Policy Week Ahead

Mar 16 – 22, 2026

110 events · 28 topics · 50 organizations — think tank webinars, panels and conferences, grouped by policy topic. Times are US Eastern.

Subscribe to this week's top topics

Diplomacy

47 events

Virtual Event: Will US Military Deployment Reduce Nigerian Political Violence?

Mon, Mar 16 · 10:30 AM EDT·Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)Virtual

Can the US Unlock the Strait of Hormuz? — Webinar (Mon, Mar 16, 11:00 AM EDT)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Middle East InstituteVirtual

A Conversation with Ambassador Kevin Rudd (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 2:00 PM EDT·CSIS Australia ChairVirtual

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — March 16, 2026 4:00 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — Mon Mar 16 2026 4:00-4:30 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

42 more in Diplomacy

National Security

43 events

FDD Morning Brief — Jonathan Schanzer featuring Ray Takeyh (March 16, 2026, 08:30 ET) (Virtual)

Mon, Mar 16 · 8:30 AM EDT·Foundation for Defense of DemocraciesVirtual

Can the US Unlock the Strait of Hormuz? — Webinar (Mon, Mar 16, 11:00 AM EDT)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Middle East InstituteVirtual

Managing the Atom: Matthew Bunn — Latent Nuclear Capabilities (Mar 16, 2026, 1:30 PM ET)

Mon, Mar 16 · 1:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolVirtual

Before the Bomb: Revisiting Latency and Exploring Difference among Early and Late Developers with Evidence from Pakistan (Talk by Hannah Haegeland)

Mon, Mar 16 · 2:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolVirtual

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — March 16, 2026 4:00 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

38 more in National Security

Conflict

35 events

FDD Morning Brief — Jonathan Schanzer featuring Ray Takeyh (March 16, 2026, 08:30 ET) (Virtual)

Mon, Mar 16 · 8:30 AM EDT·Foundation for Defense of DemocraciesVirtual

Virtual Event: Will US Military Deployment Reduce Nigerian Political Violence?

Mon, Mar 16 · 10:30 AM EDT·Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)Virtual

Can the US Unlock the Strait of Hormuz? — Webinar (Mon, Mar 16, 11:00 AM EDT)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Middle East InstituteVirtual

Risks, Prospects, and Paths Forward for Freedom in Iran — March 16, 2026, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM ET (Virtual)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Freedom HouseVirtual

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — March 16, 2026 4:00 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

30 more in Conflict

Defense Technology

16 events

Virtual Event: Will US Military Deployment Reduce Nigerian Political Violence?

Mon, Mar 16 · 10:30 AM EDT·Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)Virtual

A Conversation with Ambassador Kevin Rudd (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 2:00 PM EDT·CSIS Australia ChairVirtual

Before the Bomb: Revisiting Latency and Exploring Difference among Early and Late Developers with Evidence from Pakistan (Talk by Hannah Haegeland)

Mon, Mar 16 · 2:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolVirtual

Overcoming Challenges in Defence Logistics (Breakfast Briefing, London)

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·RUSIIn person

Japan–Europe defence-industrial cooperation — Event recording (17 March 2026)

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·International Institute for Strategic StudiesVirtual

11 more in Defense Technology

Human Rights

15 events

Virtual Event: Will US Military Deployment Reduce Nigerian Political Violence?

Mon, Mar 16 · 10:30 AM EDT·Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)Virtual

Risks, Prospects, and Paths Forward for Freedom in Iran — March 16, 2026, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM ET (Virtual)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Freedom HouseVirtual

Protocol 1 in focus: progress and the way forward — 17 March 2026 — Online

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·ODI GlobalVirtual

The Regional War Lebanon Hoped to Avoid: Unpacking the Escalation — Online moderated discussion (March 17, 2026)

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)Virtual

The Regional War Lebanon Hoped to Avoid: Unpacking the Escalation — Online (Mar 17, 2026, 9:30–11:00 AM EST)

Tue, Mar 17 · 9:30 AM EDT·The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)Virtual

10 more in Human Rights

Energy

14 events

Can the US Unlock the Strait of Hormuz? — Webinar (Mon, Mar 16, 11:00 AM EDT)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Middle East InstituteVirtual

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — Mon Mar 16 2026 4:00-4:30 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

The Geoeconomic Ripple Effects of the Iran War — March 17, 2026

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·Council on Foreign Relations — Greenberg Center for GeoeconomicsIn person

WIDER Development Conference | Green industrialization and inclusive growth in a fractured world order (18–20 March 2026)

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·UNU-WIDERIn person

Energy Infrastructure and the Defense Industrial Base — March 18, 2026

Wed, Mar 18 · 12:00 AM EDT·CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change ProgramIn person

