Our Programs
WAC-WNC sponsors an annual Speaker Series from September through May. Speaker events are held on Tuesday evenings, 7:00-8:30 pm, at the Reuter Center, UNC Asheville.
UNCA Parking: If you do not already have a UNCA parking permit, please register for a visitor parking permit. (No fee for visitor parking from 5 pm to 6 am.)
https://unca.aimsparking.com/permits/?cmd=new_non_auth
Or join us by Zoom:
https://unca-edu.zoom.us/j/81506267487?pwd=c5ryeYRqChTQ38abJyna2ETNR2oyyZ.1
Fall 2026 Topics
September 1 Japan's First Female Prime Minister is Reshaping Asian Security
Presented by Margot Carrington, U.S. Foreign Service Officer (ret.)
The post-WWII world order is undergoing a seismic change with Washington stepping back from multilateral commitments and upending the security architecture in the Asia-Pacific. US allies in the region face an increasingly unpredictable strategic environment. Under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi—the nation's first female leader—Tokyo is strengthening its national security posture to adapt to this new multipolar world. Moving past decades of strict pacifism, Japan is seeking strategic autonomy by acquiring counterstrike capabilities and forging a horizontal "lattice" of regional defense networks. How are shifting alliances, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and intense geopolitical friction forcing Japan to radically redefine its place in Asia?
Margot Carrington retired from the U.S. diplomatic service after a 25-year career focused on Japan, where she served four tours. She is the recipient of multiple honors, including a Japanese Language Award and the prestigious Lois Roth Award for Cultural Diplomacy. In retirement, Margot remains deeply involved in U.S.-Japan grassroots initiatives. She actively supports the U.S.-Japan Council and the Japan-America Society of North Carolina, and she serves on the boards of the National Association of Japan-America Societies and the Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative (JWLI). She is a frequent lecturer on public diplomacy and Japan at the prestigious Johns Hopkins School of School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C., and in April 2025, she gave a WAC-WNC presentation on the U.S.-Japan alliance and grassroots ties. Margot graduated, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Florida with a master’s degree in international relations.
October 6 U.S.-China Relationship with Dr. Katherine Kaup, Furman University
November 10 International Intellectual Property Rights with Bernard Jacques
December 1 U.S.-United Kingdom Relationship with Ambassador Barbara Stephenson (ret.)
Previous Topics
From fall 2025 to spring 2026, WAC-WNC speakers addressed the following topics: U.S. foreign policy, the Canada-U.S. relationship, the Russia-Ukraine war, Venezuela, tariffs, agricultural trade, digital threats & propaganda, global refugee crises, human rights, and a foreign correspondent’s experience.
UNC Asheville Professor Mark Gibney's presentation on human rights is available for viewing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfSpUZp855o
WAC-WNC also sponsored a screening of the documentary, A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story, now available to view on PBS: https://www.georgemasa.com/
WAC-WNC's Annual Speaker Series
Since 2023, WAC-WNC has offered an engaging spring lecture/discussion course with OLLI Asheville. The Great Decisions course is based on the Foreign Policy Association’s annual Great Decisions program and is designed to encourage citizens to participate in the foreign policy process.
Great Decisions topics for 2027 will include: U.S. Foreign Policy and Multilateralism; American Options in the Middle East; Future of Germany in Europe and the Atlantic World; U.S.-China--Case for Engagement; Brazil and the Global South--Confronting a New America; AI and American Choices; Energy Security--Challenges for American Foreign Policy; and Organized Crime in the Americas.
For more information on each of these topics: https://fpa.org/great-decisions-2027-topic-announcement
For more information about the Foreign Policy Association: https://fpa.org/about/
Plans for a spring 2027 Great Decisions course will be announced this fall.
Foreign Policy Association's Great Decisions 2027
In 2025 and 2026, WAC-WNC recruited two local university students, Paige Edwards of Brevard College and Zachary Moss of UNC Asheville, to participate in the World Affairs Councils of America’s prestigious annual Student Scholars Program. Student Scholars attend the World Affairs Councils of America annual conference in November in Washington DC and participate in a special program to learn about the missions of foreign embassies, multilateral institutions, think tanks, etc. https://worldaffairscouncils.org/student-scholars-program/
In August, we will launch our recruitment for this year's Student Scholars Program through all colleges and universities located in Western North Carolina.
