AUSTIN, Texas (September 2, 2025) — America’s long-term economic strength, global competitiveness and national security depend on smart, forward-looking public policies that empower U.S. businesses to lead, innovate and thrive. Today, that imperative is more urgent than ever. Geopolitical rivalries are deepening, global trade is rapidly shifting and technologies like artificial intelligence are redrawing the boundaries of economic leadership.
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin is responding to this moment by launching the LBJ Business Policy Forum—a six-event series to be held throughout the 2025–26 academic year that will convene business leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists and policymakers on campus for high-impact discussions on pressing policy opportunities and challenges facing American business today.
“The LBJ Business Policy Forum is the latest example of the LBJ School’s long history of convening policy and business leaders on the UT campus to exchange ideas with students, faculty and the community at large,” said LBJ Dean JR DeShazo. “By bringing together decision-makers and experts for candid conversations at the intersection of business and public policy, these events will foster meaningful dialogue with the idea of creating impactful policy actions to help strengthen innovation, resilience and long-term growth for American businesses.”
Speakers for the series include a wide range of experts, including senior executives from large companies like Microsoft and Dell, former federal officials in trade and commerce, as well as accomplished entrepreneurs and tech leaders. LBJ Business Forum events are free and open to students, faculty, business executives, policymakers and the community at large.
The LBJ Business Policy Forum will be led by Dilawar Syed, a faculty member for both the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin, who previously served the Biden White House as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
“It is a privilege to launch the LBJ Business Policy Forum at this moment of profound change and opportunity,” Syed said. “Through this effort, we aim to shape actionable public policies that empower America’s entrepreneurs, businesses and innovators to remain the most dynamic and competitive force in the world.”
By connecting Austin’s vibrant innovation ecosystem with national and global leaders, the Forum will highlight how policy choices affect competitiveness in American business—and how business outcomes can inform smarter, more resilient policy decisions. All events will be held on the UT Austin campus with the first event scheduled for Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. in Rowling Hall (located at 300 W. Martin Luther King Blvd. in Austin).
LBJ Business Policy Forum 2025–26 Schedule
All events will begin at 6 p.m. on the UT Austin campus.
- Sept. 29, 2025 — Winning the AI Race
- Oct. 20, 2025 — Navigating Shifting Global Trade Policy
- Nov. 17, 2025 — Securing Critical Minerals for U.S. Economic Security
- Feb. 17, 2026 — Unleashing American Entrepreneurship
- March 2026 — Advancing American Dynamism & Infrastructure
- April 2026 — Rewriting U.S. Commercial Diplomacy
About the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin
The LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin is one of the nation’s premier public policy schools, uniquely positioned within a top-tier research university, the State Capitol and one of America’s most innovative cities. Founded in 1970 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to expand access to the halls of power, the school offers a range of nationally ranked degree programs that prepare students to take on society’s most pressing challenges. The LBJ School also provides career development and leadership training to emerging policy leaders and operates numerous research centers that develop solutions to complex local, state, national and global challenges.