In the first summit between American and North Korean leaders, President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12th. The stakes -- and tension -- could not be any higher, but the meeting is shrouded in uncertainty. In this week’s episode, we’ll discuss how American diplomacy towards North Korea has evolved through different administrations and the potential outcomes of the meeting. What incentives does each leader have, and what’s at stake for each country, to continue the negotiations and make a deal? World Affairs CEO talks with Scott Sagan, Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation.

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As populist governments across Europe sweep into power, the future of the European Union is anything but certain. Italy's newly formed government joins Hungary's and Poland's in the flouting of Europe's traditional liberal democratic values. At the same time, they are also forming what some see as dangerous alliances with historic enemies such as Russia. Most unsettling to global markets is talk of the possibility that some will vote to abandon the Euro. Will Europe's biggest experiment since the end of World War II survive? Heather Grabbe, executive director at Open Society, and Charles Lichfield, a European and Euroasian affairs specialist with Eurasia Group, are in conversation with Ray Suarez, former senior correspondent for PBS' NewsHour. 

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In what many are calling genocide, over half a million Rohingya, Myanmar’s dispossessed Muslim minority, have been driven from their homes since August of 2017. Most have flooded into Bangladesh in search of safety from brutal killings and sexual violence. The pace of new arrivals has made this the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world, potentially overwhelming the capacity of the inadvertent host government. Panelists, Muhammad Musa, Executive Director, BRAC, Aerlyn Pfeil, Board Member, Médecins sans Frontières, and Nirmala Rao, Vice Chancellor, Asian University for Women, share how they are bringing safety and sustenance to the stateless Rohingya. They are in discussion with Iain Levine, Program Director, Human Rights Watch.

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Cybercrime and cyberwarfare are both on the rise. From businesses large and small to national governments, the question is not if they will experience a cyberattack, but when, how much damage will be done and how long the recovery process will be. In this week’s episode, we discuss the cybersecurity landscape and how businesses and governments can most effectively work together to mitigate risks. Joining World Affairs CEO Jane Wales are digital security experts Ray Rothrock, CEO of RedSeal and author of “Digital Resilience,” and Richard Clarke, former U.S. National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counterterrorism and most recently, author of “Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes.”

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On May 8, 2018, President Trump announced that the United States was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, dismantling Obama’s signature foreign policy agreement. Robert Malley, president and CEO of the International Crisis Group and one of the US negotiators who helped forge the deal in 2015, offers his insight into what Trump's withdrawal means for US-Middle East relations. Malley also zooms out on the region to discuss how complex conflicts like the war in Yemen and the Rohingya refugee crisis are impacting international affairs more broadly. He is in conversation with World Affairs CEO Jane Wales.

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Across the world, low birth rates coupled with increased life expectancies are creating myriad challenges for governments, businesses and individuals alike. This demographic shift is not only transforming economies, but the way we live our lives. In this week’s episode, we’ll consider why, and how, things like work environments, education systems, and the concept of "old age" itself need to be rethought to account for longer lifetimes. Joseph Coughlin, founder and director of MIT’s AgeLab and author of "The Longevity Economy,” and Andrew Scott, deputy dean and professor of economics at London Business School, and co-author of "The 100 Year Life," are in conversation with Ray Suarez, former chief national correspondent for PBS NewsHour.

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During recent elections, we saw populist far-right parties gain momentum in Europe and the US. The message from leaders in this political movement was clear: mass migration is threatening economies as well as cultural values and the establishment is doing very little to serve and protect citizens. Is this the beginning of an era which will see the far-right gain more power? To what extent are individual rights and independent institutions under siege? Yascha Mounk, a lecturer on government at Harvard University, talks with Markos Kounalakis, visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, about the rise of populism and far-right politics and the growing uncertainty of liberal democracies.

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China is heavily investing in two global trade routes: a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road stretching from Southern China across the Indian Ocean to connect Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa to the Mediterranean; and a land-based Silk Road Economic Belt connecting Western China to Europe via Central Asia. Establishing these transcontinental trade routes will likely cost over one trillion dollars and will cover 65% of the world's population. How likely is China to succeed in achieving these grand investment goals, and how would this proposed project impact global trade? Dr. Thomas Fingar, a Shorenstein APARC fellow in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, discusses China's audacious vision for their "One Belt, One Road" project with Markos Kounalakis, visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution.

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Are we truly living in the first "Networked Age"? Niall Ferguson, Senior Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, argues that social networks are nothing new, and actually have been fundamental in shaping history. With over 2 billion Facebook users, what lessons can be learned by examining social networks of the past? How can "new" networks create social change, impact businesses, and influence policy? Ferguson talks networks and power with Markos Kounalakis, visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution.

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With so many forces undermining democratic institutions worldwide, we wanted a chance to take a step back and provide some perspective. Russian interference in elections here and in Europe, the rise in fake news and a decline in citizen trust worldwide all pose a danger. In this third of a three part series, we focus on Russia's assault on global democracy. Daniel Fried, former ambassador to Poland and distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, and Alina Polyakova, David M. Rubenstein foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, are in conversation with Ray Suarez, former chief national correspondent for PBS NewsHour.

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