Nebraska World Affairs Council — World Affairs Lecture Series

Exclusive Members-Only Event (via Zoom)

Lecture Title:

Central Asia: Geopolitical Crossroads in an Era of Strategic Competition

Duration:

25 minutes

Abstract:

Central Asia is emerging as a region of renewed strategic importance at the intersection of great power competition, regional instability, and global security interests. In this focused lecture, we will examine the dynamic and often overlooked geopolitical significance of Central Asia through the lenses of U.S. policy, Russian and Chinese ambitions, terrorism threats, and Iranian influence.

We will explore how Russia seeks to reassert its historical influence in former Soviet republics, how China is expanding its economic reach through the Belt and Road Initiative, and how the U.S. and its allies are navigating counterterrorism objectives, energy diplomacy, and regional partnerships. The lecture will also touch on border instability, Taliban resurgence in neighboring Afghanistan, and Iran’s complex engagement with Central Asian states.

This 25-minute presentation will conclude with a moderated Q&A, offering Nebraska World Affairs Council members a strategic overview of a region that increasingly shapes the future balance of power across Eurasia.

Nebraska World Affairs Council — World Affairs Lecture Series

Exclusive Members-Only Event (via Zoom)

Lecture Title:

Mexico and the Border Issues: Strategic Perspectives and Policy Challenges

Duration:

25 minutes

Abstract:

The evolving dynamics of the U.S.-Mexico border represent one of the most pressing and complex challenges in contemporary international relations. In this exclusive lecture for the Nebraska World Affairs Council, we will provide a timely and in-depth briefing on the strategic dimensions of the U.S.-Mexico relationship, with a particular focus on border security and cooperation.

We will examine current policy approaches to border management, the role of the Department of Defense in supporting civil authorities, and the broader implications for U.S. national security and bilateral relations with Mexico. Key topics will include cross-border migration, transnational crime, humanitarian considerations, and emerging policy responses to regional instability.

This 25-minute presentation will be followed by a moderated Q&A session.

Nebraska World Affairs Council — World Affairs Lecture Series

Exclusive Members-Only Event (via Zoom)

Lecture Title:

The Caucasus: Conflict, Competition, and Strategic Importance

Duration:

35 minutes

Abstract:

Nestled between Europe and Asia, the Caucasus region—home to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia—has long been a geopolitical crossroads and a zone of persistent tension. In this exclusive lecture, we will examine the region’s emerging strategic significance in today’s rapidly shifting global order.

The discussion will focus on regional rivalries, energy politics, and the lasting effects of recent conflicts such as the Nagorno-Karabakh war. We will assess how the influence of Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Western powers continues to shape political and military developments in the region. We will also explore the implications of renewed great power competition in the Caucasus, and how these developments affect broader U.S. foreign policy interests and security frameworks in Eurasia.

This 25-minute presentation will be followed by a moderated Q&A session, offering Nebraska World Affairs Council members an opportunity to engage in a focused dialogue on one of the world’s lesser-known but critically important regions.

Exclusive Members-Only Event (via Zoom)

Lecture Title:

Recolonizing the Southern Philippines by the United States

Lecturer:

Federico V. Magdalena, PhD,
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Duration:

35 minutes

Abstract:

The Bacon Bill of 1926 signaled a bold American attempt to recolonize the southern Philippines by proposing the separation of Mindanao, Sulu, and, crucially, Palawan—collectively known as MINSUPALA—from the rest of the archipelago.The Bill would place the entire Philippine South under direct U.S. rule when Filipinos were fighting for independence. Palawan’s inclusion was not incidental. Its geographic position, controlling the straits between the Sulu Sea and the South China Sea, made it an ideal military outpost for America’s emerging power in Asia and the Pacific. Robert Bacon, the bill’s author, justified the plan under the guise of protecting the Moro populations but were equally driven by military and strategic objectives, eyeing both the region’s resources and its value for naval and logistics operations. Filipino nationalists decried the proposal as a blatant violation of sovereignty, underscoring the enduring importance of the Southern Philippines, especially Palawan, in the establishment of an independent nation after more than 350 years of colonial rule from Spain and the United States. Although the Bacon Bill failed to pass in the U.S. Congress, it left a significant chapter in the history of the Moro self-determination and the Mindanao conflict that has remained vibrant until today.

Nebraska World Affairs Council — World Affairs Lecture Series

Exclusive Members-Only Event (via Zoom)

Lecture Title:

China and Taiwan in the New Era of the Trump Administration

Duration:

35 minutes

Abstract:

As the international community reacts to shifting U.S. foreign policy dynamics, the complex relationship between China and Taiwan is once again at the center of geopolitical attention. In this timely lecture, we will analyze the evolving China-Taiwan-U.S. triangle in light of the potential return of a Trump Administration.

The presentation will explore how strategic ambiguity, military deterrence, and economic interdependence are being recalibrated amidst rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait. We will assess how a renewed Trump foreign policy approach might reshape the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, influence cross-strait relations, and impact regional security alliances. We will also touch on the roles of deterrence, diplomacy, and defense preparedness as tools for managing this critical flashpoint in East Asia.

This 25-minute lecture will be followed by a moderated Q&A, offering Nebraska World Affairs Council members an insider perspective on one of the most consequential challenges facing U.S. foreign policy today.

Exclusive Members-Only Event (via Zoom)

Lecture Title:

Contemporary Issues in the Philippines: Marcos-Duterte Dynastic Rivalry and the Rise of Muslim Self-Government.

