IAF season debuts with Breaking the Engagement
TRAVERSE CITY — The International Affairs Forum (IAF) at Northwestern Michigan College launches its 32nd season of events, inviting expert speakers to address global issues. Upcoming events include:
September 4 @ 7:00 PM | Breaking the Engagement: How China Won & Lost America with Prof. David Shambaugh, Professor of International Affairs & Director of the China Policy Program, George Washington University, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
October 23 @ 7:00 PM | Putting The Global Order Back Together with Christopher Preble, Senior Fellow and Director of the Reimagining US Grand Strategy program at the Stimson Center, and co-host of the “Net Assessment” podcast
November 12 @ 7:00 PM | Fighting For Girls’ Education: Creating A Future Where Girls Are Free To Learn & Lead with Ziauddin Yousafzai, Co-founder of The Malala Fund, educator & activist, father of Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai; and Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn, Senior Director of Grants at The Malala Fund, Human Rights Activist
More details | View events lineup
September 4, 7:00 PM | Breaking the Engagement: How China Won & Lost America
Hybrid event, in person at Dennos Museum Center & online
Books available for sale by Brilliant Books
IAF welcomes David Shambaugh, internationally recognized authority and award-winning author on contemporary China and the international relations of Asia. He is the Gaston Sigur Professor of Asian Studies, Political Science & International Affairs, and the founding Director of the China Policy Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, and Distinguished Visiting Fellow with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. As an author, Shambaugh has published 35 books, including most recently Breaking the Engagement: How China Won & Lost America (Oxford University Press, 2025). Shambaugh received his B.A. in East Asian Studies from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, M.A. in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Read his full bio here.
Shambaugh’s book will be available for purchase and signing at the event, courtesy of Brilliant Books, independent bookseller located at 118 E. Front St. in downtown Traverse City.
October 23, 7:00 PM | Putting The Global Order Back Together
Hybrid event, in person at Dennos Museum Center & online
IAF welcomes Christopher Preble, Senior Fellow and Director of the Reimagining US Grand Strategy program at the Stimson Center, and co-host of the “Net Assessment” podcast. At the Stimson Center, he leads a team of scholars who challenge prevailing assumptions surrounding US foreign policy, and who offer a range of policy options that go beyond the use of force and coercion. His own work focuses on the history of US foreign policy, contemporary US grand strategy and military force posture, alliance relations, and the intersection of trade and national security. Preble is the author of four books, including Peace, War, and Liberty: Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy (Cato Institute, 2019); and The Power Problem: How American Military Dominance Makes Us Less Safe, Less Prosperous, and Less Free (Cornell University Press, 2009). Read Christopher Preble’s full bio here.
This event is presented in partnership with The Quincy Institute Better Order Project and is part of the World Affairs Councils of America Engage America Series. IAF is a member affiliate of the World Affairs Councils of America.
November 12, 7:00 PM | Fighting For Girls' Education: Creating A Future Where Girls Are Free To Learn & Lead
Hybrid event, in person at Dennos Museum Center & online
IAF will host a conversation on the education of girls and women, empowering action to change the world, featuring two expert guest speakers representing the Malala Fund:
Ziauddin Yousafzai, is co-founder and board member of Malala Fund and is the father of Malala Yousafzai, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He is world renowned for his outspoken support for girls’ rights to education, equality and human rights. In Pakistan, he was an educator, founder and administrator of several schools. Mr. Yousafzai is UN Special Adviser on Global Education and Education Attaché at Pakistan’s Consulate in Birmingham, UK.
Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn serves as the Seniors Grants Officer for the Malala Fund. She is a longtime human rights activist who centers her work around the maxim “that the people have the power to redeem the work of fools.” She has held a number of leadership roles at Amnesty International USA, Freedom House, Open Society Foundations (OSF), and MADRE, where in her various capacities, she has led global advocacy campaigns, mobilized resources for racial and ethnic justice movements and frontline defenders, and built and led strong bi-partisan issue-based coalitions on a range of human rights issues.
Event Details
Programs are open to the public, starting at 7:00 PM Eastern at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium, 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City with a welcome reception at 6:00 P.M.
Events are presented in hybrid format; in-person events are available to livestream online. Programming continues throughout the academic year through June 2026. All IAF events on campus at NMC are free for students and educators, including all NMC employees and employees of all local schools. Find more information at TCIAF.com.
IAF events on campus at NMC are supported by gifts from community members and sponsors. Learn more about event sponsorship and opportunities to support here: tciaf.com/support
IAF’s educational programming at NMC is free for students and educators, and open to the public thanks to its supporting members, regional partners, business sponsors, and Northwestern Michigan College. For press inquiries, including speaker interview requests, contact via information below.
About the International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College
Mission
The mission of the International Affairs Forum is to advance the understanding of critical global issues through education and public dialogue. IAF is a community-supported program of Northwestern Michigan College and an affiliate of the World Affairs Councils of America.
Events
All regular season events are open to the public. Tickets are required. Presentations begin at 7:00 PM & receptions begin at 6:00 PM, unless otherwise noted. Visit TCIAF.com for advance in-person tickets and online livestream access: $15 per person purchased in advance, $20 per person at the door, or $10 for online livestream access. For in-person tickets on event days, purchase at the door while seats remain. Current students, educators, and active-duty military members receive free admission with required check in. For in-person tickets, online livestream tickets, and all event details, visit TCIAF.com.
Community Support | Membership
The International Affairs Forum is a member-supported global affairs education series and a program of Northwestern Michigan College (NMC). The organization was founded in 1994 by a group of citizens eager to learn more about our nuanced world through speaker events with invited experts. IAF welcomes new members and sponsors for its 32nd season September 2025 - June 2026.
Memberships start at $100 for individuals or $200 for two people. All memberships include in-person admission and online access to all regular season events. Learn more about IAF membership, event sponsorship, and student outreach at TCIAF.com.
Release date: AUGUST 20, 2025
For more information:
Cari Noga
NMC Communications Director
cnoga@nmc.edu
(231) 392-1800 (Call or text)