Advertise on podcast: Hudson Institute Events Podcast

On August 13, 2026, President Donald Trump signed a national security presidential memorandum that directs the Department of War to pursue a set of critical initiatives to restore United States Navy shipbuilding capacity and competition within the maritime industrial base. The memorandum allows foreign shipbuilders to build ships for the US Navy, provided they also invest in new American shipyards. It directs the establishment of a fifth naval shipyard, the first to be built in over 80 years, to bolster the Navy’s submarine and aircraft carrier repair capacity. The memorandum also includes improvements that make Gerald R. Ford–class aircraft carriers cheaper and faster to build. Please join Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, for a conversation with Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs to discuss the Trump administration’s decisive efforts to build the Navy needed for today’s intensifying threat environment.

Relations between the United States and Canada are at their worst in generations.  Following President Donald Trump’s invocation of tariffs and other comments about Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney mobilized Canadian nationalism to “stand up to Trump,” intensified efforts to diversify trade away from the US and toward communist China, and took steps to lead a bloc of middle powers to challenge “US hegemony.”   Bilateral differences are now much broader than trade and cut to the essence of current and future relations between the two countries. The prevailing view in the Trump administration seems to be that Canada needs America more than America needs Canada, and hence, the US “has the cards.” Is that correct? Are policies that further entrench Canadian nationalism and hostility to the US the only way to restore the traditionally strong relationship? Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Matthew Boyse for a conversation with Canadian Shadow Minister for Canada-US Relations Shuvaloy Majumdar, MP (Calgary Heritage) as they discuss the state of the bilateral relationship and potential paths forward.

On September 24, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in Washington, following the Beijing summit in May and ahead of two more potential meetings in 2026.  Join Hudson Institute for remarks and a panel discussion featuring Professor Takahiro Tsuchiya of Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Japan Chair Kenneth R. Weinstein, and Asia-Pacific Security Chair Patrick M. Cronin for a discussion on United States–China engagement and competition. Moderated by Senior Fellow William Chou, the discussion will examine how Japan, Europe, South Korea, and Southeast Asia view the Trump–Xi summit and how the regions will act on their priorities going forward.

Venezuela’s political landscape shifted decisively on January 3, 2026, when American forces captured Nicolás Maduro, ending nearly 13 years of his rule and leaving his vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as acting president. A veteran of the Chavista establishment, Rodríguez is governing under Washington’s three-phase plan of stabilization, recovery, and transition. Under her interim rule, Venezuela has restored diplomatic relations with the United States, released some political prisoners, opened the oil sector to foreign investment, and signed a package of energy agreements that includes a 100-year concession on 17 oil fields holding roughly 65 billion barrels of reserves. But authorities in Venezuela have declined to set an election date, María Corina Machado and Edmundo González remain outside the government-opposition talks, and June’s earthquakes, which killed more than 2,000 people, have hampered an already daunting recovery. Join Hudson Institute for a panel that will examine how far Rodríguez’s interim government can advance the country’s economic recovery without an electoral mandate or political reforms, and how Washington’s approach will shape Venezuela’s democratic transition.

The Council of Europe is the oldest intergovernmental organization devoted to human rights in Europe. With 46 member states and nearly 700 million citizens, it has built a vast legal framework on human rights and democracy and has developed hundreds of conventions, treaties, and agreements since its founding in 1949. In the aftermath of the Cold War, for example, the council supported Eastern European countries as they overhauled their legal systems. Today, it has made Ukraine its top priority and has sought to hold Russia accountable for its violations of human rights. Perhaps because the United States is not a member state—it enjoys observer status—the Council of Europe is not well known in Washington. Worse, it is sometimes mistaken for the European Union’s European Council. Join Secretary General Alain Berset as he explains the Council of Europe’s role today and its future plans. After his remarks, he will sit down with Senior Fellow Peter Rough for a fireside chat.

The United States’ highest national security priority is deterring major-power conflict with nuclear-armed adversaries. Investing in inertial confinement fusion is crucial to counter China, which is rapidly building fusion facilities and high-energy-density physics infrastructure to develop its arsenal. Join Hudson Institute’s Keystone Defense Initiative for a discussion of “Inertial Confinement Fusion Is Key to America’s Nuclear Deterrent,” a new policy memo authored by Senior Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs, Former Principal Deputy Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration Madelyn Creedon and Special Competitive Studies Project Adviser Abigail Remler. Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs and Hon. Madelyn Creedon will join Dr. Mark Herrmann, associate director for weapon physics and design at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Dr. Keith LeChien, founder and chief technology officer of Pacific Fusion, to discuss the memo’s key takeaways and policy implications.

Colombia’s political landscape shifted decisively on August 7, 2026, when Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as president, ending the tenure of its first leftist government under Gustavo Petro. A former criminal defense lawyer running as a political outsider, de la Espriella campaigned on a sharp break from Petro’s “Total Peace” framework. He promised closer alignment with Washington, including expanded joint military operations against armed groups and drug-trafficking networks. Join Hudson Institute for a panel that will examine how far de la Espriella can advance economic and security reforms without a legislative majority and how his approach will shape Colombia’s relations with the United States.

A founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Iceland has been a vital ally and partner to the United States for nearly 80 years. Positioned at the crossroads of the North Atlantic and the Arctic, its strategic importance to transatlantic security far exceeds its geographic size. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently described Iceland as the alliance’s “eyes and ears” for its critical role in securing vital transatlantic air and sea routes. How is Iceland adapting to the era of great power competition? What does the future hold for US-Icelandic bilateral relations? Join us for an in-depth conversation with Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, member of the Icelandic Parliament and leader of the Independence Party, on great power dynamics, Iceland’s role in transatlantic security, and bilateral cooperation.

In April 2025, toward the beginning of the 119th Congress, Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) announced at Hudson Institute the introduction of the SHIPS For America Act, a comprehensive proposal to revitalize America’s commercial maritime industries. The bill is aligned with the Trump administration’s aggressive maritime agenda and enjoys strong bipartisan, bicameral support. Join Senators Kelly and Young as they return to Hudson to discuss the bill’s prospects during this Congress’s homestretch. After the senators’ remarks, two expert panels will discuss how the maritime industry is preparing to respond.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Washington this fall amid a tenuous bilateral relationship. Since the May summit between President Donald Trump and Xi in Beijing, artificial intelligence has solidified as a central axis of competition, Chinese support for Iran’s wartime economy continues, and major military and trade questions remain unresolved.   What is the status of the relationship, and how can America maximize its leverage over the Chinese Communist Party—particularly in technology and AI?   Join Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, for a discussion on the state of the United States–China relationship and Congress’s role in the competition.

On June 26, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement brokered by the United States, the first bilateral understanding between Jerusalem and Beirut since the May 17 Agreement of 1983. The two governments committed to implement security measures under which the Israel Defense Forces would withdraw from southern Lebanon and be replaced by units of the Lebanese Armed Forces, which would oversee Hezbollah’s disarmament. Does this diplomatic breakthrough open the door to a new chapter for the Lebanese people? Can the Lebanese government muster the will to confront Hezbollah? Or does the consensus-based mode of governance in Beirut doom the possibility of real change? Experts from leading Washington think tanks will come together at Hudson Institute to discuss the prospects for stability in Lebanon and for future Israel-Lebanon relations.

Following the establishment of diplomatic ties between Somaliland and Taiwan in 2020, Somaliland returned to international news last year when Israel became the first country to recognize the self-governing state’s independence since Somaliland re-declared independence in 1991. Since then, the Iran war, the Houthis’ continued provocations in Yemen, China’s ongoing influence throughout Africa, as well as Russian and Iranian inroads in East Africa have highlighted the strategic importance of pro-Western Somaliland. In his first visit to the United States since winning the presidency in November 2024, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (“Irro”) will deliver a keynote speech at Hudson Institute followed by a fireside chat with Senior Fellow Joshua Meservey.

Cooperation in semiconductors and artificial intelligence is vital to the United States–Japan alliance. Two developments demonstrate the potential of this partnership: the Rapidus-IBM effort to produce advanced two-nanometer chips in Hokkaido, and Japan’s decision to be the first foreign partner in the Trump administration’s Genesis Mission for AI-powered research and development. Join Hudson Institute’s Japan Chair for a conference to showcase and strengthen US-Japan cooperation in semiconductors and AI. US Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Innovation and Engagement Bill Guidera will deliver an opening keynote before engaging in a fireside chat with Senior Fellow William Chou.  Later, Rapidus CEO Atsuyoshi Koike, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, and Director-General Kazumi Nishikawa of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry will deliver remarks. They will participate in a panel discussion and take questions from the audience.

President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung issued an ambitious alliance fact sheet last November. It codified security and economic priorities, including increased South Korean defense spending and investment in United States shipbuilding, US support for Seoul’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines, and preparations for the eventual transfer of wartime operational control. Both presidents are eager to reengage North Korea even as Pyongyang strengthens its nuclear arsenal and entrenches its status as a nuclear-armed state. An even larger strategic question is how Washington and Seoul will manage relations with China, whose growing power increasingly shapes both regional security and the global economy. Sustaining cooperation with Japan and other US allies and partners cuts across each of these challenges. Join Hudson Institute for an in-person and livestreamed discussion bringing together American experts and some of South Korea’s leading analysts. The program will feature two panels examining the future of the US–South Korea alliance and the regional challenges it faces.

Tricia Paoletta, senior advisor for spectrum at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will join Hudson Institute’s Center for the Economics of the Internet to provide a keynote address on the Trump administration’s progress in managing and reallocating the electromagnetic radio frequency spectrum from the federal domain. Following the keynote address, a panel of experts will discuss the importance of spectrum in the non-federal domain.