Tom Hanson, a former foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department, will share insights into the 2020 election and U.S. foreign policy in a virtual forum sponsored by the Gordon Rosenmeier Center for State and Local Government.
Those interested in listening to the live 7 p.m. Nov. 19 forum may request a link by emailing their request to Rosenmeierforum@gmail.com . A Zoom link will be sent to those who request one. Rosenmeier forums are free and open to the public. Interested persons may login starting about 6:45 p.m. for the 7 p.m. event. Those participating in the forum will have the opportunity to email questions to the speaker.
Hanson, whose diplomatic postings included East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union, Sweden and the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, serves as diplomat in residence at the Alworth Institute for International Affairs at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The foreign policy expert said the 2020 election and the ongoing pandemic are destined to have an impact on global trends and U.S. foreign policy. In the description of his presentation, Hanson said the estrangement between the U.S. and China, in tandem with U.S. domestic polarization, has dealt a blow to America’s image in many countries. Economic decoupling, he said, is gaining momentum, especially in the technology sector and new conflicts are arising as regional entities vie for influence. The program will describe the many goal challenges that will confront the incoming U.S. administration on Jan. 20, 2021.
Previously Hanson has conducted live Rosenmeier forums on topics such as China and foreign policy and the 2018 midterm elections. Hanson worked at the foreign relations committees of the U.S. Senate and House and served as director for NATO and European affairs at the Atlantic Council of the United States in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Great Decisions advisory committee at the Minnesota International Center and is a frequent Great Decisions speaker. He contributes to local and international media and is a board member for the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights (U.S. Foundation); Partnership for Change, a non-government organization based in Norway; the International Leadership Program at St. Thomas University; and the Cultural Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
The Rosenmeier Center was formed in 1989, in recognition of Sen. Gordon Rosenmeier’s 30-year contribution as a Minnesota state legislator from Little Falls. He authored legislation, which created the state Planning Agency, the Department of Corrections, the Pollution Control Agency, and the Brainerd Regional Human Services Center.
