JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Library’s (TCL) 2025 Foreign Policy Discussion Series will tackle topics from international climate cooperation to AI in relation to national security on Mondays, Jan. 27 through March 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in the Ordway Auditorium.

According to a TCL press release, this series is aimed at keeping attendees on the cutting edge of eight critical global issues facing Americans today.

“Foreign Policy discussions are a great way for our community to engage in civil discourse about topics that affect us, though we may be further removed from their impact,” says Adult Program Coordinator Leah Shlachter in the release. “By doing readings in advance of the meetings, participants have a basic understanding of the topics and contribute to the discussions in a more knowledgeable way.”

This series is presented with Great Decisions, America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. Participants are encouraged to prepare for meetings by reading briefing articles on the topic of the week. Each program begins with a short video for still more information prior to the group discussion.

Participants can feel free to join for the entire series or drop in for topics of particular interest. No registration is required.

Participation via Zoom is also offered.

A list of discussion topics is available below:

  • Jan. 27: America at a Global Crossroads
    • The U.S., polarized and divided, faces a world overflowing with challenges, dangers and uncertainties. Conflict and disorder have become the defining features of world politics.
  • Feb. 3: U.S. Leadership in the Global Economy
    • Over the past two presidential terms, the U.S. has strongly pivoted away from neoliberalism as a foreign economic policy approach.
  • Feb. 10: Navigating U.S.-China Relations in Tense Times
    • There is one thing that people can actually agree on across the aisle in Washington, DC: The U.S. is in a strategic competition with a rising China that poses a range of economic, political and military security challenges.
  • Feb. 17: Library closed for Presidents Day, no discussion.
  • Feb. 24: India: Between China, the West and the Global South
    • As the Republic of India marks its 75th anniversary in January, the world’s most populous nation and largest democracy continues to defy simple categorization.
  • March 3: International Climate Cooperation in an Era of Geopolitical Turmoil
    • Over the past 30 years, climate change has become one of the central global challenges of the modern era, one that has hugely important consequences for the livability of the planet.
  • March 10: The Future of NATO and European Security
    • Evaluating Europe’s status as it relates to NATO and current military tensions.
  • March 17: AI and American National Security
    • Artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI, is often claimed as an emerging technology that will disrupt all facets of society.
  • March 24: American Policy in the Middle East: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead
    • Analysts of American policy in 2025 have the unusual advantage of being able to assess the new president’s likely policies against the backdrop of what he did in his first term, four years earlier.

Alta Branch Library covers the same topics on Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. starting on Jan. 29.

For questions, email Shlachter at adultevents@tclib.org. All library programs are free and open to the community.

River Stingray is a news reporter with a passion for wildlife, history and local lenses. She holds a Master's degree in environmental archaeology from the University of Cambridge and is also a published poet, dog mom and outdoor enthusiast.