Policy Week Ahead — Sep 21 – 27, 2026

122 events

122 think tank events from 53 organizations across 27 policy topics the week of Sep 21 – 27, 2026. Busiest topics: United States (80), Diplomacy (41), Global (33). Most active organizers: Harvard Kennedy School (19), Atlantic Council (10), Center on Global Energy Policy (7). Multi-day: International Conference on Combatting Online Scams (ICCOS) 2026 — Sep 23–24, 2026, Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness 2026 Conference (Sep 23-26, 2026) - Baltimore, MD, WTO Committee on Agriculture meeting (24–25 September 2026) — first meeting under new Chair. Last week the calendar listed 113 events. Times are US Eastern; each listing links to the event's own page.

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Diplomacy
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Conflict
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National Security
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Diplomacy
41 events
Liberal Democrat party conference fringe: 'Strengthening a rules-based world order'
Mon, Sep 21 · 8:45 AM EDT·Centre for European ReformIn person
Putin's Campaign to Defeat the West — Live on Zoom — Mon, Sep 21, 2026, 11:00 AM Eastern
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·The Kennan InstituteVirtual
The German State Elections and the Rise of AfD
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftVirtual
Future of International Cooperation Report 2026: Redefining Global Trust — Report launch, 21 Sep 2026 1:00-3:00 PM EDT (International Peace Institute, New York)
Mon, Sep 21 · 1:00 PM EDT·GGINIn person
Future of International Cooperation Report 2026 launch
Mon, Sep 21 · 1:00 PM EDT·Stimson CenterHybrid
36 more in Diplomacy
Conflict
23 events
Putin's Campaign to Defeat the West — Live on Zoom — Mon, Sep 21, 2026, 11:00 AM Eastern
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·The Kennan InstituteVirtual
A Conversation with H.E. Yassine Jaber, Lebanon's Minister of Finance (Webcast)
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·Middle East ProgramVirtual
The German State Elections and the Rise of AfD
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftVirtual
Ahmed Al-Sharaa in conversation with Brett McGurk — AC in NY
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
War is no way to settle disputes — José Manuel Albares (AC in NY, 2026-09-22)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
18 more in Conflict
National Security
20 events
Skills Enhancement for Political Advisors (POLADS)
Mon, Sep 21 · 6:00 PM EDT·GCSPIn person
The Trump-Xi summit and possible future of US-China economic relations
Tue, Sep 22 · 9:00 AM EDT·Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)Virtual
President Xi Goes to Washington: Building Stability or Merely Postponing Conflict?
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftVirtual
Sydney International Strategy Forum (SISF) 2026 — 23 Sep 2026, 8:00am–5:00pm AEST
Tue, Sep 22 · 6:00 PM EDT·United States Studies CentreIn person
A Conversation on NATO’s Future with Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ambassador Matthew G. Whitaker
Tue, Sep 22 · 6:30 PM EDT·Chicago Council on Global AffairsHybrid
15 more in National Security
Energy
17 events
Energy Opportunity Forum 2026 — Building Abundant Energy in the Global South
Mon, Sep 21 · 8:45 AM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
Columbia Fashion, Energy, and Climate Summit
Mon, Sep 21 · 9:00 AM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
The Future of Climate Tech: Innovation, Careers, and Connections (Women in Energy)
Mon, Sep 21 · 6:00 PM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
Calvin Butler on data centers and community concerns (AC in NY, 2026-09-22)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
Rural America & the Clean Energy Transition — September 22, 2026, 12:00 PM (Manhattan, in-person)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
12 more in Energy
Elections
15 events
Inside the Story: Reporting on Washington's Power Players — Chris Whipple
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person
Democracy on a Tightrope — Politics and Bureaucracy in Brazil (Book event)
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Inter-American DialogueIn person
The German State Elections and the Rise of AfD
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftVirtual
The German State Elections and the Rise of AfD
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy InstituteVirtual
How Christian Women are Powering the American Right — WAPPP Seminar with Katie Gaddini
Mon, Sep 21 · 3:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolVirtual
10 more in Elections
Trade Policy
14 events
IFPRI @ the 8th African Conference of Agricultural Economists (ACAE) — Sep 22–25, 2026 (Nairobi, Kenya)
Mon, Sep 21 · 5:00 PM EDT·International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)In person
Elmer Cuba on Peru-US economic partnership (AC in NY, 2026-09-22)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
Change or Continuity? An Assessment of Sri Lanka under AKD — 22 Sep 2026, 15:30 IST
Tue, Sep 22 · 6:00 AM EDT·Observer Research FoundationIn person
The Trump-Xi summit and possible future of US-China economic relations
Tue, Sep 22 · 9:00 AM EDT·Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)Virtual
President Xi Goes to Washington: Building Stability or Merely Postponing Conflict?