Lecturer:

Federico V. Magdalena, PhD,
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Duration:

35 minutes

Abstract:

The Marcos-Duterte Family Feud

Over the past several years, the Philippines’ political landscape has been defined by a high-stakes power struggle between two formidable dynasties: the Marcoses and the Dutertes. What began as a formidable alliance in the 2022 elections—when Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte ran together as President and Vice President—quickly ruptured under the weight of clashing ambitions and policy differences.

Today, the power struggle resulted in two Duterte family members facing the most difficult challenge in their lives: the impeachment of daughter Sara Duterte, the current Vice President of the Philippines, and the trial at the Hague’s ICC of her father and former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. These cases are seen by analysts as strategic steps to eliminate the Duterte family from the 2028 forthcoming national elections. 

Tensions first surfaced as Marcos Jr. charted policies distancing himself from the legacy of former President Rodrigo Duterte, pivoting from a China-leaning foreign policy to stronger US ties and shifting the administration’s focus from Duterte’s brutal “war on drugs” to tackling police corruption. This restrained stance, and Marcos’s signals of willingness to cooperate with international inquiries into Duterte’s drug war, fueled suspicions and ultimately triggered open political warfare.

The ensuing conflict reached a dramatic peak in 2024 when Sara Duterte resigned from the cabinet after facing allegations of corruption. The following months saw a storm of mutual accusations, including allegations of assassination threats and subsequent impeachment proceedings against Sara led by a Marcos-affiliated House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on charges related to extrajudicial killings, creating shockwaves that reverberated nationally.

During the 2025 midterm elections, both dynasties mobilized turf wars by fielding opposing Senate slates. The nation became polarized, with each camp leveraging both traditional and social media for mudslinging and mass mobilization. Rather than producing a clear victor, the elections resulted in deeply entrenched divides, institutional gridlock, and fears over national stability. The Marcos-Duterte feud has, at times, overshadowed substantive policy debates, illustrating how personality-driven politics and dynastic rivalries have dominated the Philippine political sphere.

BARMM: Muslim Self-Government Comes of Age

While Luzon’s political headlines were dominated by the Marcos-Duterte saga, a quieter but equally historic transformation unfolded in Mindanao. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), established in 2019 as a product of the long-standing peace process with Moro Islamic groups, entered mainstream Philippine politics as a unique self-governing entity. 

Also called the Bangsamoro self-government, this structure is the result of over four decades of conflict and peace process between the Moro secessionist rebellion and the Philippine government. The term Bangsamoro is a derivative of the older, prejudiced Moro label that the Muslims inherited from Spanish colonial rule.

BARMM’s self-rule embodies the hopes of the Bangsamoro people for “moral governance,” autonomy, and peace after decades of conflict and marginalization. The transition from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to BARMM was initially fraught with bureaucratic and fiscal hurdles, but it also delivered significant reforms: a modernized regional parliament, a pioneering disclosure policy, and efforts to bring former rebels into governance. The national government now recognizes BARMM as an emerging commercial and investment hub, citing billions of pesos in new projects and job creation.

With its first-ever regional elections set for 2025, BARMM stands poised to institutionalize its political gains even as it continues to navigate deep-seated clan rivalries and complex identity-based divisions. The process illustrates an alternative form of politics—one striving for inclusivity and responsive governance—that contrasts with the personality-driven drama in Manila. Still, persistent threats from extremist groups and the need for continued support from Manila remain critical tests of BARMM’s stability and its model of peaceful self-rule.

Together, these two stories capture the Philippines at a political crossroads—torn between dynastic conflict and experimentations in devolved, participatory governance.

Nebraska World Affairs Council — World Affairs Lecture Series

Exclusive Members-Only Event (via Zoom)

Lecture Title:

North Korea: Security Threats and Diplomatic Dilemmas

Duration:

25 minutes

Abstract:

North Korea remains one of the most volatile and enigmatic actors in global security. In this exclusive lecture for members of the Nebraska World Affairs Council, we will provide an incisive analysis of current challenges posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

We will examine North Korea’s advancing missile and nuclear capabilities, its evolving military posture, and the regime’s strategic objectives. We will also assess the status of diplomatic engagement and deterrence strategies under shifting U.S. administrations—especially in light of renewed discussions about nuclear containment, alliance stability with South Korea and Japan, and potential regional escalation scenarios.

This 25-minute presentation will conclude with a moderated Q&A session, giving Nebraska World Affairs Council members a rare opportunity to gain insight into one of the most enduring and high-stakes security concerns facing the United States and its allies.

Nebraska World Affairs Council — World Affairs Lecture Series

Exclusive Members-Only Event (via Zoom)

Lecture Title:

Ukraine and Russia: War, Resistance, and the Future of European Security

Duration:

45 minutes

Abstract:

The ongoing war in Ukraine has reshaped the global security landscape and tested the resilience of international institutions. In this timely and compelling lecture, we will offer strategic insight into the evolving conflict between Ukraine and Russia and its profound implications for U.S. national security and the future of European stability.

We will examine key military developments on the ground, shifts in NATO posture, and the role of U.S. defense policy in supporting Ukraine while deterring further Russian aggression. The lecture will also consider long-term consequences of the war, including economic disruption, energy politics, and the reshaping of alliances in Eastern Europe and beyond.

This 25-minute presentation will be followed by a moderated Q&A, giving Nebraska World Affairs Council members the opportunity to explore how the war’s trajectory may shape U.S. foreign and defense strategy in the years ahead.