Join Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies for an evening dialogue event with guest speaker Professor Rose Gottemoeller of Stanford University, Research Fellow at the Hoover Institute, and Deputy Secretary General of NATO from 2016 to 2019. Gottemoeller will join Korbel nuclear expert Dr. Debak Das for this discussion as part of our Nuclear Spring series.

The evening’s conversation will cover:
- nuclear security
- Russian relations
- the NATO alliance
- EU cooperation
- nonproliferation, and more!

We are excited to partner with World Denver for this event and will be providing refreshments! Doors will open at 5:00pm with the event beginning at 5:30.

If you experience any issues with registration via our Crimson Connect page, please email us at [email protected].

Join the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy at the Korbel School of International Studies as we welcome nuclear security expert guest speaker Dr. Vipin Narang for an evening of conversation with our resident expert Dr. Debak Das! During this evening event as part of our Nuclear Spring series, the two speakers will cover topics such as the state of nuclear security today, foreign and space policy, deterrence strategies, and conflict resolution outcomes.

Narang is Professor of Nuclear Security and Political Science at MIT, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense & Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy 2022-2024.

We are grateful to the Denver Council on Foreign Relations (DCFR) for co-sponsoring this exciting event! All are welcome to join, including members of the public.

If you experience any issues registering via our Crimson Connect event page, please email us at [email protected].

Join us for the Sié Center's final simulation exercise of the year, in which small groups of students will participate as various entities (countries, governing bodies, military groups, etc) in escalating security scenarios. Previous scenarios have included the shifting makeup of NATO and the relative position of Greenland; escalation and crisis in the Indo-Pacific; the Ukraine War; and more. The event will be led by Professors Hilary Matfess and Debak Das, and refreshments will be served during the 3-6pm event block with a happy hour to follow.

Open to graduate students and capped at 30!
*note: students do NOT need to be in the security degree program to participate!

Food will be provided (snacks, beverages, and pizza!)

Join the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies and the School of Art and Art History for an evening of art and expression! Guest artist Maryam Taghavi will deliver this year's Lanius Lecture, as part of the Lanius Lecture series that brings to the DU campus distinguished artists, scholars, and curators working in areas formerly marginalized by art historical and museum institutional narratives. By shifting our attention to these areas of focus, particularly the global south, diasporic communities, and indigenous communities, this lecture series reaffirms the DU School of Art and Art History’s commitment to amplifying these voices. Additionally, this event is supported by the Sié Center's Cultural Diplomacy Initiative, which trains students to engage in creative approaches to addressing the great issues of our time and invites the broader Denver community to learn about how the arts can facilitate connections across the boundaries of nation, language, religion, and culture in vitally important ways.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Maryam Taghavi is an Iranian-Canadian artist and educator based in Chicago. She earned her Master of Fine Arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she was the recipient of The New Artist Society Scholarship. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

Maryam Taghavi's interdisciplinary practice spans painting, sculpture, installation, and performance, rooted in a deep fascination with how language shapes perception and cultural memory. As a bilingual artist and native Persian speaker, she abstracts written text to convey meaning beyond legibility, disentangling linguistic forms from their intended function. Her work employs scale, color, and material to facilitate optical experiences that resist linguistic categorization. Central to her exploration is the Persian concept of Tamsha, an embodied form of seeing rooted in movement and spatial awareness, which transforms perception into an experience of inhabiting language and space. This focus on embodied vision bridges physical and metaphysical worlds, prompting reflections on the intersections of language, perception, and cultural memory.

In her recent work, Taghavi draws on the medieval Persian tradition of attributing subjectivity to plants, connecting this poetic worldview to contemporary environmental anxieties. By recontextualizing symbols from past times and places, she brings them into dialogue with present-day concerns, creating works that resonate across temporal and cultural boundaries.

Light refreshments will be served; please RSVP so that we can plan accordingly!

If you experience any issues registering on our Crimson Connect page, please reach out to [email protected].

Join the Sié Center at the Korbel School of International Studies for this interdisciplinary course offering as part of the Cultural Diplomacy Initiative!

This graduate-level course will provide an in-depth look at how the arts and culture have been harnessed by nations, communities and individuals to advance positive social impact worldwide. As a half-course, it meets the required number of times for students to receive 2 credits instead of the typical 4 credits for a full class; however, the course is also open to the public or for students to audit for 0 credits. If you are a student who would like to take this course for credit, please register via MyDU!

The course meeting dates and times are as follows:
1. April 16th from 5:30-8:30pm
2. April 18th from 2-5pm
3. April 19th from 9am-2pm (lunch provided)
4. April 23rd from 5:30-8:30pm

Carla Canales has been praised by Opera Magazine for possessing a voice that “grabs the heartstrings with its dramatic force and musicality.” She has won acclaim on leading stages around the world as a performer while also being recognized as an educator, advocate, and entrepreneur. Most recently, Carla joined the Biden Administration in a newly created role at the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, as Senior Advisor and Envoy for Cultural Exchange. In addition, Carla led a course titled "Finding Your Authentic Voice" at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and she also served as Senior Fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Questions? Email us at [email protected] for more info!

