor of St Petersburg
Frank Biafora, Dean of Arts and Sciences, USF St. Petersburg
Douglas McElhaney, Ambassador, retired

8:30am

Africa Today: Breadbasket for the World or Continued Dependency?

Fugit, Jett, Felice, Rogers, Arthur

Are cases of civil war and disintegration of the state a harbinger for the future?
Will petroleum and other mineral resources provide an engine for growth?
Is new and substantial Chinese investment in agricultural and other sectors a positive development?

9:10am

The Fudge Factory: How Is US Foreign Policy Really Made?

Scher Clem, Campbell, Walsh, McElhaney

Who are the major players?
Do domestic politics translate naturally to foreign policy objectives?
Does the White House call the shots? Defense? State? CIA?
Should America be in the business of spreading democracy and human rights?

10:30am

Latin America: The Follow On to Castro, Morales, Chavez

Walsh, Jett, Smith, Nagel, Crummett

Will we see changes in Cuba post-Castro? In Venezuela post-Chavez?
Has the US played a positive role in encouraging democratic and progressive change?
Has the influx of Latin Americans to the US changed our politics?

1:00pm

Will the World Ever Get out of this Recession?

(Scott) Brown, Scher, Deutsch, Hozic, Ebrahimpour

How do we get the international economy moving again?
Is China a new and independent engine of international growth?
Will the Europeans overcome the difficult economic issues confronting their Union?
Is the presence of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) a new, positive element for continued prosperity?
Does political gridlock in Washington and heavy American debt obligations work to the detriment of international growth?

2:30pm

Global News in The Digital Era

Buckley, (Neil) Brown, Rogers, Hozic, Jett

Was traditional pen and paper/broadcast journalism better prepared, more accurate?
Is the absence of editorial staff a blessing or a curse?
Do bloggers bring value added to reporting the news?
Is the explosion of news sources a boon to readers?

4:00pm

America’s Energy Policy in a Resource-Hungry World

Glab, Noun, Edmonds, Philippidis, Deutsch

Is American energy independence the right objective for our policies?
Should/has America lead the campaign against global warming?
Is development of alternative sources of energy a concept before its time?
Can extraction of natural resources live peacefully with environmental exigencies?

9:00am

The Middle East: Critical Issues in a Critical Region

Clem, Deutsch, Fugit, Benchekroun

Where will the Arab Spring take us?
Is terrorism still an issue despite interventions in Iraq/Afghanistan?
Does Iran’s future portend a more positive role in regional politics?
What are the chances for progress in the Israeli/Palestinian peace process?
Should the world be more involved in finding solutions in Syria?

10:30am

Foreign Policy: Traditional Diplomacy? Military Intervention? Development Assistance?

Clem, Campbell, Smith, McElhaney, Fugit

When is military force the proper tool for maintaining peace and security.
Do we too often negotiate when other avenues would be preferable?
When do “soft power” alternatives such as aid, loans, and institution building provide optimal outcomes?
Do the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan provide any lessons learned?

1:00pm

How Can We Slow the Development of Nuclear Weapons?

Jett, Andrucysyn, Campbell, Felice, Clem

Have we made any progress or are things getting worse?
Who is the greater threat – Iran or Pakistan?
Does acceptance of India as a nuclear power provide a positive example for others?
Do systems that defend against nuclear weapons impede non-proliferation goals?
Can we influence North Korea, Iran, and others through negotiation or are sanctions and/or isolation the best medicine

2:30pm