The Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies

Thank you to everyone who came by the Keck table during Inside CMC Day last Saturday! It was great to talk to so many students interested in international relations and to share the events and opportunities we offer.

This past Wednesday, we were thrilled to welcome Ambassador Michael McFaul to the Athenaeum for the Keck Center’s 2025-26 Adams Family Distinguished Lecture on International Affairs.

In his lecture, Ambassador McFaul discussed his new book, Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder, offering his perspective on great-power competition and how lessons from the Cold War can inform the future of democracy.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this relevant and insightful discussion.

Two CMC students and ROTC Cadets (Kylie Ha ‘26 and Andrew Nelson ‘29) participated as the Keck Center’s 2026 delegates at the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference (NAFAC). Kylie was awarded the best primer paper award! Before the conference commences, delegates craft a brief 1-2 page “primer” paper to dive into a subtopic of interest and prepare for extensive small group roundtable discussions.

Two CMC students (Gabriel Buyuklyu ‘28 and Phoebe Wolfe Lyons ‘27) participated in the 2026 West Coast Model EU at the University of Washington. Gabriel, a program assistant at the Keck Center, was awarded the Outstanding Delegate award!

Please join us on Monday, April 6, at the Athenaeum for a conversation with G. John Ikenberry, who will give the 2025-26 Lecture in Diplomacy and International Security in Honor of George F. Kennan. Professor Ikenberry is the Albert G. Milbank Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University and is the author of eight books, most recently, Debating Worlds: Contested Narratives of Global Modernity and World Order.

In his talk, Professor Ikenberry will discuss his faith in the future of liberal internationalism amid growing challenges to the liberal international order. Professor Ikenberry will explore the rise of issues like Trump 2.0, arms conflict, mercantilism, populist nationalism, and imperial geopolitics, alongside the decline of multilateralism and global problem-solving.

Please use this link to signup once registration opens: https://tinyurl.com/ky366cft

Join us now to ensure your spot!

Sign up now to ensure your spot!