Conflict Resolution and Peace-Building: A Focus on Africa

Join us on May 28th for dinner and an in-depth conversation with Mr. Tom Perriello, former US Special Envoy to Africa, the region of Sudan, and global affairs expert, as he unpacks the complex dynamics shaping Africa today, from shifting political landscapes to economic challenges and opportunities. Perriello will also offer a behind-the-scenes look at the critical work of Special Envoys in conflict resolution, diplomacy, and peace-building efforts around the world. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain insight from someone who has been on the front lines of international diplomacy.

The dinner and presentation event will be held once again at The Literary Club, 500 East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, America’s oldest continuously operating literary club. Doors will open at 5:30PM, dinner at 6PM, and event program from 7-8PM.  NOTE: Seats are Limited – Prior Registrations are Required!

OUR EVENT SPEAKER

Tom PerrielloThrough diplomacy, advocacy, politics, and philanthropy, Tom Perriello has devoted three decades to advancing justice, peace and inclusive democracy in the United States and around the world. Most recently, Tom served as the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, appointed by President Biden on February 26, 2024, having supported previous peace processes in 2004-2005 and 2011 and co-founded darfurgenocide.org. During previous diplomatic tours, Tom served as President Obama’s Special Envoy for the African Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and ran the second Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review for Sec. John Kerry. He has supported transitional justice and peace processes in a dozen countries and served as the Special Advisor to the Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

In 2008, Tom Perriello was elected to the US Congress, representing the people of Virginia’s Fifth District, serving on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the National Security Working Group. Tom has co-founded advocacy and faith-based organizations and served as CEO of Center for American Progress Action and Executive Director of the Open Society for the United States. Mr. Perriello is a graduate of Yale College and Law School and has taught at the University of Sierra Leone and University of Virginia School of Law.

The Strong-Willed Student: Shifting Expectations and Policy Implications for Global Education

Please join us for an FPLC special event with Michelle Johns, PhD – Academic Director of International Programs at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, University of Cincinnati.

Thursday, Oct. 28 at 6:30PM

The politics of international student mobility and global education are as chaotic as ever – yet the strong-willed student survives! The rapid shift and cheerleading behind the last two years of virtual education programming has been a testament to the true agility of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and students around the world. Two years later, those same adaptable international students are craving more, be it overseas or in the classroom. As each nation continues to manage their own approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, international student flows are slowly ticking up, with both sides of the aisle grappling with shifting expectations. Testing, vaccines, safety, freedom, rights, rigor, and leveling-up! We will discuss how international students’ expectations are shifting as they continue to acquire the global business experiences they need to remain relevant and competitive in the uncertain times ahead, and how this translates to foreign policy and HEIs as they look to meet future demand for resilient, culturally competent human capital.

Michelle JohnsMichelle Johns is an Assistant Professor of Management and International Business with research and teaching focused in organizational behavior and resilience, and leadership in change and crisis management across cultures. The past few decades have found Michelle working in the U.S., Spain, and Australia in corporate communications in the aerospace industry, as well as, tourism sustainability and IT projects with regional and local governments in the European Union and the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Michelle has served as the Academic Director of International Programs in the Lindner College of Business since 2019, and oversees the college’s growing International Business programs, study abroad programming, global strategic partnerships, and innovative international projects such as #BearcatsWithoutBorders and the Lindner Global Lounge podcast.

Michelle received her Ph.D. in Management and Organizational Behavior from the University of Wollongong, Australia, M.S. in Economic Integration from University of the Basque Country /Universidad del País Vasco, Spain, M.S. in Tourism Management from Texas A&M University – College Station, and her B.A. in Communications and Media Studies at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. When she is not traveling the world with her students, or husband and four kids, Michelle is consulting on crisis preparedness and recovery, volunteering, hiking, cycling, or you guessed it… planning her next foreign adventure.