Spring 2026 Lectures
Dr. Preston Keat presents:
Geopolitics and Markets: Investing in an Uncertain World
Wednesday, January 28
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Palmetto Club: 1231 Sumter St. Columbia, SC 29201
Description:
Preston Keat is a leading global expert on political risks and their economic impacts. Currently head of risk analysis at the world’s largest private bank, UBS, Keat’s insights are sought after by world leaders and key industries. Previously the director of research for the Eurasian Group, Keat is well known for the book he wrote with Ian Bremner, The Fat Tail: The Power of Political Knowledge in an Uncertain World. Keat holds a PhD from UCLA in Political Science and is currently a Sonoco Visiting Fellow in International Business in the Darla Moore School of Business.
Dr. Lilly Filler presents:
My Parents and the Holocaust
Wednesday, February 25
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Palmetto Club: 1231 Sumter St. Columbia, SC 29201
Description:
Dr. Lilly Filler was born in Munich, Germany, and immigrated to Columbia, South Carolina, in 1949 with her parents, Jadzia and Ben Stern (obm). Dr. Filler holds a BS and a master's degree in physical therapy and, in 1977, opened the first freestanding physical therapy clinic in South Carolina with her husband, Bruce, who is also a physical therapist. After the birth of her three children, she decided to attend the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and later opened the first all-female obstetrics and gynecology practice, Women Physician Associates, OB/GYN.
Mary Glantz presents:
Russia and the Reshaping of Geopolitics
Wednesday, March 25
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Palmetto Club: 1231 Sumter St. Columbia, SC 29201
Description:
Join us for a discussion of Russia's vision of a desired world order and their efforts to reshape current geopolitics. The Kremlin once believed the United States shared this vision (under the George H.W. Bush administration), but the U.S. subsequently moved to assert its role as the "sole remaining super power" and protector of a "rules-based" international order, in opposition to the system Russia desires. In contrast, Russia believes China shares its vision and that, increasingly, what the Kremlin refers to as the "global majority" does as well. This has led to progressively hostile Russia-U.S. relations and attempts by the Kremlin to establish an alternative global system, based upon in new alliances such as BRICS. The talk will touch upon the issues this vision raises for contemporary policymakers.
Fall 2025 Lectures
Dr. Emily Beaulieu presents:
“Making Punches Count: The Individual Logic of Legislative Brawls”'
Wednesday, November 5
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Palmetto Club: 1231 Sumter St. Columbia, SC 29201
Description:
Dr. Beaulieu will talk about her most recent book, explaining how democratic legislators can be motivated to engage in physical violence, and the consequences of this behavior for democratic representation.
Dr. Emily Beaulieu received her Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego, in 2006. She is currently Professor and Chair of Political Science at the University of South Carolina, after 19 years on the faculty of the University of Kentucky.
U.S.-Germany Relations with Consul General of Germany in Atlanta: Melanie Moltmann
Thursday, October 2
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Palmetto Club: 1231 Sumter St. Columbia, SC 29201
Description:
Join us for a discussion on the future of transatlantic relations with Consul General Moltmann while reflecting on German Unity Day (Oct. 3), commemorating German reunification in 1990, and the 25th anniversary of the Columbia’s Sister City partnership with Kaiserslautern.
Before arriving in Atlanta in 2021, Ms. Melanie Moltmann was the Deputy Head of Division, Division for Immigration Law, Visa and Immigration Policy in Berlin. Her other diplomatic experiences include serving as the Deputy Head of the Mission and Counselor for Cultural and Press Affairs at the German Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Desk Officer, Division of South East Asia and the Pacific in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin; and Deputy Head of the Mission, German Embassy, Yerevan, Armenia. Fluent in Russian and English, after studying Law in Germany and U. K., Ms. Moltmann earned an LLM degree in Moscow. She is married and has three sons.
"The Word Ahead: Understanding New Realities" with Former Ambassador James Story, Dr. Carl Dahlman, and Dr. Gerry McDermott
Wednesday, September 3
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Palmetto Club: 1231 Sumter St. Columbia, SC 29201
Description:
Join us for a round-up of recent shifts in global affairs and a discussion of the road ahead. Our experts will analyze newly emerging world trends and share their perspectives on what these changes mean for conventional patterns of trade, diplomacy, and geopolitics.
James Story: South Carolina native James “Jimmy” Story served as the US Ambassador to Venezuela and previously in diplomatic roles that placed him in Brazil, Afghanistan, Angola, Mozambique, Mexico, Washington, and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
Dr. Carl Dahlman: Carl T. Dahlman is Professor of Geography and Director of the Walker Institute. He is widely published on the geopolitics of war, peace, and migration, primarily in Europe and the Middle East with a focus on peace-building in the Balkans.
Dr. Gerry McDermott: Gerald A. McDermott is Professor and Chair of International Business at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. His expertise includes a focus on the local impacts of international integration regimes such as the EU, NAFTA, and Mercosur.
Visit our Palmetto Forum Archive to learn more about previous Palmetto Forums that the Walker Institute of International and Area Studies has offered.