9 more in Energy

Trade Policy

10 events

Libya’s Economic Future: A Conversation with Jonathan Winer — Mar 16, 2026 11:00 AM ET (In-Person & Online)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Stimson CenterHybrid

One Bed, Two Dreams: Why Joint Ventures So Often Fail in China — 2026-03-17

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (Stanford University)In person

One Bed, Two Dreams: Why Joint Ventures So Often Fail in China — Mar 17, 2026, 13:00–14:30 (assumed UTC)

Tue, Mar 17 · 9:00 AM EDT·Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (Stanford University)Virtual

WIDER Development Conference | Green industrialization and inclusive growth in a fractured world order (18–20 March 2026)

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·UNU-WIDERIn person

Virtual Book Talk: Command of Commerce — America's Enduring Economic Power Advantage over China (March 18, 2026, 12:00–1:00 PM)

Wed, Mar 18 · 8:00 AM EDT·Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)Virtual

5 more in Trade Policy

Finance

8 events

Libya’s Economic Future: A Conversation with Jonathan Winer — Mar 16, 2026 11:00 AM ET (In-Person & Online)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Stimson CenterHybrid

Economics Day (Journée de l'économie): Can we save Europe? — 18 Mar 2026 (Public, Luxembourg)

Tue, Mar 17 · 7:00 PM EDT·BruegelIn person

WIDER Development Conference | Green industrialization and inclusive growth in a fractured world order (18–20 March 2026)

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·UNU-WIDERIn person

America's Housing Crunch: What the Evidence Says — Wednesday, March 18, 2026 (Online)

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·RAND CorporationVirtual

Is the global financial system fragmenting? — 18 Mar 2026 (Online)

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·BruegelVirtual

3 more in Finance

Supply Chain Security

8 events

Overcoming Challenges in Defence Logistics (Breakfast Briefing, London)

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·RUSIIn person

Boosting U.S. Quantum Supply Chains for Enduring Advantage — Panel (Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET) (Virtual)

Tue, Mar 17 · 3:00 PM EDT·Center for a New American SecurityVirtual

Boosting U.S. Quantum Supply Chains for Enduring Advantage — Panel (Mar 17, 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET, Live)

Tue, Mar 17 · 3:00 PM EDT·Center for a New American SecurityVirtual

Energy Dominance and the Defense Industrial Base — Mar 18, 2026, 2:00–3:00 PM ET (Hybrid)

Wed, Mar 18 · 2:00 PM EDT·CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change ProgramHybrid

Energy Dominance and the Defense Industrial Base — March 18, 2026 • 2:00–3:00 pm EDT (virtual)

Wed, Mar 18 · 2:00 PM EDT·CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change ProgramVirtual

3 more in Supply Chain Security

Artificial Intelligence

6 events

AI Will Test Governments on Jobs, Training, and Public Trust — Panel discussions (March 17, 2026)

Tue, Mar 17 · 3:00 AM EDT·Hoover InstitutionIn person

Panel discussions on AI, Jobs, and Governance — March 17, 2026 (Hoover Institution panels)

Tue, Mar 17 · 3:00 AM EDT·Hoover InstitutionIn person

Military Planning, Intelligence, and Algorithmic Warfare in the Iran Campaign — Livestream (Mar 17, 2026 4:00 PM ET)

Tue, Mar 17 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

Productivity Gains and Labor Pains: What Will AI Do to Jobs? — Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 5:00–7:00 pm PDT (In-person)

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·Hoover InstitutionIn person

The Digital Battlefield: How Technology Is Transforming War (Conversation) — March 18, 5:30 p.m. CT

Wed, Mar 18 · 6:30 PM EDT·Chicago Council on Global AffairsHybrid

1 more in Artificial Intelligence

Climate Change

5 events

Conference: "The future of urban water in Spain" — 17 Mar 2026, 09:30–13:40 CET (in-person)

Tue, Mar 17 · 4:30 AM EDT·Real Instituto ElcanoIn person

WIDER Development Conference | Green industrialization and inclusive growth in a fractured world order (18–20 March 2026)

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·UNU-WIDERIn person

Rooted in Biodiversity: Transforming Landscapes through Nature-Positive Agriculture (Webinar) — March 18, 2026

Wed, Mar 18 · 9:30 AM EDT·International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)Virtual

Measuring U.S. Energy Security — Livestream (Mar 19, 2026 9:30-10:00 AM ET)

Thu, Mar 19 · 9:30 AM EDT·CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change ProgramHybrid

Protecting Water in the Mining Rush: Lessons from Africa and Southeast Asia — March 20, 2026, 9:30–10:30 AM US Eastern (Online)

Fri, Mar 20 · 9:30 AM EDT·Stimson CenterVirtual

Cybersecurity

3 events

Implementing a U.S. Cyber Force: A Conversation with Representative Pat Fallon — March 18, 2026

