Global Hotspots

The International Affairs Forum organizes special programs to explore the nuances behind current events. Subscribe to IAF enews to stay updated.

In February 2023, the International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College recorded a program on Israel’s new coalition government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 


The presenter is Jack Segal, retired senior US diplomat who served at the US Embassy in Israel as Counselor for Political/Military Affairs during the first Intifada and the Gulf War. His wife, Karen Puschel, published a book on U.S.-Israeli Strategic cooperation at Tel Aviv University. In 1993, they together created the first western diplomatic outpost in central Russia. Jack also served at the NSC as Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, and later, Director for Non-Proliferation, and at NATO as Senior Political Adviser to NATO's operational commander in Afghanistan. He offers Extended Education classes at NMC as part of the Global Certificate program. 


Recording date: February 3, 2023

Venue: NMC Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center, Traverse City, Michigan
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This June 14, 2021 Global Hotspot addressed the previous month's escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The fragility of the subsequent cease-fire, brokered by Egypt, highlighted the significance of the conflict to the stability of the greater Middle East. We welcomed back two esteemed guests for a vital discussion.


Leila Hilal is the former director of IAF, an experienced international lawyer, and a former advisor to Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. 


Jack Segal is a former IAF Board co-chair and a former senior U.S. diplomat who served on the National Security Council and at the US Embassy in Tel-Aviv, specifically working on issues in Gaza.


Our guests examined precipitating factors and consider the realities of daily life for Palestinians and Israelis. Up for public discussion was be the magnitude of U.S. support for Israel, the human rights concerns of the Palestinian people, and the difficulty of finding durable solutions to the conflict.


The event was moderated by Jim Bensley, IAF Interim Director, and broadcast via Zoom with public Q & A.
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India's healthcare system was in the midst of collapse under the weight of an April 2021 COVID-19 surge. At that time, only 2.5% of the country's nearly 1.4 billion citizens had been vaccinated. Dire shortages of medical supplies and difficulty maintaining social distance threatened the well-being of the entire sub-continent.


On May 17, 2021 IAF welcomed Edith Elliott, CEO & co-founder of Noora Health, an NGO serving India and Bangladesh. Noora envisions "a world where patients and their families are a core component of healthcare delivery and where family member training is the standard of care." Considering the people's current plight, never more has a region needed this kind of systematic, compassionate approach. According to NooraHealth.org, "Noora's program has reached over 1 million caregivers and their pandemic response has reached more than 14.8 million people across India and Bangladesh, equipping them with life-saving information and training on COVID-19." 


Listen to Edith's informed take on the dangerous situation unfolding in India and all the efforts to curb the spread. This Global Hotspot was livestreamed with public Q & A. The conversation was moderated by Jim Bensley, IAF Interim Director.
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Dr. David Shambaugh,
Director, China Policy Program, George Washington University
Global Hotspot - June 2017
A Firsthand Report from Dr. David Shambaugh,
Director, China Policy Program, George Washington University

Introduction by Timothy J. Nelson, 
President, Northwestern Michigan College

Three years ago, IAF organized the region’s first conference on China. With regional businesses rapidly expanding partnerships with Asia, and NMC and TCAPs planning to increase education exchanges with China, IAF brought together 40 experts on foreign policy, business, education and culture to debate what these ties would mean for our region. Dr. David Shambaugh opened the conference with an outstanding presentation, China in the 21st Century: Are We Ready?

On June 28, Professor David Shambaugh returns to Traverse City after spending the last six months based in Singapore examining the shifting dynamics of international relations in Asia, particularly the roles of the United States and China.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear his firsthand report of what he discovered in key Asian capitals including New Delhi, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila and Hanoi.

Plus, get an update on what’s happened between northern Michigan and China in the fields of education, business and tourism since the China Conference three years ago. What has grown? What has withered? And how have experts revised their thinking about the future?

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