Skip navigation

Global Leaders Forum (GLF)

The Global Leaders Forum is a speaker series that brings together leaders from the public sector, research, finance and industry throughout the academic year to explore solutions to key domestic and international energy and environmental challenges. The GLF serves as a platform for policymakers and executives to share their expertise and insight with SAIS faculty and students and the broader academic, business and media communities. Our invitations are sent to professionals from the energy and environment sectors in the Washington D.C. area as well as the SAIS student and faculty body and SAIS alumni. Typically a diverse audience of approximately 100-150 participants - including students, professionals and faculty - attend Global Leaders Forum events (to view recently recorded GLF events and/or available presentations, please click on the hyperlinks below).

Fall 2017

Innovative Cities Creating the Future


Spring 2017

Climate Policy without the US Government

Dr. John Byrne, Distinguished Professor and Center Director, University of Delaware Center for Energy and Environmental Policy and Chairman and President of the Foundation for Renewable Energy & Environment (FREE)

Nuclear Proliferation: the Case of North Korea

Dr. Jonathan D. Pollack, Senior Fellow, Thornton China Center and Interim SK-Korea Foundation Chair, Brookings Institution, author of No Exit: North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, and International Security

Deep Decarbonization Strategies for the US Economy

Noah Kaufman, World Resources Institute, formerly Council on Environmental Quality and Karl Hausker, World Resources Institute, Research Advisor to “Risky Business"


Missing OPEC? The Unwelcome Return of Boom-Bust Oil Prices

Robert McNally, President of the Rapidan Group, an energy consulting firm, and SAIS alumnus

EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2017

Adam Sieminski, Administrator, US Energy Information Administration


Fall 2016

Energy and Climate Policy of the Next Administration

David Goldwyn, President of Goldwyn Global Strategies, former State Department Special Envoy for International Energy Affairs Roberton C. Williams III, Senior Fellow and Director, Academic Programs, Resources for the Future and Professor, University of Maryland, College Park Ben Longstreth, Senior Attorney, Climate and Clean Air Program, Natural Resources Defense Council

India’s Energy Transition to Mid-Century

Suman Bery, former Chief Economist, Shell

Prospects for US and Global Nuclear Power

Dan Lipman, VP for Supplier and International Programs, Nuclear Energy Institute and SAIS alumnus


Oil Policy and Proposed Energy Reforms in Saudi Arabia

Jean-Francois Seznac, SAIS Adjunct Professor, non-resident Senior Fellow, the Atlantic Council


Spring 2016

Energy and Geopolitics in the Eastern Mediterranean

Sir Michael Leigh, Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund

Will There Be Water Wars?

Professor Mark Giordano, Georgetown University

Conversation with Steve Strongin

Steve Strongin, Head, Global Investment Research Division, Goldman Sachs


Low Oil Prices as Viewed by Oil and Gas Company CEOs

Robin West, Senior Adviser, CSIS Energy and National Security Program

From Marginal to Mainstream – the Unexpected Impacts of
Renewables and Distributed Energy Resources on the Power Business

Steve Corneli, SVP for Policy and Regulation, NRG