Past Events
On Tuesday, Feb. 8, the Strauss Center is pleased to welcome Sina Kian, a Strauss Technology, Security and Global Affairs Fellow and UT Austin adjunct professor, for a talk on "Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain: What are they and how can lawyers get involved?" Kian, VP of strategy at blockchain startup Aleo and former law clerk to Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, will talk with Strauss Deputy Director Adam Klein.
The event sponsors follow the University of Texas's public health related policies. There is an inherent risk of exposure to viruses and other health threats in any public space. Attendees voluntarily assume all associated risks. All UT guidelines and FAQs about COVID-19 can be found at Protect Texas Together.
Biography
Sina Kian is VP of strategy at Aleo, a startup building a decentralized blockchain that uses cryptography to provide significantly enhanced data security and privacy capabilities. His background is in law, policy and finance. He graduated from Stanford Law School and clerked on the D.C. Circuit for Judge Thomas B. Griffith and Judge David S. Tatel, and on the Supreme Court for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Kian then practiced law at WilmerHale, where he worked on appellate litigation in federal courts around the country, including the Supreme Court, and with the Strategic Response Group, a bipartisan group that assists clients in navigating multifaceted challenges with legal, public policy and media dimensions. Following his time at WilmerHale, he transitioned to an investing role, working as a vice president at Blackstone, and then as a director at Kennedy Lewis, where he led investments in technology across sectors. Kian has also served as an adviser at the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, and currently serves as an advisor to SentiLink, a company that provides identity verification and fraud prevention services. He is a term member on the Council of Foreign Relations.
On Tuesday, Feb. 8, the Clements Center for National Security and Alexander Hamilton Society — UT Austin Chapter will host Michael Singh, managing director and senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, for an event on "The United States’ Long Struggle with Iran." This event will take place at the University of Texas in the Robert L. Patton Building, RLP 1.302B.
Michael Singh is managing director and senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and interim director of the Institute's Glazer Program on Great Power Competition and the Middle East. He served as senior director for Middle East Affairs at the White House from 2007 to 2008, and as a director on the NSC staff from 2005 to 2007. Previously, he served as special assistant to Secretaries of State Powell and Rice, and at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. He co-chaired the congressionally appointed Syria Study Group, and served on the Congressional Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States. Singh also co-chaired Mitt Romney's State Department transition team in 2012, and served as Middle East advisor to the Romney campaign. He has been an adjunct fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and an economics instructor at Harvard College. His writings have appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, International Security and elsewhere, and he has appeared as a commentator on CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and other outlets. Singh earned his bachelor's degree in economics summa cum laude from Princeton University and an MBA with high distinction (Baker Scholar) from Harvard Business School.
For more information about this event, contact Elizabeth Doughtie: elizabeth.doughtie@utexas.edu.
On Thursday, Feb. 3, the Strauss Center is pleased to welcome Keren Elazari for a virtual talk on "Hacker Culture Around the World" as part of Strauss's speaker series, "Tales from the Cybersecurity Front," which is aimed at sharing stories from the cyber world. If you've only learned about hacker culture from movies, you've missed the best parts. Not only is it a rich tapestry that has evolved over the decades, but it is different around the world, especially as it pertains to the relationship between hackers and a national government (tolerated, supported, tight partnership, etc.). Global hacker and speaker Keren Elazari and Strauss Senior Cybersecurity Fellow Wendy Nather will talk about this evolution from the '70s and '80s through the '90s and how it works today, as well as the implications for cybersecurity policy.
Registration required. Please note: You must have a registered Zoom account to be able to register and log in.
Biography
Keren Elazari is an internationally recognized cybersecurity analyst, author and researcher with more than 20 years of experience in the cybersecurity field. She covers emerging security technologies and trends as an independent strategic adviser, working with leading technology providers, government agencies, innovative start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. In 2014, she became the first Israeli woman to speak at the prestigious TED Conference. Elazari's talk has been viewed by millions, translated to 30 languages, chosen for TED's "Most Powerful Ideas" and is one of TED's most watched talks on the topic of cybersecurity and hacking. Elazari holds a CISSP certification and a master's degree in security studies, and is a faculty member of Reichman University and a senior researcher at the Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center at Tel Aviv University. She is the founder of Israel's largest security research community, BSidesTLV, and the founder of the Leading Cyber Ladies, a global professional network for Women in Cyber Security.
