MADISON, WI (July 13, 2026) — As global tensions rise and shift, UW Now Live will explore some of the hot spots that are shaping the world’s future. From a rapidly evolving Ebola outbreak in Central Africa to a fragile ceasefire framework between the U.S. and Iran, and the ongoing war in Ukraine, UW-Madison experts will unpack what’s happening, why it matters, and what could come next.
Some key questions they’ll discuss include:
- How do public health crises intersect with geopolitical instability, and how worried should the world be about Ebola?
- What does the Iran deal mean for global security and energy markets?
- How does the war between Ukraine and Russia remain a critical flashpoint even years into the conflict?
- How has the balance of power shifted during the course of the Russia-Ukraine and Iran wars? What are the implications for security, alliances, and power in these regions?
Join the Wisconsin Alumni Association online on Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. CDT. Mike Knetter will moderate this live discussion with UW experts.
Featured Speakers:
- Mark Copelovitch is a professor of political science and public affairs in the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW–Madison. He is also the director of the UW’s Center for European Studies and an affiliate of the Center for German and European Studies and the Jean Monnet European Union Center of Excellence.
- Peter Halfmann is an assistant professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the UW–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.
- Jon Pevehouse is the Mary Herman Rubinstein Professor of political science and public policy.
To watch live and chat with our guests, please take one minute to register, and you’ll be sent a link to watch the program. If you can’t tune in on the night of the show, we’ll send you a link to the recorded version following the event. To watch past programs, check out the Wisconsin Alumni Association YouTube channel.
