Past Programs

Dr. Wiktor Askanas is a distinguished academic and corporate leader with expertise in strategic management, governance, and international business. With a career spanning Canada, Poland, and beyond, he has held leadership positions in academia, government, and corporate boards. Recognized for his contributions to management education and corporate governance, Dr. Askanas continues to shape the field through teaching, research, and advisory roles. This video was recorded on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Western Massachusetts Refugee Experience: An Update

Dr. Sara Newland, Assistant Professor of Government at Smith College, is a scholar of local politics in China and Taiwan, and seeks to understand the behavior of local officials as domestic public servants and as actors in international relations. Her research on local governance and public service provision has been published in China Quarterly and Governance. Her new work focuses on subnational diplomacy, and in particular on the role that state and local officials play in the complicated relationships between the U.S., China and Taiwan. Her work on U.S.-Taiwan subnational engagement has been published in Pacific Review, and she is currently working on a book project (with Kyle Jaros) on U.S.-China subnational diplomacy in an era of rising great power competition. Her talk was given on February 11, 2025 as part of the Instant Issues Series of events.