Due to the threat of winter weather, The University of Texas at Austin campus will be closed from Thursday, Feb. 3 to Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022.
Further updates will be posted on UT's emergency website, as well as on UT's Facebook and Twitter (@UTAustin) feeds.
Stay informed
- Register for UT safety alerts on your mobile device. You will only receive a UT Austin text alert if we have a weather closure, delay or need those who are already on campus to shelter in place.
- Follow updates by University/Incident Meteorologist Troy Kimmel on the web or via Twitter: @troykimmelwx.
- UT Austin Police are also posting updates on their Facebook and Twitter (@UTAustinPolice) feeds.
Additional weather safety information
- Create your own personal emergency plan: Texas Department of State Health Services
- Tips on how to stay safe during weather events: Winter Weather Safety page on the city of Austin's website
COVID-19 testing and vaccine operations will not be available Thursday as scheduled.
On Tuesday, Feb. 1, the Asia Policy Program is partnering with the Center for East Asian Studies to host Rana Siu Inboden, adjunct assistant professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and Asia Policy Program faculty affiliate, to discuss her first book, China and the International Human Rights Regime. This talk will be moderated by Sheena Greitens, director of the Asia Policy Program and associate professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, at Robert L. Patton Hall, RLP 1.302B. The Asia Policy Program is a joint effort of the Clements Center for National Security and the Strauss Center for International Security and Law.
Rana Siu Inboden examines China's role in the international human rights regime between 1982 and 2017, and through this lens, explores China's rising position in the world. Focusing on three major case studies — the drafting and adoption of the Convention against Torture and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council and the International Labour Organization's Conference Committee on the Application of Standards — Inboden shows China's subtle yet persistent efforts to constrain the international human rights regime. Based on a range of documentary and archival research, as well as extensive interview data, Inboden provides fresh insights into the motivations and influences driving China's conduct and explores China's rising position as a global power.
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On Tuesday, Jan. 25, the Asia Policy Program will host Joanna Chiu, senior journalist at the Toronto Star, to discuss her latest release China Unbound: The New World Disorder
As the second-largest economy, China is now extending its influence across the globe. Chiu has spent a decade tracking China's propulsive rise, from the complicity of democratic nations, to a new colonialism coming from its multibillion-dollar "New Silk Road" initiative, to its growing sway on foreign countries and multilateral institutions. Chiu transports readers to protests in Hong Kong, underground churches in Beijing, and exile Uighur communities in Turkey, exposing Beijing's use of high-tech police surveillance and aggressive human rights violations against those who challenge its power. With increasingly close ties between authoritarian states, the new world order documented in China Unbound lays out the disturbing implications for prosperity and freedom everywhere.
Registration required. Please note: You must have a registered Zoom account to be able to register and log in.
Biography
Joanna Chiu is a senior journalist for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper, and has previously served as bureau chief of the Star Vancouver. As a globally recognized authority on China, the author of China Unbound regularly provides nuanced and deeply informed analysis for international broadcast media including CBC, BBC World, Al Jazeera and NPR. Chiu was previously based for seven years in Beijing and in Hong Kong as a foreign correspondent, including for Agence France Presse (AFP) specializing in coverage of Chinese politics, economy and legal affairs for one of the world's biggest news operations. She was the lead author of multiple research reports on China's social media and online censorship systems, such as Forbidden Feeds.
Chiu has also served as China and Mongolia correspondent for the top German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur, and in Hong Kong, she reported for the South China Morning Post, The Economist and The Associated Press. As a leader and connector within the global China experts' community, she is the founder and chair of the NüVoices editorial collective, which celebrates the creative and academic work of women working on the subject of China.
For more information on this event, contact Caroline Nicholson: caroline.nicholson@austin.utexas.edu.
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Over the Winter Break — Dec. 24, 2021 until Jan. 3, 2022 — the University and the LBJ School will be officially closed. If needed, please utilize the following contact information.