Global Insights

Network 20/20
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Network 20/20’s Global Insights is a series of moderated conversations that brings together a curious global audience to dig deeper into macro-level and region-specific trends shaping our world.

  1. Recap: Iran After Khamenei, a Conversation with Dr. Arash Azizi

    18H AGO

    Recap: Iran After Khamenei, a Conversation with Dr. Arash Azizi

    Visit us at Network2020.org.  The killing of Ali Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes has thrust Iran into uncharted territory. With its supreme leader gone, dozens of senior officials dead, and a war now spreading across the region, the Islamic Republic faces the most serious crisis in its history. A new supreme leader has been named, Khamenei's own son, but the regime's fractured power centers, a devastated military, and a population that overwhelmingly rejected the system long before the bombs fell raise urgent questions about what comes next. Can the Islamic Republic survive in any recognizable form? Will the competing factions inside the regime hold together or tear the country apart? And what does a post-Khamenei Iran mean for the region and for the United States? In this special edition of Global Insights, we revisit a conversation recorded a few weeks before the strikes and now reads as a roadmap to the current crisis. Our speaker is Dr. Arash Azizi, Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at Yale University, Contributing Writer at the Atlantic, and a leading expert on Iranian history and political movements. Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

    25 min
  2. Crude Power: The U.S. Pivot to Oil and the Future Energy Mix

    MAR 3

    Crude Power: The U.S. Pivot to Oil and the Future Energy Mix

    Visit us at Network2020.org.  The year 2026 kicked off with a massive shake-up in U.S. foreign and energy policy. Through bold action, the Trump administration is signaling its conviction that global power lies in controlling physical energy reserves, such as those in Venezuela, rather than adhering to international climate treaties. By planning to invest billions into fixing Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, the U.S. aims to flood the market with cheap crude oil and push prices down to $50 a barrel. This strategy is designed to weaken foreign oil monopolies in the Western Hemisphere, starve rival world powers of export revenues, and collapse the energy lifelines that have sustained ideologically aligned neighbors of Venezuela. What will be the strategic impact of this situation on countries like China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba? What are the costs and benefits for private oil companies investing in a market defined by a history of expropriation? How will cheap crude impact the global energy transition and the growing power demands of the AI revolution? Join us for a discussion on the vision for the U.S. energy strategy and how that fits into the future global energy mix, featuring Dr. Caroyln Kissane, Associate Dean of the graduate programs in Global Affairs and Global Security, Conflict, and Cybercrime at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs, Robert McNally, Founder and President of Rapidan Energy Group and White House energy advisor to President George W. Bush and Dr. Francisco Monaldi, Director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute. Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay.

    35 min
  3. Peace in Ukraine: Deal or Deadlock?

    FEB 24

    Peace in Ukraine: Deal or Deadlock?

    Visit us at Network2020.org.  Four years after Russia’s second invasion of Ukraine and its ensuing war, new attempts are being made to end the conflict. This past January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the three-way talks between representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in Abu Dhabi “constructive.” These recent diplomatic efforts have put new ideas on the table, from prisoner exchanges to postwar reconstruction and possible security guarantees. However, the hardest questions remain unresolved: control of key territory, how to prevent a renewed attack, and who would manage critical infrastructure like the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. In addition, the US is putting pressure on Ukraine to meet Russian demands that Kyiv surrender the entirety of Donetsk while leaving its offered security guarantees unclear in details and commitment. What is the status of the war in Ukraine? Where do things stand politically, militarily, and economically? And what would be the next steps towards a final settlement? Join us for a discussion on the current state of the war and the peace process in Ukraine, featuring Ambassador John E. Herbst, Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center & former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and Professor Philip Zelikow, Botha-Chan Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

    35 min
  4. The Future of the United Nations

    FEB 17

    The Future of the United Nations

    Visit us at Network2020.org.  Geopolitical tensions, combined with shifting priorities in Washington, are pushing the United Nations into a moment of severe institutional uncertainty. A serious financial crisis has led to hiring freezes, staff cuts, and reductions in core functions, with the Secretary-General warning that the liquidity crisis could undermine essential operations and lead to a breakdown in the organization’s regular functioning if delays persist. At the same time, debates over Security Council reform are resurfacing, and there are growing demands for an adjustment to the Council’s structure and decision-making process. What reforms are realistic in a fractured international system? And what happens when global problems outpace the institutions designed to manage them? Join us for a discussion with Ambassador Aglaia Balta, permanent Representative of Greece to the UN, Ambassador Christopher Lu, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN for Management and Reform, and Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the United Nations in New York. This discussion will be moderated by Dr. Waheguru Pal Singh Sidhu, Clinical Professor and director of the United Nations (UN) Specialization at the Center for Global Affairs, School of Professional Studies (SPS), New York University. This event is co-hosted with the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC CUNY). Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay.

