For all our flaws and all of our mistakes, the United States has to stay (engaged in Iraq) and is still the most trusted and relatively neutral outside party. So I commend President Obama for making the decision to send U.S. troops back into Iraq."

Why Europe’s energy policy is a strategic success story. Though Europe struggled with a range of difficult challenges over the past decade – the Euro crisis, Great Recession, terror attacks, and refugee crises – Tim Boersma and Michael O’Hanlon say it has also experienced important policy successes, including Europe's recent progress on energy security.

Securing Europe's borders: The first step to a comprehensive asylum policy. Matteo Garavoglia writes that Europe must first secure its borders before it can establish an effective pan-European asylum policy.  

Closed borders will make Europe collapse.  As some European countries edge toward a new form of authoritarian populism, Carlo Bastasin notes that two kinds of responses are now urgently needed: tackling the risks of protectionism and military temptations and questioning Europe's most pressing issue— the millions of refugees at the continents' borders.   

Tough times for Turkey’s Davutoğlu. After reaching a heavily criticized migration deal between Turkey and the European Union, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu resigned his office yesterday. Kemal Kirişci explores the reasons behind Davutoğlu’s resignation.

The future of Japanese politics. The Center for East Asia Policy Studies hosted distinguished members of Japan's Diet for a discussion on the future of Japanese politics.

How India sees the world. India's traditional use of the term “strategic partnership” has long created the illusion that New Delhi treats all foreign relations on a somewhat equal footing. But, as Dhruva Jaishankar points out, the organizational structure of India’s foreign ministry paints a revealing picture of India's priorities.

Food Safety in China. Clement Leung, Hong Kong’s commissioner for economic and trade affairs in the United States, discusses China’s evolving food safety policies, consumer responses and initiatives, and the implications for related industries.

The U.S.-Cuba Thaw.  In this Brookings Cafeteria podcast, Richard Feinberg discusses the current state of U.S.-Cuba relations following President Obama's visit to the island nation and looks ahead to Cuba's increasing engagement with the global economy.

What NGOs think about Israel matters. In the wake of the 2016 Freedom House report on press freedom, which downgraded Israel’s ranking from “free” to “partly free,” Sarah Yerkes argues that Israel should reclaim its place above and beyond its neighbors in its respect for freedom of association and protection of dissenting voices.  

Delivering on economic prosperity in Israel. Israel, often called “start-up nation," has become a major hub for entrepreneurship and innovation—and has a strong and growing economy. However, Dany Bahar asks why a growing economy with macroeconomic stability cannot deliver economic prosperity to its middle class.

Ethiopia’s importance to African security. At a recent Africa Security Initiative event, panelists debated why Ethiopia’s troubles are often overlooked by the West, which focuses more heavily on developments in Somalia, Nigeria, and the Great Lakes region, especially since Ethiopia is “one of the most important countries on the continent by almost any measure.” 

STEM education and future generations of American inventors, technologists, and explorers

May 9, 2016, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

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