Great Decisions is a nationally presented lecture series that addresses world topics of our time. The Foreign Policy Association of America chooses the topics each year in November with an eye to international economic, political and social subjects that are current and provocative.

St. Norbert College is one of three institutions of higher learning in Wisconsin that offers the entire series. Lectures are held Wednesdays, starting in February running to April. All lectures are open to the public. Speakers come from the Federal Government, foreign embassies, the international business community, academia and International agencies and organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States.

GREAT DECISIONS 2013

LECTURES BEGIN AT 7:30 PM IN THE FORT HOWARD THEATER, BEMIS INTERNATIONAL CENTER ON THE ST. NORBERT CAMPUS.

13 February 2013
IRAN: Future Nuclear Power or Not?
Mr. Steven Dachi, a national level expert on Iran and the Southwestern Asia, will discuss where Iran's nuclear power program is headed -- towards peaceful energy production or nuclear weaponry? Will the Euro continue its problems and eventually force the nations of the Euro-zone into dropping the concept of a unified currency?

20 February 2013
The Future of the Euro
Dr. Marc Schaffer, Economics Professor at St. Norbert College, will discuss whether the EURO will continue its current problems and eventually force nations of the Euro-zone into dropping or radically limiting the concept of a unified European currency or not. Will the fall of the Euro mark the end of the European experiment in overall unification?

27 February 2013
NATO
Dr. Arthur Cyr, a noted Europeanist and professor at Carthage College, we discuss whether NATO remains relevant in an increasing regionalized world? Will this defensive treaty that spans the Atlantic and that unifies Europe and North America still survive as Europe increasingly flexes its independence from the the United States?

6 March 2013
China in Africa
Dr. Larry Herzberg of Calvin College, a noted China Specialist, will discuss continuing Chinese efforts to influence various nations of Africa and gain a political foothold on that continent. Will China become a key player in African politics in the future? or Is it doomed to fail again?

20 March 2013
Humanitarian Intervention
Dr. Heinz Klug, International Law Professor from UW- Madison and an expert in the field of humanitarian actions, will speak on the incredibly interesting topic of intervention by the international community to prevent further violence and degradation in internal conflicts occurring around the world.

27 March 2013
EGYPT: What Happened to the Arab Spring?
Ambassador Edward Walker, a past US Ambassador to Egypt, will speak on how Egypt experienced the euphoria of the Arab Spring. Now its wild ride toward a more democratic society seems to have been brought back to earth under the pressure of outside influence and strain of internal politics. How will it all end?

3 April 2013
Maritime East and Southeast Asia: Is Conflict with China Inevitable?
Former US Ambassador Alfonso La Porta will discuss the China expansionist designs on the South China Sea, as this nation disputes islands and shoals with Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Will these expansionist threats become military action and will the United States' protective umbrella of many of these nations force it into conflict with the dragon of the Far East.

10 April 2013
Threat Assessment in the World
The United States Army War College has committed to sending one of its professors to discuss the art of successful threat assessment that is so critical to projecting America's future military, economic, and foreign policy needs. How is it accomplished? What is the view of the world threat assessment in the next few years?

For past Great Decisions lectures, visit the archive.
Other lecture series at St. Norbert College.