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftVirtual
9 more in Trade Policy
Human Rights
13 events
FACECO Seminar: Social cohesion and recovery in Cabo Delgado
Tue, Sep 22 · 6:00 AM EDT·IGM programme (UNU-WIDER)Hybrid
International Conference on Combatting Online Scams (ICCOS) 2026
Tue, Sep 22 · 1:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) - Southeast Asia ProgramIn person
Debate, Debrief and Dessert — The Role of Diversity in Higher Education and American Life — Tuesday, September 22, 2026 | 6:00pm (JFK Jr. Forum)
Tue, Sep 22 · 6:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolHybrid
Religious Pluralism at America 250: Faith and the American Experiment
Wed, Sep 23 · time not announced·Aspen InstituteVirtual
Reading Group on Prostitution and Pornography — Select Wednesdays beginning Sept 23, 2026 (On campus)
Wed, Sep 23 · 12:00 AM EDT·Harvard Kennedy School Women and Public Policy ProgramIn person
8 more in Human Rights
Artificial Intelligence
12 events
The Future of Climate Tech: Innovation, Careers, and Connections (Women in Energy)
Mon, Sep 21 · 6:00 PM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
Albert Bourla on AI and health (AC in NY, 2026-09-22)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
President Xi Goes to Washington: Building Stability or Merely Postponing Conflict?
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftVirtual
National Security Dialogue | BWC@50: Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention in the Age of Emerging Technologies — 23 Sep 2026, 15:00 IST
Wed, Sep 23 · 5:30 AM EDT·Observer Research FoundationIn person
The AI Alliance: Advancing U.S.-Korea-Japan Technology Cooperation
Wed, Sep 23 · 10:00 AM EDT·Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI)In person
7 more in Artificial Intelligence
Climate Change
12 events
Energy Opportunity Forum 2026 — Building Abundant Energy in the Global South
Mon, Sep 21 · 8:45 AM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
Columbia Fashion, Energy, and Climate Summit
Mon, Sep 21 · 9:00 AM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
IFPRI @ the 8th African Conference of Agricultural Economists (ACAE) — Sep 22–25, 2026 (Nairobi, Kenya)
Mon, Sep 21 · 5:00 PM EDT·International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)In person
The Future of Climate Tech: Innovation, Careers, and Connections (Women in Energy)
Mon, Sep 21 · 6:00 PM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
Rural America & the Clean Energy Transition — September 22, 2026, 12:00 PM (Manhattan, in-person)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
7 more in Climate Change
Finance
10 events
A Conversation with H.E. Yassine Jaber, Lebanon's Minister of Finance (Webcast)
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual
A Conversation with H.E. Yassine Jaber, Lebanon's Minister of Finance (Webcast)
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·Middle East ProgramVirtual
Trust, Tax Policy, and the Future of the Nonprofit Sector
Tue, Sep 22 · time not announced·Urban InstituteVirtual
The Trump-Xi summit and possible future of US-China economic relations
Tue, Sep 22 · 9:00 AM EDT·Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)Virtual
Essential Wealth: Exploring a New Benchmark for Financial Security
Thu, Sep 24 · time not announced·Aspen InstituteVirtual
5 more in Finance
Supply Chain Security
6 events
Frank Garcia on US-Africa relations and supply chains (AC in NY, 2026-09-22)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
Sovereignty by Design: Critical Raw Materials as the Foundation for Strategic Autonomy — Seminar with Krishnaswamy Sankaran
Tue, Sep 22 · 2:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person
The AI Alliance: Advancing U.S.-Korea-Japan Technology Cooperation
Wed, Sep 23 · 10:00 AM EDT·Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI)In person
Food Security Solutions: Addressing Shocks from the Hormuz Closure, Black Sea Attacks, and El Niño — September 24, 2026 (UNGA sidelines)
Thu, Sep 24 · 12:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)In person
Ensuring Economic and Energy Security: Opportunities for U.S.-Japan Leadership
Thu, Sep 24 · 9:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid
1 more in Supply Chain Security
Defense Technology
5 events
A Conversation on NATO’s Future with Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ambassador Matthew G. Whitaker
Tue, Sep 22 · 6:30 PM EDT·Chicago Council on Global AffairsHybrid
National Security Dialogue | BWC@50: Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention in the Age of Emerging Technologies — 23 Sep 2026, 15:00 IST
Wed, Sep 23 · 5:30 AM EDT·Observer Research FoundationIn person
Inertial Confinement Fusion Bolsters Strategic Deterrence — Panel discussion
Wed, Sep 23 · 1:30 PM EDT·Hudson InstituteHybrid
