Madison Committee on Foreign Relations upcoming events

AI and U.S. National Security (Wednesday, September 09, 2026)

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Registration will open soon

AI and American National Security

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 - 5:30 PM -7:30 pm

The Venue for this event will be the Industry Room (3rd floor), UW Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St, Madison WI.

Parking is available in Lot 80 beneath Union South (enter from W. Dayton St.), and at Lot 20 at 1390 University Ave.

Reception with appetizers and cash bar 5:30 - 6:00, presentation with Q&A 6:00 - 7:30.

Registration fee for this event is $35 per person for MCFR Members. Non-member registration fee is $45 per person.

Be sure to register on time!

Last day to Register for this event:

Friday, September 4

Dr. Dave Schroeder (SHRAY-der), Director of National Security Initiatives at UW-Madison, will speak on Artificial Intelligence and its increasingly critical role in protecting U.S. national security.

From export controls on advanced computer chips to automated systems for target acquisition and cyber-defense, from critical infrastructure to threat actors with names like Fancy Bear and Volt Typhoon, the technology and terminology of Artificial Intelligence has become an integral - and indispensible - part of our national security.

Dave Schroeder is a nationally-recognized subject matter expert on cyber and national security issues. He serves as a Cyber Warfare Officer and Military Intelligence Officer in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and previously served as a Cryptologic Warfare Officer in the United States Navy.

Prof. Schroeder is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval War College, and Joint Forces Staff College.

Be sure to register on time!

Registrations and payments will not be accepted after Friday, September 4.

Registration for in-person events closes the week prior to the date of the event to provide the meal count to the Madison Club.
Payment must be received before the registration deadline. Neither registrations nor payments will be accepted after the registration deadline.
All registrations and payments for events must be made online with a credit card. We will not be able to accept checks as payment for event registrations.
Registrations are confirmed only if payment is received before the registration deadline.
Only those with confirmed registrations will be admitted to a program.

MCFR members, share MCFR with your friends!

Members are our best means of recruiting new members. We encourage members to invite guests to our programs.

You may invite as many guests as you like.
Each guest may attend one program per season.
To use the online system to register guests, you must register them when you register yourself. Otherwise contact us at: info@mcfr.info to have your guests registered.

Cancelation and refund policy:

All cancelations must be in writing to info@mcfr.info.
Cancelations received before registration closes will be fully refunded.
We will not be able to refund registration fees for cancelations received after registration closes.

If you have questions about registering, please see our "Registration Tips For Members" or contact us at info@mcfr.info.

The Geopolitics of the Middle East, Diplomacy, and Careers in the Foreign Service (Tuesday, October 20, 2026)

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Registration will open soon

The Geopolitics of the Middle East, Diplomacy, and Careers in the Foreign Service

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 - 5:30 PM - 7:30 pm

The Venue for this event will be the Liberty Room at the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace, 9 E. Wilson St, Madison WI 53703.

Parking is available in the Wilson Street Garage, 20 E. Wilson St.; additional parking can be found at the Block 89 Parking Ramp, 10 E Doty St, Madison, WI 53703.

Reception with appetizers and cash bar 5:30 - 6:00, presentation with Q&A 6:00 - 7:30.

Registration fee for this event is $35 per person for MCFR Members. Non-member registration fee is $45 per person.

Be sure to register on time!

The last day to register for this event:

Friday, September 4

Ambassador Elizabeth Richard will speak on the current situation in Lebanon, and it's implications for the geopolitics of the broader Middle East.

Ambassador (ret.) Elizabeth Richard

Lebanon is currently one of the toughest pieces of the Middle East puzzle. Israel is determined to prevent any threats to its civilian population coming out of southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah is equally determined to support its Iranian Shiite comrades, and avenge the deaths of its senior leadership at the hands of the Israeli military. Ambassador Elizabeth Richard knows the politics of Lebanon and the geopolitics of the Middle East from the inside.

