Foreign Policy Transformational Trends: The Power of Disruptive Thinking

On November 17, 2014 Foreign Policy and the US State Department's Policy Planning Staff hosted a day-long conference, "Transformational Trends: A Year of Disruptive Thinking" to discuss innovative solutions to the challenges that the U.S. faces in the world today. In addition to hearing from keynote speaker, Secretary of State John Kerry, the conference organized several panel events on topics ranging from new alliances and emerging threats to the role of social media in foreign affairs. The conference was followed by a celebration of the 100 Global Thinkers of 2014. (http://globalthinkers.foreignpolicy.com/)

The schedule of events and panelists are listed below:

9:10-10:15 a.m: Reshuffling the Deck: Shifting Alliances and New Players

Luis Almagro, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uruguay

Dr. Kurt Campbell, Chairman & CEO, The Asia Group

Sheba Crocker, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Barry Lowenkron, Executive Vice President & CEO, German Marshall Fund

10:30-11:15 a.m.: Keynote Remarks from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry

11:15-12:30 p.m.: The Disruptors: Emerging Threats and Effective Responses

Ambassador James Dobbins, Distinguished Chair in Diplomacy and Security, RAND Corporation

Dr. Jennifer Lewis, Professor, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Jane Holl Lute, President & CEO, Council on CyberSecurity

Puneet Talwar, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, University of Maryland and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution

12:30-1:30 p.m.: A Conversation with Amb Michael Froman, U.S. Trade Representative

1:30-2:45 p.m.: The Power of Bandwidth: New Media, New Networks, and New Volatility

Nadia Bilbassy-Charters, Senior Correspondent, Al Arabiya Washington Bureau

Shubhranshu Choudhary, Founder CGNet Swara and Knight International Journalism Fellow

Doug Frantz, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Hajooj Kuka, Film Director

3:00-4:15 p.m.: Flashpoints: Fuel, Food & Fault Lines

Under-Secretary-General Zainab Bangura, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations

David Gordon, President, International Capital Strategies

Dr. Hanna Hopko, Social Activist, Journalist, Social Communications Specialist and Ecology Advocate in Ukraine

Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Founder and President, Truman National Security Project

Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Global Development, Democracy, and Humanitarian Assistance Issues, National Security Council

4:30-5:00 p.m.: Imagining a World Transformed: A Conversation with Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development