Wed, Mar 18 · 12:00 AM EDT·CSIS Strategic Technologies ProgramIn person

Implementing a U.S. Cyber Force: A Conversation with Representative Pat Fallon (Hybrid, Mar 18, 2026, 10:30–12:00 ET)

Wed, Mar 18 · 10:30 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid

The Digital Battlefield: How Technology Is Transforming War (Conversation) — March 18, 5:30 p.m. CT

Wed, Mar 18 · 6:30 PM EDT·Chicago Council on Global AffairsHybrid

Quantum Computing

2 events

Boosting U.S. Quantum Supply Chains for Enduring Advantage — Panel (Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET) (Virtual)

Tue, Mar 17 · 3:00 PM EDT·Center for a New American SecurityVirtual

Boosting U.S. Quantum Supply Chains for Enduring Advantage — Panel (Mar 17, 3:00–4:00 p.m. ET, Live)

Tue, Mar 17 · 3:00 PM EDT·Center for a New American SecurityVirtual

Commodities

2 events

Critical Minerals From the Ground Up — March 19, 2026

Thu, Mar 19 · time TBA·Council on Foreign Relations — Greenberg Center for GeoeconomicsIn person

Protecting Water in the Mining Rush: Lessons from Africa and Southeast Asia — March 20, 2026, 9:30–10:30 AM US Eastern (Online)

Fri, Mar 20 · 9:30 AM EDT·Stimson CenterVirtual

Elections

1 event

Panel — Violence, Militarization, and Organized Crime: Ecuador's Challenges in 2026 (18 Mar 2026, 17:00 UTC-5)

Wed, Mar 18 · 6:00 PM EDT·ACLEDHybrid

Space Policy

1 event

Schriever Spacepower Series: Maj. Gen. Samuel C. Keener

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·Mitchell Institute for Aerospace StudiesVirtual

Disinformation

1 event

The Digital Battlefield: How Technology Is Transforming War (Conversation) — March 18, 5:30 p.m. CT

Wed, Mar 18 · 6:30 PM EDT·Chicago Council on Global AffairsHybrid

United States

55 events

FDD Morning Brief — Jonathan Schanzer featuring Ray Takeyh (March 16, 2026, 08:30 ET) (Virtual)

Mon, Mar 16 · 8:30 AM EDT·Foundation for Defense of DemocraciesVirtual

Virtual Event: Will US Military Deployment Reduce Nigerian Political Violence?

Mon, Mar 16 · 10:30 AM EDT·Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)Virtual

A Conversation with Ambassador Kevin Rudd (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 2:00 PM EDT·CSIS Australia ChairVirtual

Adelphi book launch: Contending with American Exceptionalism by Dr Kori Schake — 17 March 2026 (Hybrid)

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·International Institute for Strategic StudiesHybrid

Adelphi book launch: Contending with American Exceptionalism by Dr Kori Schake — Hybrid — 17 March 2026

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·International Institute for Strategic StudiesHybrid

50 more in United States

Global

29 events

Can the US Unlock the Strait of Hormuz? — Webinar (Mon, Mar 16, 11:00 AM EDT)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Middle East InstituteVirtual

Managing the Atom: Matthew Bunn — Latent Nuclear Capabilities (Mar 16, 2026, 1:30 PM ET)

Mon, Mar 16 · 1:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolVirtual

Before the Bomb: Revisiting Latency and Exploring Difference among Early and Late Developers with Evidence from Pakistan (Talk by Hannah Haegeland)

Mon, Mar 16 · 2:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolVirtual

Protocol 1 in focus: progress and the way forward — 17 March 2026 — Online

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·ODI GlobalVirtual

ODI Fellowship Scheme webinar 2026 — session 2 — 17 March 2026 — Online

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·ODI GlobalVirtual

24 more in Global

Middle East

26 events

FDD Morning Brief — Jonathan Schanzer featuring Ray Takeyh (March 16, 2026, 08:30 ET) (Virtual)

Mon, Mar 16 · 8:30 AM EDT·Foundation for Defense of DemocraciesVirtual

Libya’s Economic Future: A Conversation with Jonathan Winer — Mar 16, 2026 11:00 AM ET (In-Person & Online)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Stimson CenterHybrid

Can the US Unlock the Strait of Hormuz? — Webinar (Mon, Mar 16, 11:00 AM EDT)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Middle East InstituteVirtual

Risks, Prospects, and Paths Forward for Freedom in Iran — March 16, 2026, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM ET (Virtual)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Freedom HouseVirtual

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — March 16, 2026 4:00 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

21 more in Middle East

Asia-Pacific

20 events

A Conversation with Ambassador Kevin Rudd (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 2:00 PM EDT·CSIS Australia ChairVirtual

Before the Bomb: Revisiting Latency and Exploring Difference among Early and Late Developers with Evidence from Pakistan (Talk by Hannah Haegeland)

