Walter Roberts Annual Lecture

Since 2011, the Walter Roberts Endowment has hosted an annual lecture inviting prominent and distinguished speakers on foreign policy, American politics, and the world at large. The WRE Annual Lecture is held at the George Washington University and is free and open to the general public. The lectures provide the opportunity for the diverse audience of students, faculty, public diplomacy practitioners, and other members of the public, to hear different perspectives on issues relating or influencing public diplomacy and U.S. foreign policy.

“Nothing is Impossible” 2021-22 Walter Roberts Annual Lecture 

The 2021-22 Walter Roberts Annual Lecture featured retired U.S. Ambassador Ted Osius speaking on the diplomatic work that helped bring about reconciliation between the U.S. and Vietnam. Amb. Osius served in Vietnam from 2014-2017.

He shares stories from his recent book, “Nothing Is Impossible” and talks about leaders from both countries who put aside past traumas to work on creating a brighter future. Amb. Osius also draws upon his own experiences of working first-hand with various Vietnamese leaders and also traveling the country on bicycle to spotlight the ordinary Vietnamese people who helped bring about their nation’s extraordinary renaissance. 

2021 Walter Roberts Annual Lecture: Panel Discussion

The 2021 Walter Roberts Annual Lecture featured a virtual panel comprising of Richard A. Stengel, former Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (2014-2016), Amanda Bennett, former director of the Voice of America (2016-2020), and Professor Nicholas Cull, historian, and professor at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy in California.

The discussion addressed the question of what the U.S. could do to protect global media freedoms and also how should the U.S. international broadcasting agencies be organized to address this challenge. 

The discussion was moderated by David Ensor, award-winning television journalist (CNN, ABC) and diplomat (Afghanistan; 2010-11) Ensor was the 28th director of the Voice of America (2011-15).

The video of the discussion can be viewed here.

Links to more information on past Walter Roberts Annual Lectures:

2020: Joseph Nye, eminent scholar of international relations and political scientist, Harvard University Kennedy School.

2019: Robert Kagan, neoconservative American historian and foreign-policy commentator, Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution

2018: Bruce Wharton, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (2016-2017), U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe (2012 – 2015)

2017: Michael McFaul, U.S. Ambassador to Russia (2012-2014)

2016: David Ensor, Director, Voice of America (2011-2015)

2014: Robert Ford, U.S.Ambassador to Syria (2010-2014)

2013 January: Thomas Pickering, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1989-1992)

2013 November: Tara Sonenshine, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (2012-2013)

2011: Brent Scowcroft, National Security Adviser (1989-1993, 1975-1977)

2016 Walter Roberts Centennial Anniversary Special Event

In honor of the 100th year birthday of Walter Roberts, the Institute for Public Affairs and Global Communication and the Walter Roberts Endowment organized a panel on “Challenges in the New Public Diplomacy Environment”.

Distinguished panelists discussed how their organizations were working to fulfill the new demands of public diplomacy and navigating the New Media Landscape.

Challenges in the New Public Diplomacy Environment panel; 2016.

A blog post of the panel event is available on IPDGC’s Smart Power blog. The video presentations of the panelists can also be found on the blog. The speakers at the Centennial event covered the following topics:

Honoring Walter Roberts and Navigating the New Media Landscape

• Frank Sesno, Director, GW School of Media and Public Affairs.

U.S. Media Diplomacy and Foreign Opinion

• Robert Entman, George Washington University Professor