Back for its 46th year at Monmouth College, Great Decisions discussion series to begin Feb. 11
Monmouth, Ill. (02/06/2026) — Monmouth College's annual Great Decisions series on foreign affairs will begin Feb. 11 and run through the next-to-last Wednesday in April.
"One of my favorite aspects of this series is that we always have a diverse audience, including members of our campus community as well as the surrounding community," said political science professor Mike Nelson, who's organized the series the past several years.
The format of the Wednesday evening programs typically includes a 30-minute presentation on that week's topic, followed by 40 minutes or so of lively discussion. The sessions begin at 7:30 p.m. in Room 276 of the Center for Science and Business.
"Our subjects deal with different parts of the world and engage fields ranging from anthropology and environmental studies to economics," said Nelson, who will present a program on the U.S. and Africa on Feb. 11. "It's one of my own research specialties, and I've lived in Africa and written on it a number of times. I'm excited to discuss our country's relations with the region."
Following Nelson will be Monmouth professors Robin Johnson, Chris Fasano, Saadullah Bashir, Jessica Vivian and Petra Kuppinger, as well as local China expert John Glasgow, who will lead the March 18 discussion. Nelson will also lead the final two sessions in April.
Feb. 18: "America and the World," Robin Johson
Feb. 25: "The Nuclear Threat: A Physicist's Perspective," Chris Fasano
March 18: "The U.S. and China," John Glasgow
March 25: "The World Economy," Saadullah Bashir
April 1: "Global Institutions," Jessica Vivian
April 8: "Ukraine and Europe," Petra Kuppinger
April 15: "The U.S. and Latin America," Mike Nelson
April 22: Earth Day Event, Mike Nelson
This is the 46th year that Great Decisions, an initiative of the Foreign Policy Association, has been held at Monmouth. Founded in 1918, the FPA was created as a way to "really encourage engagement by Americans in our foreign affairs and foreign policy, and to make sure that there's great public education regarding those issues," said Nelson.
For more information about Great Decisions at Monmouth, contact Nelson by email at mbnelson@monmouthcollege.edu. The program is made possible, in part, by the college's Center for Civic and Social Change, its political science program, and its School of Humanities and Civic Engagement.
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Political science professor Mike Nelson oversees the Great Decisions discussion series at Monmouth College.