Mon, Mar 16 · 2:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolVirtual

Japan–Europe defence-industrial cooperation — Event recording (17 March 2026)

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·International Institute for Strategic StudiesVirtual

Pursuing North Korea’s Denuclearization in an Era of Strategic Drift: Voices from Japan — Mar 17, 2026, 08:30–10:00 ET (In-Person & Online)

Tue, Mar 17 · 8:30 AM EDT·Stimson CenterHybrid

From Cairo to Kabul: A Conversation with Admiral William J. Fallon (Ret.) (Webcast)

Tue, Mar 17 · 11:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

15 more in Asia-Pacific

Europe

15 events

Overcoming Challenges in Defence Logistics (Breakfast Briefing, London)

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·RUSIIn person

Adelphi book launch: Contending with American Exceptionalism by Dr Kori Schake — 17 March 2026 (Hybrid)

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·International Institute for Strategic StudiesHybrid

Japan–Europe defence-industrial cooperation — Event recording (17 March 2026)

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·International Institute for Strategic StudiesVirtual

Jade McGlynn — "Sovereignty without Territory: the Puzzle of Resistance in Occupied Ukraine" — RUCARR Distinguished Speaker Series — March 17, 2026

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·Malmö University (RUCARR Distinguished Speaker Series)In person

Conference: "The future of urban water in Spain" — 17 Mar 2026, 09:30–13:40 CET (in-person)

Tue, Mar 17 · 4:30 AM EDT·Real Instituto ElcanoIn person

10 more in Europe

China

9 events

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — March 16, 2026 4:00 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — Mon Mar 16 2026 4:00-4:30 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

One Bed, Two Dreams: Why Joint Ventures So Often Fail in China — 2026-03-17

Tue, Mar 17 · time TBA·Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (Stanford University)In person

One Bed, Two Dreams: Why Joint Ventures So Often Fail in China — Mar 17, 2026, 13:00–14:30 (assumed UTC)

Tue, Mar 17 · 9:00 AM EDT·Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (Stanford University)Virtual

Specialist workshop / Project launch: "The Use of Civilian Research for China's Military" — March 18, 2026

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·MERICSIn person

4 more in China

Russia

5 events

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — March 16, 2026 4:00 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

Russia and China: Gaining from the war with Iran? | State of Play — Mon Mar 16 2026 4:00-4:30 PM ET (Livestream)

Mon, Mar 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual

Europe's Nuclear Umbrella (Book talk with Dr. Michal Onderco, Erasmus University Rotterdam)

Wed, Mar 18 · 2:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolVirtual

Strategic Japan 2026: Countering Challenges from Autocratic Powers (Hybrid)

Wed, Mar 18 · 2:30 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Korea ChairHybrid

Childhood During the Chechen Wars and the Enduring Legacy of Natalia Estemirova — Live on Zoom, Mar 19, 2026, 1:00 PM (EST)

Thu, Mar 19 · 1:00 PM EDT·The Kennan InstituteVirtual

Africa

4 events

Virtual Event: Will US Military Deployment Reduce Nigerian Political Violence?

Mon, Mar 16 · 10:30 AM EDT·Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI)Virtual

Libya’s Economic Future: A Conversation with Jonathan Winer — Mar 16, 2026 11:00 AM ET (In-Person & Online)

Mon, Mar 16 · 11:00 AM EDT·Stimson CenterHybrid

State Threats in Sub-Saharan Africa: Identity, Influence and Insecurity (18 March 2026, Hybrid, London)

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·RUSIHybrid

Protecting Water in the Mining Rush: Lessons from Africa and Southeast Asia — March 20, 2026, 9:30–10:30 AM US Eastern (Online)

Fri, Mar 20 · 9:30 AM EDT·Stimson CenterVirtual

South America

3 events

Panel — Violence, Militarization, and Organized Crime: Ecuador's Challenges in 2026 (18 Mar 2026, 17:00 UTC-5)

Wed, Mar 18 · 6:00 PM EDT·ACLEDHybrid

Testimony: "China’s Expanding Interests in Latin America: Development, Leverage, Coercion, and Crime" — Henry Ziemer before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (03/19/2026)

Thu, Mar 19 · time TBA·CSIS Americas ProgramIn person

Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit — Colombia (Mar 21, 2026)

Sat, Mar 21 · 1:00 AM EDT·Council on Foreign RelationsIn person

Arctic

1 event

Greenland and the New World Order — 19 Mar 2026

Thu, Mar 19 · time TBA·Clingendael InstituteIn person

Outer Space

1 event

Schriever Spacepower Series: Maj. Gen. Samuel C. Keener

Wed, Mar 18 · time TBA·Mitchell Institute for Aerospace StudiesVirtual

Previous week This week Next week