China’s maritime strategy toward Taiwan — Webinar (24 Sep 2026; 11:00 London / 12:00 Brussels / 18:00 Taipei)
Thu, Sep 24 · 6:00 AM EDT·ACLEDVirtual
Aerospace Nation: Brig. Gen. Timothy M. Helfrich
Mon, Sep 28 · time not announced·Mitchell Institute for Aerospace StudiesVirtual
Commodities
4 events
Carnegie Connects: "Oil and the Iran War" — Conversation with Helima Croft
Wed, Sep 23 · 6:00 AM EDT·Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceVirtual
Oil and the Iran War: How Bad Can It Get? — Carnegie Connects (Sep 23, 2026, 10:00–10:45 AM ET, Live Online)
Wed, Sep 23 · 10:00 AM EDT·Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceVirtual
BPEA Fall 2026 conference — live online kickoff
Thu, Sep 24 · 1:00 PM EDT·Brookings InstitutionVirtual
Food Security Solutions: Addressing Shocks from the Hormuz Closure, Black Sea Attacks, and El Niño — Closed-door UNGA discussion
Thu, Sep 24 · 1:30 PM EDT·CSIS Global Food and Water Security Program (CSIS Global Development Department)In person
Cybersecurity
3 events
International Conference on Combatting Online Scams (ICCOS) 2026
Tue, Sep 22 · 1:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) - Southeast Asia ProgramIn person
Listening to Conflict: Human Experience of War
Thu, Sep 24 · 8:30 AM EDT·Carnegie Council for Ethics in International AffairsVirtual
Built for the Veteran: Case Study and Playbook Launch
Thu, Sep 24 · 4:00 PM EDT·Niskanen CenterHybrid
Disinformation
3 events
Inside the Story: Reporting on Washington's Power Players — Chris Whipple
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person
Women of the Alt‑Right: Constraints, Career Ambition, and Political Voice — Jaye Seawright
Mon, Sep 21 · 3:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolVirtual
An Address and Conversation with President Pedro Sánchez of Spain — Sept 24, 2026 6:00pm ET (JFK Jr. Forum)
Thu, Sep 24 · 6:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person
Aerospace
1 event
Aerospace Nation: Brig. Gen. Timothy M. Helfrich
Mon, Sep 28 · time not announced·Mitchell Institute for Aerospace StudiesVirtual
Quantum Computing
1 event
Seizing the Quantum Opportunity: Deputy Secretary Don Graves on Commerce's Quantum Initiatives — Sept 23, 10:30 AM (Fireside Chat/Watch)
Wed, Sep 23 · 10:30 AM EDT·CSIS Renewing American InnovationHybrid
Currencies
1 event
Monetary Dialogue with the ECB President
Mon, Sep 28 · time not announced·European ParliamentHybrid
United States
80 events
Energy Opportunity Forum 2026 — Building Abundant Energy in the Global South
Mon, Sep 21 · 8:45 AM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
Columbia Fashion, Energy, and Climate Summit
Mon, Sep 21 · 9:00 AM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
Putin's Campaign to Defeat the West — Live on Zoom — Mon, Sep 21, 2026, 11:00 AM Eastern
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·The Kennan InstituteVirtual
Inside the Story: Reporting on Washington's Power Players — Chris Whipple
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person
Democracy on a Tightrope — Politics and Bureaucracy in Brazil (Book event)
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Inter-American DialogueIn person
75 more in United States
Global
33 events
Energy Opportunity Forum 2026 — Building Abundant Energy in the Global South
Mon, Sep 21 · 8:45 AM EDT·Center on Global Energy PolicyIn person
Putin's Campaign to Defeat the West — Live on Zoom — Mon, Sep 21, 2026, 11:00 AM Eastern
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·The Kennan InstituteVirtual
Future of International Cooperation Report 2026: Redefining Global Trust — Report launch, 21 Sep 2026 1:00-3:00 PM EDT (International Peace Institute, New York)
Mon, Sep 21 · 1:00 PM EDT·GGINIn person
Future of International Cooperation Report 2026 launch
Mon, Sep 21 · 1:00 PM EDT·Stimson CenterHybrid
Skills Enhancement for Political Advisors (POLADS)
Mon, Sep 21 · 6:00 PM EDT·GCSPIn person
28 more in Global
Europe
24 events
Liberal Democrat party conference fringe: 'Strengthening a rules-based world order'
Mon, Sep 21 · 8:45 AM EDT·Centre for European ReformIn person
The German State Elections and the Rise of AfD
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftVirtual
The German State Elections and the Rise of AfD
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy InstituteVirtual
Skills Enhancement for Political Advisors (POLADS)
Mon, Sep 21 · 6:00 PM EDT·GCSPIn person
War is no way to settle disputes — José Manuel Albares (AC in NY, 2026-09-22)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
19 more in Europe
Middle East
13 events
A Conversation with H.E. Yassine Jaber, Lebanon's Minister of Finance (Webcast)
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Virtual
A Conversation with H.E. Yassine Jaber, Lebanon's Minister of Finance (Webcast)