Elizabeth Richard served as U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon from 2016 until 2020; and served as the U.S. State Department's Coordinator for Counterterrorism from 2023 until 2025, where she oversaw U.S. engagement in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, serving as the principal adviser to the Secretary of State on international counterterrorism matters. She also served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Sanaa, Yemen, from 2010 to 2013. Ambassador Richard's career in the Foreign Service has also included tours of duty in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Italy, and Southeast Asia. Ambassador Richard is a career Foreign Service Officer with the rank of Career Minister.

Be sure to register on time!

Registrations and payments will not be accepted after Friday, October 16.

Registration for in-person events closes the week prior to the date of the event to provide the meal count to the Madison Club.
Payment must be received before the registration deadline. Neither registrations nor payments will be accepted after the registration deadline.
All registrations and payments for events must be made online with a credit card. We will not be able to accept checks as payment for event registrations.
Registrations are confirmed only if payment is received before the registration deadline.
Only those with confirmed registrations will be admitted to a program.

MCFR members, share MCFR with your friends!

Members are our best means of recruiting new members. We encourage members to invite guests to our programs.

You may invite as many guests as you like.
Each guest may attend one program per season.
To use the online system to register guests, you must register them when you register yourself. Otherwise contact us at: info@mcfr.info to have your guests registered.

Cancelation and refund policy:

All cancelations must be in writing to info@mcfr.info.
Cancelations received before registration closes will be fully refunded.
We will not be able to refund registration fees for cancelations received after registration closes.

If you have questions about registering, please see our "Registration Tips For Members" or contact us at info@mcfr.info.

The Geopolitics of Rare Earths and other Critical Minerals (Wednesday, November 18, 2026)

Wed, 18 Nov 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Registration will open soon

The Geopolitics of Rare Earths and other Critical Minerals

Wednesday, November 18, 2026 - 5:30 PM -7:30 pm

The Venue for this event will be the Industry Room (3rd floor), UW Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St, Madison WI.

Parking is available in Lot 80 beneath Union South (enter from W. Dayton St.), and at Lot 20 at 1390 University Ave.

Reception with appetizers and cash bar 5:30 - 6:00, presentation with Q&A 6:00 - 7:30.

Registration fee for this event is $35 per person for MCFR Members. Non-member registration fee is $45 per person.

Be sure to register on time!

The last day to register for this event:

Friday, November 13

UW Professor Julie Klinger will speak on the Geopolitics of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals.

Dr. Julie Klinger

Dr. Julie Michelle Klinger is an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. She is a geographer whose prominent research focuses on the geopolitics of critical mineral supply chains, outer space politics, and community survival strategies.

Dr. Klinger is a faculty member at UW–Madison and a research affiliate at the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment. Her core fieldwork covers critical minerals (specifically rare earth elements), global space politics, and rural/Indigenous community resilience. She has conducted extensive, multilingual ethnographic and quantitative fieldwork across China, Brazil, and the United States over the past 15 years.

Dr. Klinger authored the award-winning book Rare Earth Frontiers: From Terrestrial Subsoils to Lunar Landscapes, published by Cornell University Press.

Be sure to register on time!

Registrations and payments will not be accepted after Friday, October 16.

Registration for in-person events closes the week prior to the date of the event to provide the meal count to the Madison Club.
Payment must be received before the registration deadline. Neither registrations nor payments will be accepted after the registration deadline.
All registrations and payments for events must be made online with a credit card. We will not be able to accept checks as payment for event registrations.
Registrations are confirmed only if payment is received before the registration deadline.
Only those with confirmed registrations will be admitted to a program.

MCFR members, share MCFR with your friends!

Members are our best means of recruiting new members. We encourage members to invite guests to our programs.

You may invite as many guests as you like.
Each guest may attend one program per season.
To use the online system to register guests, you must register them when you register yourself. Otherwise contact us at: info@mcfr.info to have your guests registered.

Cancelation and refund policy:

All cancelations must be in writing to info@mcfr.info.
Cancelations received before registration closes will be fully refunded.
We will not be able to refund registration fees for cancelations received after registration closes.

If you have questions about registering, please see our "Registration Tips For Members" or contact us at info@mcfr.info.

Registration will open soon