Hudson Institute Events Podcast

As Minister Noach Hacker concludes his tenure as Israel's Minister of Economic Affairs in Washington, Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East invites you to join a farewell fireside chat with Senior Fellow Michael Doran. Minister Hacker has been a key advocate for deepening the US–Israel economic relationship, overseeing landmark cooperation in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and defense technology. The conversation will trace the arc of that partnership, from its foundations in joint research and development and trade to its acceleration in the wake of October 7, 2023, and the war with Iran. As the region enters a new strategic phase, Hudson is honored to host Minister Hacker for what promises to be a candid farewell discussion.

The 2026 North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara, Turkey, provided significant deliverables: a €70 billion pledge of military assistance for Ukraine, President Donald Trump's announcement that Kyiv would be licensed to manufacture Patriot air defense systems, and a declaration reaffirming allied commitment to The Hague defense spending targets. 

But questions remain over America's evolving role in the alliance and broader European security architecture.  

Please join Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs and Representative Mike Turner (R-OH) to discuss the summit following his return from Ankara, where he served as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation.

Few countries in central and eastern Europe have as much influence in the Balkans as Austria.

For centuries, Austria has forged deep personal connections with the region. The imperial legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is visible in the architecture of Zagreb and Sarajevo, and during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, refugees fled into the heart of the Alps. More recently, Vienna has been to the Balkans what Miami is to Latin America: a gateway facilitating trade and movement. Among Balkan hands in the United States, Vienna’s Schwechat airport is familiar terrain.

While the US has supported programs that promote economic connectivity in the region, like the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), Austria plays a unique role in the Balkans through such areas as financial services. Moreover, Austrian officials like Valentin Inzko have shaped diplomacy in the Balkans, while the Austrian Bundesheer has deployed to the region as part of the Common Security and Defence Policy and other missions. Today, officials in Austria and elsewhere are discussing how the Western Balkans can be brought into the European Union.

Join Senior Fellow Peter Rough as he welcomes Claudia Bauer, minister for Europe, Integration, and Family in the Federal Chancellery of Austria, for a policy address followed by a fireside chat on how Austria sees EU enlargement in the Western Balkans.

For years, the Middle East has been one of the most volatile regions in the world. And United States foreign policy toward the region often changes drastically with each administration.

Today, a fundamentally new regional order is emerging. A weakened Iran has attempted to exercise strategic leverage over one of the world’s most critical waterways. Russian influence continues to recede, underscored by Bashar al-Assad’s fall in Syria, and Beijing seeks to project its influence wherever it can. Meanwhile, the US government continues to prioritize the deepening of security and economic partnerships across the Middle East, and with partners once thought to be adversaries.

America’s role during this transformational period is more crucial than ever, but the US faces heightened scrutiny at home and abroad. Policymakers need to assess the current strategic environment to chart a path forward for US foreign policy in the Middle East under dramatically altered political, economic, and security dynamics.

Join Representative Mike Lawler (NY-17), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, for a conversation with Senior Fellow Joel Rayburn on the emerging Middle East security order and the future of American strategy in the region.

In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu covers the passing of Chinese economist, Gao Shanwen, known for his outspoken views on China’s economy and capital markets, including China’s GDP growth rate in particular, and examine the impact his passing will have in the field. Next, Miles examines China’s recent submarine-based ballistic missile test in the Indo-Pacific, and how this fits into China’s larger pattern of Indo-Pacific coercion and grey-zone warfare tactics. Finally, Miles observes the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and highlights his lasting legacy both on Japanese society and the greater Indo-Pacific region.

China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.