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·Middle East ProgramVirtual
Ahmed Al-Sharaa in conversation with Brett McGurk — AC in NY
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
Middle Power Populism and the Future of International Order
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceVirtual
2026 Palestinian Legislative Elections: Challenges and Possibilities — Panel
Tue, Sep 22 · 4:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person
8 more in Middle East
Asia-Pacific
10 events
Change or Continuity? An Assessment of Sri Lanka under AKD — 22 Sep 2026, 15:30 IST
Tue, Sep 22 · 6:00 AM EDT·Observer Research FoundationIn person
The Rise of Middle Power Populists — Conversation with Catherine Fieschi, Federico Merke, and Zsuzsanna Végh
Tue, Sep 22 · 8:00 AM EDT·Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceVirtual
Middle Power Populism and the Future of International Order
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceVirtual
International Conference on Combatting Online Scams (ICCOS) 2026
Tue, Sep 22 · 1:00 PM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) - Southeast Asia ProgramIn person
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation DG to Address RUSI (Gallipoli Memorial Lecture) — 23 September 2026 — London
Tue, Sep 22 · 7:00 PM EDT·RUSIIn person
5 more in Asia-Pacific
China
4 events
The Trump-Xi summit and possible future of US-China economic relations
Tue, Sep 22 · 9:00 AM EDT·Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)Virtual
President Xi Goes to Washington: Building Stability or Merely Postponing Conflict?
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy InstituteVirtual
President Xi Goes to Washington: Building Stability or Merely Postponing Conflict?
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Quincy Institute for Responsible StatecraftVirtual
China’s maritime strategy toward Taiwan — Webinar (24 Sep 2026; 11:00 London / 12:00 Brussels / 18:00 Taipei)
Thu, Sep 24 · 6:00 AM EDT·ACLEDVirtual
Russia
4 events
Putin's Campaign to Defeat the West — Live on Zoom — Mon, Sep 21, 2026, 11:00 AM Eastern
Mon, Sep 21 · 11:00 AM EDT·The Kennan InstituteVirtual
What to learn from Russia's State Duma elections
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Chatham HouseHybrid
Russian Public Opinion After the Duma Elections (Live on Zoom)
Tue, Sep 22 · 1:00 PM EDT·The Kennan InstituteVirtual
Origins of the War — A Conversation with Sylvie Kauffmann (Live on Zoom, Sep 23, 11:00 AM ET)
Wed, Sep 23 · 11:00 AM EDT·The Kennan InstituteVirtual
Africa
4 events
IFPRI @ the 8th African Conference of Agricultural Economists (ACAE) — Sep 22–25, 2026 (Nairobi, Kenya)
Mon, Sep 21 · 5:00 PM EDT·International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)In person
Frank Garcia on US-Africa relations and supply chains (AC in NY, 2026-09-22)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
FACECO Seminar: Social cohesion and recovery in Cabo Delgado
Tue, Sep 22 · 6:00 AM EDT·IGM programme (UNU-WIDER)Hybrid
IFPRI @ Micronutrient Forum: 7th Global Conference — Sep 28 – Oct 1, 2026 (Accra, Ghana)
Sun, Sep 27 · 8:00 PM EDT·International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)In person
South America
4 events
Democracy on a Tightrope — Politics and Bureaucracy in Brazil (Book event)
Mon, Sep 21 · 12:00 PM EDT·Inter-American DialogueIn person
Elmer Cuba on Peru-US economic partnership (AC in NY, 2026-09-22)
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 AM EDT·Atlantic CouncilIn person
The Rise of Middle Power Populists — Conversation with Catherine Fieschi, Federico Merke, and Zsuzsanna Végh
Tue, Sep 22 · 8:00 AM EDT·Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceVirtual
Middle Power Populism and the Future of International Order
Tue, Sep 22 · 12:00 PM EDT·Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceVirtual
Opportunities closing this week
PONI 2026 Fall Conference — Call to Present
Closes Mon, Sep 21·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Call for papers
Call for Presentations — PONI 2026 Fall Conference
Closes Mon, Sep 21·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Call for papers
PONI 2026 Fall Conference — Call to Present (applications due Sep 21, 2026)
Closes Mon, Sep 21·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Call for papers
Call for Presentations: PONI 2026 Fall Conference
Closes Mon, Sep 21·Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) / CSISCall for papers
2026 GCSP Prize for Innovation
Closes Wed, Sep 23·GCSPCompetition
FSI Policy Communications Assistant
Closes Fri, Sep 25·Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (Stanford University)Job
Senior Communications and Policy Manager - Climate and Environment Group
Closes Sun, Sep 27·ODI GlobalJob
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