As the global headlines shift daily — from war crimes in Israel and Gaza to airstrikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, from humanitarian crises to fragile ceasefires — it’s easy to feel adrift. Who knows what’s really changing vs. what’s just noise?

Professor Michael Barnett, who teaches in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, can help us identify the realities under the headlines.

A renowned scholar of international affairs, Middle East politics, humanitarianism, and global governance, Professor Barnett has authored and edited some of the most influential works in the field — from Rules for the World: International Organizations in World Politics (2004), to Empire of Humanity: A History of Humanitarianism (2011), to The Star and the Stripes: A History of the Foreign Policies of the American Jews (2016). 

Professor Barnett’s deep dives into topics such as humanitarian response, state behaviour, and Middle Eastern politics draw on decades of research, teaching, and fieldwork in countries such as Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Liberia. 

Whether you follow international politics closely or simply want clarity in an uncertain time, this is a rare chance to speak with an expert who sees the deeper currents, both in the Middle East and in the United States.