This panel-symposium brings together four eminent scholars who will use their expertise to illuminate the recent political and moral economy of the United States and the rise of what some have called a new American oligarchy; and others have termed populist authoritarianism. The event will not only discuss how the United States arrived at its current state of politics, but pathways toward an alternative political-economic order.

President Trump vowed to upend longstanding governance norms in the United States, and he has moved aggressively to do so early in his second term. Former White House Counsel, Stuart Delery, will reflect on how the courts and Congress are reacting to the unprecedented actions of the Executive Branch in the Trump Administration, and what these events mean for the constitutional checks and balances.

In the simplest of terms, this nation’s history of memorializing Black figures consists of two phases: before photography arrived in the United States and ever since. From the introduction of the daguerreotype in 1839 up through the twentieth century, Black and non-Blacks used photography to signify, cement, and remember the importance of certain Black figures. Examples include Harriet Tubman, Dred Scott, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Huey Newton, and Barack Obama.

At the time of her death in 1981, pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams was celebrated as one of the only jazz musicians to have played through each of the eras of jazz (1920s-late 1970s). This distinction was not simply based on Williams’ proximity to specific jazz communities that have been essentialized as part of the general understanding of genre’s progression but symbolized her direct contributions to the evolution of jazz’s sound.

Donald Trump’s second term is just three months old, yet it is already clear it may be an era-defining presidency. From his trade tariffs, to his unconventional attempts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine, Trump’s policies are a break with much of the post-war era. In this event, the former Special Assistant to US President Bill Clinton for Economic Policy, Robert Wescott, will discuss the Trump Administration's first 100-day report card, economically and geopolitically, and assess what comes next for the United States and wider world.

Join Steve Crawshaw in conversation with David Isaac as he discusses his latest book on the pursuit of international justice.

Steve Crawshaw studied Russian and German at Worcester College and went on to become Russia & East Europe Editor, Chief Foreign Correspondent and other roles at the newly formed Independent. In 2002 he joined Human Rights Watch as the organisation’s first UK director, and moved from there to join Amnesty International in 2010.

The Insights for Action seminar series explores how researchers and practitioners within and beyond Oxford are using research insights to drive social change. This seminar will discuss the work of social entrepreneurs in conflict and post-conflict settings, and lessons from their work for anyone working in these uncertain times.

Faced with the war in Ukraine and the attitude of the Trump administration, European defence is now a top priority for the EU. At the same time, security is a central theme of the British government’s ‘reset’ with Brussels. As the EU argues internally about how to structure its defence procurement and we approach a potentially crucial EU-UK summit on May 19, speakers will discuss how the EU can best work with the UK and other non-EU states (e.g. Norway, Canada, Ukraine itself) for a more coherent, effective and self-sufficient European defence.