Policy Week Ahead

Oct 12 – 18, 2026

16 events · 19 topics · 11 organizations — think tank webinars, panels and conferences, grouped by policy topic. Times are US Eastern.

Subscribe to this week's top topics

National Security

3 events

Economic Security in an Era of Global Technology Competition — Oct 14-15, 2026 (Hybrid)

Wed, Oct 14 · 12:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid

The United States and Israel: Past, Present, and Future — Session 2 (Oct 14, 2026)

Wed, Oct 14 · 4:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person

Aspen Institute New Zealand Security Forum — October 16, 2026; Queenstown, New Zealand

Thu, Oct 15 · 7:00 AM EDT·Aspen InstituteIn person

Human Rights

3 events

October 15, 2026 — Abiding Hunger: Why Food Insecurity Persists in America (Hybrid) 5:30 PM CDT

Thu, Oct 15 · 6:30 PM EDT·Chicago Council on Global AffairsHybrid

Malcolm H. Wiener Lecture in International Political Economy — Nicholas Kristof — Fri 2026-10-16 4:00pm ET (Hybrid)

Fri, Oct 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolHybrid

DARAT — Immersive Dance-Ritual Fashion Performance (Sat Oct 17, 2026, 6:00 pm HST)

Sun, Oct 18 · 12:00 AM EDT·East-West CenterIn person

Finance

3 events

Aspen Ideas: Economy — October 13-15, 2026 — Tulsa, OK

Tue, Oct 13 · 1:00 AM EDT·Aspen InstituteIn person

Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting — 15 October 2026

Thu, Oct 15 · time TBA·South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)In person

6th Annual Advancing Economic Mobility Summit — October 18–19, 2026; Miami, Florida

Sun, Oct 18 · 12:00 AM EDT·Aspen InstituteIn person

Diplomacy

3 events

2026 Israeli Knesset Elections: Between Contestation and Coalition-Building — Panel (Oct 13, 2026, 12:00–1:30 PM EDT)

Tue, Oct 13 · 12:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person

The United States and Israel: Past, Present, and Future — Session 2 (Oct 14, 2026)

Wed, Oct 14 · 4:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person

S.T. Lee Lecture featuring Former Congressman and Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake (2026-10-19)

Mon, Oct 19 · time TBA·Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (Stanford University)In person

Artificial Intelligence

2 events

Transformative Technologies and Security — 14–15 October 2026

Wed, Oct 14 · time TBA·GCSPHybrid

Economic Security in an Era of Global Technology Competition — Oct 14-15, 2026 (Hybrid)

Wed, Oct 14 · 12:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid

Elections

2 events

2026 Israeli Knesset Elections: Between Contestation and Coalition-Building — Panel (Oct 13, 2026, 12:00–1:30 PM EDT)

Tue, Oct 13 · 12:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person

America at 250 and Beyond: A Well-Informed Citizenry — Friday, October 16, 2026 | 4:00pm (JFK Jr. Forum; livestreamed)

Fri, Oct 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolHybrid

Trade Policy

2 events

Critical Minerals & the G20: From Strategic Resources to Developmental Assets — 12 Oct 2026 10:00 AM EDT (Virtual)

Mon, Oct 12 · 10:00 AM EDT·Stimson CenterVirtual

Economic Security in an Era of Global Technology Competition — Oct 14-15, 2026 (Hybrid)

Wed, Oct 14 · 12:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid

Defense Technology

2 events

Transformative Technologies and Security — 14–15 October 2026

Wed, Oct 14 · time TBA·GCSPHybrid

Completing the Allied Circuit on Semiconductors: Cooperation to Enhance Economic Security — Oct 17, 9:30 AM (Hybrid)

Sat, Oct 17 · 9:30 AM EDT·CSIS Renewing American InnovationHybrid

Supply Chain Security

2 events

Critical Minerals & the G20: From Strategic Resources to Developmental Assets — 12 Oct 2026 10:00 AM EDT (Virtual)