Join us for a powerful and immersive workshop designed to explore the art of storytelling and creating impactful calls to action around serious global issues such as nuclear disarmament. Facilitated by award-winning filmmakers and artists Eric Schlosser and Smriti Keshari, the creators of the critically acclaimed film The Bomb, this session will dive deep into how storytelling can shape public perception and drive meaningful change.

In this interdisciplinary workshop, participants will learn how to communicate complex topics with urgency and emotion, engaging audiences across various platforms. Schlosser and Keshari will share their creative processes, drawing from their experiences of blending visual storytelling with political advocacy, and offer insights into how compelling narratives can spark conversations, raise awareness, and inspire action on some of the world’s most pressing issues both locally and globally.

Key takeaways:
Learn techniques for creating compelling narratives around complex, serious topics.
Understand how to craft clear, urgent calls to action that resonate with diverse audiences.
Gain insights from The Bomb, an award-winning film that brings the dangers of nuclear weapons to the forefront.
Engage in hands-on exercises to practice developing your own storytelling skills and calls to action.

This workshop is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of academic discipline. Whether you're studying the arts, humanities, science, or policy, this session will equip you with valuable skills for conveying critical messages and making a difference in today's world.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from two leading artists who are pushing boundaries in the realm of advocacy through film and art!

Boxed lunches will be provided!

Join us for selections of the 2016 award-winning documentary film "the bomb" from directors, artists, and activists Smriti Keshari and Eric Schlosser. Keshari and Schlosser will then be joined by Korbel nuclear security expert faculty member Dr. Debak Das and other guests to discuss the film as well as the state of nuclear security and disarmament in this critical moment of both foreign and domestic policy.

**If you have any problems registering, please email the Sie Center at [email protected].

Join the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy as we launch the collaborative, multi-media art installation "the bomb," which will be in place at the Community Commons Gallery (CCOM 1001) from April 1st through April 15th. We invite guests from all campus departments and the public community to engage with the installation, which explores the history, technology, and existential threat of nuclear weapons through the arts. The installation displays award-winning film The Bomb (2016) from artist-journalist-directors Eric Schlosser and Smriti Keshari, who will join us the following week on April 8th for a film screening and panel discussion of nuclear disarmament and current security issues on the global scale.

About the Experience:
the bomb evokes the danger and uncertainty inherent in the management of nuclear weapons. By reflecting on the technological fallibility of these machines, the installation serves as a powerful reminder of the nuclear threat, an urgent issue that has grown in importance but receives too little attention.

University Engagement:
In addition to the installation, each university visit will feature a series of events designed to engage students, faculty, and the public in a wide-ranging dialogue and debate about nuclear issues. These events will include panel discussions, Q&A sessions with the artists, and interactive workshops that aim to deepen understanding and inspire campus-wide conversations about how to prevent nuclear wars.

Admission:
Admission to the bomb is free of charge for all university students, faculty, and the general public.

Press Inquiries
For more information, interview requests, or press materials, please contact Cherefawn Chang at [email protected].

Join the Sié Chéou-Kang Center for International Security and Diplomacy as we launch the collaborative, multi-media art installation the bomb, which will be in place at the Community Commons Gallery (CCOM 1001) from April 1st through April 15th. We invite guests from all campus departments and the public community to engage with the installation, which explores the history, technology, and existential threat of nuclear weapons through the arts. The digital art installation displays award-winning film The Bomb (2016) from artist-journalist-directors Eric Schlosser and Smriti Keshari, who will join us the following week on April 8th for a film screening and panel discussion with Dr. Debak Das of nuclear disarmament and current security issues on the global scale. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome!

THE INSTALLATION
the bomb installation was inspired by nuclear command-and-control centers, addressing the vulnerabilities and the catastrophic potential of these complex technological systems. The centerpiece of the installation is an hour-long film that combines archival footage with animation and an original, electronic score by The Acid. Projected on a circular bank of forty-five screens that rise to the ceiling, surrounded by exposed wiring and circuit boards, the film conveys the hidden chaos and danger of the nuclear age.

University Engagement:
In addition to the installation, each university visit will feature a series of events designed to engage students, faculty, and the public in a wide-ranging dialogue and debate about nuclear issues. These events will include panel discussions, Q&A sessions with the artists, and interactive workshops that aim to deepen understanding and inspire campus-wide conversations about how to prevent nuclear wars.

Admission:
Admission to the bomb is free of charge for all university students, faculty, and the general public.

For more information, interview requests, or press materials, please contact Cherefawn Chang at [email protected].

Full credits:
the bomb is created by Smriti Keshari & Eric Schlosser; Film by Kevin Ford, Smriti Keshari & Eric Schlosser; Installation Design: Ben Kreukniet; Music: The Acid; Art Director: Stanley Donwood; Animation: The Kingdom of Ludd; Installation Technical Lead: Adam Paikowsky, Greenhouse Media; Installation Producer: C.A.V.E.; De-install & Transportation: Dimensions Art Production; Creative Producer: Cherefawn Chang