Conversations with History (Audio)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor Daniel B. Rodriguez, Dean of the Northwestern Law School, for a discussion of the challenges facing law schools. Tracing his intellectual journey, Dean Rodriguez discusses his research interests at the interface between federalism, changes in the law and the impact of politics. He then analyzes how a law school dean balances the concerns of students, alumni, practicing attorneys, the bar association and state government while meeting the challenges of a new economic environment. He also addresses reconciling the perception of the lawyer as iconic hero, the reality of the legal profession as a guild with rigorous requirements and the lack of undergraduate prerequisites for pursuing a legal education. He concludes with an analysis of the role of the lawyer in a world undergoing major transformation because of globalization and technology. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 29537]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Berkeley’s Laura D'Andrea Tyson, Professor of Business Administration and Economics, for a discussion of inequality. Professor Tyson traces her academic career and her work in Washington where she served as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors in the Clinton Administration. After comparing the Washington political environment during the Clinton and Obama presidencies, she characterizes the role of government as a venture capitalist drawing on the ideas and resources of the states and the private sector to catalyze solutions to national problems. She then analyzes the problem of inequality especially the status of women. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 29497]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor Philip Pettit, of Princeton University and the Australian National University, for a discussion of his book, Just Freedom, A Moral Compass for a Complex World. After tracing his intellectual journey, Professor Pettit outlines his theory of freedom. He also discusses the problem of theory and practice and his experiences with the Spanish government under Prime Minister Zapatero where his theory of civic republicanism became a guide-post for the implementation of policy. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 29543]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcome Indian Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor for a discussion of India’s role in world affairs. Tharoor discusses his journey from international civil servant to Indian politician. After analyzing how world order is changing as a result of the changing balance of power from the West to the East and the revolution in communications technology, he then outlines the role India will play as it undergoes major social and economic transformation. He discusses the implications for US Indian relations analyzing the interface between the superpower turning to multilateralism and a rising power shaping the future of multilateralism. He concludes with reflections on India relations with China. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 29542]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes John A. Nagl for a discussion of his life as a scholar/soldier in the U.S. military. After recalling the highlights of his career, Nagl, focusing on the problem of counterinsurgency, analyzes the army’s failings as a learning organization. He discusses the trajectory of military thinking after the Vietnam War and the long struggle to recognize the unconventional ways of warfare conducted by insurgents and terrorists. He describes how a group of innovators in the military came to draft the US Army/Marine Corp Counterinsurgency Field Manual. With the completion of that document and the subsequent change in leadership in the Pentagon and in Iraq, the U.S. reversed the course of the war and set the stage for withdrawal from the conflict. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 29487]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes author Karin Sveen for a discussion of her book, “The Immigrant and the University: Peder Sather and Gold Rush California.” After describing her intellectual journey as a writer and poet, the conversation turns to a discussion of philanthropist Peder Sather, a Norwegian immigrant, who was one of the founders of the University of California and whose philanthropy left an indelible mark on the University including the Campanile, Sather Gate, endowed chairs in history, literature, and classics, and the Sather Law Library. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 29338]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Kwame Anthony Appiah, Professor of Philosophy and Law, New York University, for a discussion of his intellectual journey. Appiah reminisces about his early years in Ghana and Great Britain focusing on the influence of his parents. After outlining his formal education, he discusses the philosophical problems that have interested him. The discussion then turns to his analysis of identity and cosmopolitanism and the interface between them and concludes with a discussion of the importance of conversation in building a cooperative world. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 29334]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ahmet C. Bozer, President of Coca-Cola International, for a discussion of leadership in business. Tracing his intellectual journey, Bozer discusses the skill set and temperament required for leadership; the challenges of navigating between local and global in a multinational corporation; the social dimension of corporate behavior; the importance of shaping a social vision for a corporation; and offers advice to students as they prepare for a future in business. Series: "Conversations with History" [Business] [Show ID: 29124]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes M. Ibrahim Turhan, Chairman and CEO, Borsa Istanbul (Turkish securities exchange) for a discussion of his intellectual journey. Topics covered include: stock exchanges in emerging markets, the interface between Islam and capitalism, and the importance of entrepreneurship in Turkey’s economic success. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Business] [Show ID: 29013]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Svante Pääbo, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, for a discussion of his intellectual journey. Svante Pääbo highlights both the opportunities and obstacles that characterized his 30 year quest to uncover the genome of Neanderthal Man. In the course of his reflections, he elucidates the nature of scientific inquiry and highlights the possible long-term implications of using genetic research to understand the genome of human ancestors and thereby understand the uniqueness of humans. Svante Pääbo was the 2014 Foerster Lecturer at Berkeley. Series: "Conversations with History" [Science] [Show ID: 28721]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Congressman Howard Berman for a discussion of his 30 year career in the U.S. House of Representatives serving California’s 28th congressional district. Reflecting on his career, Berman discusses the following topics: his background; his early alliance with Henry Congressman Waxman: innovations in campaigning that they developed with Michael Berman; the skills and temperament necessary for the work of legislating; his support for the Iraq War Resolution; U.S. relations with Israel; the role of sanctions in blocking Iran’s nuclear program; the failure of the Stop Online Piracy Act; and advice to students preparing for a career in politics. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 28143]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Charles McCurdy, Professor of History and Law, University of Virginia, for a discussion of the interactions of law and politics in the United States. Case studies discussed include: Justice Stephen Field; The Anti- Rent Era in New York Law (1830-1865); Herbert Wechsler’s article on “The Political Safeguards of Federalism;” and the Sedition Acts of the 1790’s. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 28136]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes T.V. Paul, James McGill Professor of International Relations at McGill University, Montreal, for a discussion of his new book, “The Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World.” Professor Paul analyzes the domestic and foreign policy implications of Pakistan’s role as a garrison state in South Asia. Drawing on history, geo-strategic context, and relations with the great powers, he demonstrates how Pakistan’s search for parity in its relations with India is critical for understanding why it remains a warrior state mired in a strategic dilemma which subverts its hopes for development at home and security in its regional environment. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 28156]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes General James Mattis (U.S. Marine Corp. ret.), former Head of Central Command for a discussion of his military career. Topics covered include: his formative years, the skill set and temperament required to be a marine, his command philosophy, his battle experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, the role of the military in securing peace, the contribution of the military to the policy debate, and his advice for students as they prepare for the future. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 28135]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Gro Harlem Brundtland, Mimi and Peter E. Haas Distinguished Visitor at Stanford, for a discussion of her lifelong commitment to public service at the national and international level. She traces her intellectual odyssey and recalls her many roles--Norwegian Prime Minister, Chair of Global Commission on Environment and Development, and Director General of the World Health Organization. She also describes the attributes of her leadership: the combination of political skills and scientific training that she developed as she worked to implement a vision of a just society in which women’s rights, global health, and sustainable development were insured. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 28228]