Mon, Oct 12 · 10:00 AM EDT·Stimson CenterVirtual

Completing the Allied Circuit on Semiconductors: Cooperation to Enhance Economic Security — Oct 17, 9:30 AM (Hybrid)

Sat, Oct 17 · 9:30 AM EDT·CSIS Renewing American InnovationHybrid

Quantum Computing

1 event

Economic Security in an Era of Global Technology Competition — Oct 14-15, 2026 (Hybrid)

Wed, Oct 14 · 12:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid

Energy

1 event

Economic Security in an Era of Global Technology Competition — Oct 14-15, 2026 (Hybrid)

Wed, Oct 14 · 12:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid

Commodities

1 event

Critical Minerals & the G20: From Strategic Resources to Developmental Assets — 12 Oct 2026 10:00 AM EDT (Virtual)

Mon, Oct 12 · 10:00 AM EDT·Stimson CenterVirtual

Conflict

1 event

The United States and Israel: Past, Present, and Future — Session 2 (Oct 14, 2026)

Wed, Oct 14 · 4:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person

United States

11 events

Critical Minerals & the G20: From Strategic Resources to Developmental Assets — 12 Oct 2026 10:00 AM EDT (Virtual)

Mon, Oct 12 · 10:00 AM EDT·Stimson CenterVirtual

Reclaiming Liberal Education in America — Mon Oct 12, 4:00–5:15 p.m. PT (Shultz Auditorium)

Mon, Oct 12 · 7:00 PM EDT·Hoover InstitutionIn person

Aspen Ideas: Economy — October 13-15, 2026 — Tulsa, OK

Tue, Oct 13 · 1:00 AM EDT·Aspen InstituteIn person

Economic Security in an Era of Global Technology Competition — Oct 14-15, 2026 (Hybrid)

Wed, Oct 14 · 12:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid

The United States and Israel: Past, Present, and Future — Session 2 (Oct 14, 2026)

Wed, Oct 14 · 4:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person

6 more in United States

Global

6 events

Critical Minerals & the G20: From Strategic Resources to Developmental Assets — 12 Oct 2026 10:00 AM EDT (Virtual)

Mon, Oct 12 · 10:00 AM EDT·Stimson CenterVirtual

Transformative Technologies and Security — 14–15 October 2026

Wed, Oct 14 · time TBA·GCSPHybrid

Economic Security in an Era of Global Technology Competition — Oct 14-15, 2026 (Hybrid)

Wed, Oct 14 · 12:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid

Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting — 15 October 2026

Thu, Oct 15 · time TBA·South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)In person

Malcolm H. Wiener Lecture in International Political Economy — Nicholas Kristof — Fri 2026-10-16 4:00pm ET (Hybrid)

Fri, Oct 16 · 4:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolHybrid

1 more in Global

Middle East

2 events

2026 Israeli Knesset Elections: Between Contestation and Coalition-Building — Panel (Oct 13, 2026, 12:00–1:30 PM EDT)

Tue, Oct 13 · 12:00 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person

The United States and Israel: Past, Present, and Future — Session 2 (Oct 14, 2026)

Wed, Oct 14 · 4:30 PM EDT·Harvard Kennedy SchoolIn person

Asia-Pacific

2 events

Aspen Institute New Zealand Security Forum — October 16, 2026; Queenstown, New Zealand

Thu, Oct 15 · 7:00 AM EDT·Aspen InstituteIn person

DARAT — Immersive Dance-Ritual Fashion Performance (Sat Oct 17, 2026, 6:00 pm HST)

Sun, Oct 18 · 12:00 AM EDT·East-West CenterIn person

China

1 event

Economic Security in an Era of Global Technology Competition — Oct 14-15, 2026 (Hybrid)

Wed, Oct 14 · 12:00 AM EDT·Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)Hybrid

South America

1 event

6th Annual Advancing Economic Mobility Summit — October 18–19, 2026; Miami, Florida

Sun, Oct 18 · 12:00 AM EDT·Aspen InstituteIn person

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