    37 min
  5. What Iranians Want, From Trump and Their Future

    FEB 10

    What Iranians Want, From Trump and Their Future

    Visit us at Network2020.org.  The recent wave of protests and the subsequent crackdown in Iran have left a new round of scars on the beleaguered Islamic Republic. The broad-based upheaval has not only challenged the government’s grip on power but also raised critical questions about the stability of its system, the viability of alternatives, and the wishes of a population of a complex country. An energy superpower, Iran has tremendous potential that has been curbed by stifling sanctions. It has also seen its proxy networks in the region decimated since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. What is the way forward for the relatively isolated country? How might an unpredictable United States impact the fragile situation? And what are some of the scenarios for a region that has been destabilized by Iranian policies? Join us to explore the recent protests in Iran and how this upheaval might impact the future of Iran. Our speaker for this briefing will be Dr. Arash Azizi, Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer at Yale University, Contributing Writer at the Atlantic, and a leading expert on Iranian history and political movements. Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

    31 min
  6. U.S. Action in Venezuela: Assessing Strategic Implications

    FEB 3

    U.S. Action in Venezuela: Assessing Strategic Implications

    Visit us at Network2020.org.  The U.S. military’s recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has fundamentally altered the geopolitical landscape of the Western Hemisphere. This unprecedented intervention has not only removed a long-standing head of state but has also challenged established international norms regarding sovereignty and the employment of military force. Beyond the immediate headlines, the regional fallout remains deeply uncertain as neighboring nations may recalibrate their security postures and diplomatic ties in response to this sudden shift. What does the capture of Maduro mean for regional stability and the political cohesion of the Americas? What are the broader implications of the U.S. action and its new foreign policy approach to the region? How might volatile political dynamics in Venezuela impact U.S. strategic objectives? Join us for a discussion with Dr. Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow for Latin America at Chatham House and a leading expert on Latin American politics and foreign policy when he explores the broader implications of the U.S. military action in Venezuela and its potential repercussions on regional stability. Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

    36 min
  7. The Global Order in Crisis: What Comes Next?

    JAN 27

    The Global Order in Crisis: What Comes Next?

    Visit us at Network2020.org.  Since the end of World War II, the global order has been shaped largely by a Western liberal system led by the United States. Yet, recent developments, from the release of the U.S. National Security Strategy to the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces have underscored what many observers of international affairs argue is the end of that liberal, rules-based order. At the same time, rapid technological advancement and the rise of other powers, particularly China, further complicate the picture, dispersing power, shifting economic and political ties, and, in some cases invigorating and redirecting global institutions. How dead is the U.S.-led rules-based order? What, if anything, might replace it? And what might such a transition look like? Will the emerging international system be relatively peaceful and cooperative, or defined by heightened competition and conflict? What roles will major powers play in shaping a new order or disorder or is reform of the existing rules-based system still possible? Finally, will the United States continue to act as a global enforcer, or retreat into a more unilateral and unpredictable role? Join us for a panel discussion featuring Professor Amitav Acharya, UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance, and Distinguished Professor at the School of International Service at American University, and author of The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West; Professor Daniel Drezner, Academic Dean and Distinguished Professor of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; and Professor Stacie Goddard, the Betty Freyhof Johnson ’44 Professor of Political Science and Associate Provost for Wellesley in the World at Wellesley College. Together, they will explore these questions and assess what the future may hold for the international order. Music by Alex_Kizenkov from Pixabay.

    36 min
  8. Dollar Strength, Dollar Strain: Navigating a New Global Monetary Order

    JAN 20

    Dollar Strength, Dollar Strain: Navigating a New Global Monetary Order

    Visit us at Network2020.org.  The U.S. dollar has long anchored global trade, investment, and financial stability. Yet, in recent years, forces both within and outside of the United States are rethinking dollar dominance. President Trump’s proposed Mar-a-Lago Accord aims to devalue the dollar while retaining its global reserve status. Simultaneously, threats to Federal Reserve independence and Washington’s growing debt are eroding the value of the dollar, which is down over 5% in the last year vs other major currencies. Internationally, the BRICS nations are expanding trade in local currencies, to reduce exposure to U.S. sanctions and policies. These trends are prompting policymakers to reexamine the role of the dollar in the global economy. Is the era of uncontested dollar dominance ending? What would a more multipolar monetary order mean? Join us for a discussion with Dr. Otaviano Canuto, Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South and Former Vice-President and Executive Director of the World Bank, and Dr. Jeffrey A. Frankel, Professor of Capital Formation and Growth at Harvard Kennedy School and former member of the Council of Economic Advisors. This conversation will unpack the drivers of de-dollarization, assess the real prospects for BRICS and other challengers, and explore the policy choices that will shape the future of the international monetary system. Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay.

    35 min
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About

Network 20/20’s Global Insights is a series of moderated conversations that brings together a curious global audience to dig deeper into macro-level and region-specific trends shaping our world.

Information

  • Creator
    Network 20/20
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Global Insights
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    Global Insights