Dr Hal Brands Keynote Speaker

Dr Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. His work places him at the forefront of geopolitical scholarship and high‑level policy advising.

Appointed by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Brands began serving a term expiring December 31, 2026 on the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission in January 2025. He also served on the Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board and shaped U.S. defense planning as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (2015–16), bringing historical perspective to congressional and executive decision-making.

Brands has authored or co‑authored more than a dozen influential books, including The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World (2025), hailed as “thoughtful and disturbing” by Kirkus, Danger Zone (2022), The Twilight Struggle (2022), and The Lessons of Tragedy (2019). His articles appear regularly in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, translating scholarly insight into compelling narratives.

On the speaker circuit, Brands merges vivid historical storytelling with practical strategic frameworks. Drawing on examples from Cold War rivalry to AI‑driven great‑power competition, he helps audience members—from corporate executives to defense leaders—anticipate strategic shocks, manage geopolitical risk, and sustain advantage in a rapidly evolving world.