Speaker Series
Are you interested in learning more about international issues impacting the US and its citizens? The Savannah Council on World Affairs can help!
The Council strives to inform its members and the public about world affairs by bringing to Savannah prominent experts, including former high-ranking government officials, private sector executives, think tank analysts and academics, so local audience members have access to up-to-date information and can ask questions of these knowledgeable professionals, face-to-face.
Our Speaker Series programs run each year from September through May. We have completed our programs for the 2025-2026 year, But, the details of our upcoming programs always can be found below and this schedule is regularly updated as speakers are finalized throughout the year. You can also receive schedule updates in your email inbox by signing up to be a member of the Savannah Council on World Affairs or signing up for our Newsletter.
Programs
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“Russia, Ukraine and Europe” presented by Laura Cooper
Coastal Georgia Center 305 Fahm St., Savannah, GA, United StatesLaura K. Cooper served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia from 2017 to 2025. She spearheaded U.S. security assistance to Ukraine – delivering billions in support – and orchestrated the 50-nation Ukraine Defense Contact Group to unify partners and catalyze assistance. She championed novel unmanned systems and air defense…
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“U.S.-India Relations and Modern India in a Changing World” presented by Dhruva Jaishankar
Coastal Georgia Center 305 Fahm St., Savannah, GA, United States"Dhruva Jaishankar is Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America (ORF America), a public policy think tank in Washington DC, which he helped establish in 2020. In this capacity, he has also served as Vice President - Americas at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) since 2025 and is an ex officio member of ORF America's…
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“NATO and the Trans-Atlantic Alliance” presented by James Joye Townsend Jr.
Coastal Georgia Center 305 Fahm St., Savannah, GA, United StatesAfter eight years as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for European and NATO Policy, James Joye Townsend Jr. completed more than two decades of work on European and NATO…
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“Emerging Technologies, Cyberspace and their Implications for U.S. National Security, presented by Adam Segal.
Coastal Georgia Center 305 Fahm St., Savannah, GA, United StatesDr. Adam Segal is the Ira A. Lipman Chair in Emerging Technologies and National Security and Director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations.