GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: American Foreign Policy in the Middle East 

SPEAKER: Dr. Harry Chernotsky, Professor Emeritus Global Studies, UNC Charlotte

This presentation – part of the Great Decisions 2025 program -will address the continuing search for peace in the Middle East, as the region looks to move beyond the events of October 7 and confronts the realities of an uncertain future.  We will review the latest developments impacting the region’s many trouble spots and will examine the changing posture of the United States under the Trump administration.

BIOGRAPHY

Harry I. Chernotsky is Professor Emeritus in Global Studies, retiring after 43 years on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He served as the founding chair of the Department of Global Studies from 2009-2016 after spending 30 years in the university’s Department of Political Science. Previous positions included Director of International Studies and Interim Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. He is the recipient of UNC Charlotte’s Bank of America Teaching Excellence Award and its International Education Faculty Award.

Chernotsky received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Rutgers University. He specializes in international political economy and American foreign policy and has published in a wide range of professional journals. He is most proud of his work (with Heidi Hobbs) – Crossing Borders: International Studies for the 21st Century (4rd edition, 2022) – one of the first textbooks providing an interdisciplinary perspective on the field.

Throughout his career, Chernotsky was a leader in international studies education. He spearheaded numerous initiatives at UNC Charlotte, including the development of the Model United Nations program and the interdisciplinary International Studies major. He was Director of the North Carolina Great Decisions public affairs series and still lectures widely on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. He also served as President of the Southern region of the International Studies Association (ISA) and as Chair of ISA’s International Education section. He worked for many years with the University of Cantabria (Spain) on its global studies certificate program and was Scholar in Residence at Florida Atlantic University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where he continues lecture each year.

NOTE: Attend in-person at PUMC, no registration required. Attend via Zoom, please register with the Zoom link above.