TRAVERSE CITY — The International Affairs Forum (IAF) at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) is proud to launch a new partnership with the Central Michigan University Hart-Milliken Speaker Series to bring a nationally recognized voice on democracy, the civil-military relationship, and executive power to northern Michigan. The collaboration highlights IAF’s 32nd season of programs addressing global issues and fostering vital public dialogue in the region.
“This partnership builds upon a strong relationship between NMC & CMU,” said Alexander Tank, Director of the International Affairs Forum at NMC. “We share a commitment to open dialogue based on rigorous research, practice, and expertise. We will engage in an important civic exercise with this discussion, a continuing investment in public discourse on the difficult issues we face as Americans and global citizens.”
About the event & speaker
February 19 | Long Arm or Strong Arm: Executive Power in Foreign Policy & At Home with Kori Schake, Ph.D., Senior Fellow & Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute. Schake is author of The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States (Polity Press 2025). She is also the author of Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony, and a contributing writer at the Atlantic, War on the Rocks, and Bloomberg. Event presented in partnership with Central Michigan University Hart-Milliken Speaker Series. Book sales provided by Bay Books.
Before joining AEI, Dr. Kori Schake was the deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. She has had a distinguished career in government, working at the US State Department, the US Department of Defense, and the National Security Council at the White House. She was also a senior policy advisor on the 2008 McCain campaign. She has taught at Stanford, West Point, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, and the University of Maryland, and is currently the Henry A. Kissinger Chair in Foreign Policy and International Relations at the Library of Congress.
Dr. Schake is the author of five books: “The State and the Soldier: a History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States” (Polity Books, 2025); “America vs the West: Can the Liberal World Order Be Preserved?” (Penguin Random House Australia, Lowy Institute, 2018); “Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony” (Harvard University Press, 2017); “State of Disrepair: Fixing the Culture and Practices of the State Department” (Hoover Institution Press, 2012); and “Managing American Hegemony: Essays on Power in a Time of Dominance” (Hoover Institution Press, 2009).
Event Details
IAF hybrid events, including February 19, are ticketed and open to the public. Students, educators, and active-duty military members attend at no cost thanks to community support. Most programs start at 7 p.m. Eastern at the Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium, 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City with a welcome reception at 6 p.m. Secure tickets at tciaf.com.
Events are presented in hybrid format; in-person events are available to livestream online. Programming continues throughout the academic year through June 2026. All IAF events on campus at NMC are free for students and educators, including all NMC employees and employees of all local schools. Find more information at tciaf.com.
IAF’s educational programming at NMC is free for students and educators, and open to the public thanks to its supporting members, regional partners, business sponsors, and Northwestern Michigan College. Learn more about membership, event sponsorship, and opportunities to support here: tciaf.com/support
About the International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College
The mission of the International Affairs Forum is to advance the understanding of critical global issues through education and public dialogue. IAF is a community-supported program of Northwestern Michigan College and an affiliate of the World Affairs Councils of America.
All regular season events are open to the public. Tickets are required. Presentations begin at 7 p.m. & receptions begin at 6 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Visit tciaf.com for advance in-person tickets and online livestream access: $15 per person purchased in advance, $20 per person at the door, or $10 for online livestream access. For in-person tickets on event days, purchase at the door while seats remain. Current students, educators, and active-duty military members receive free admission with required check in. For in-person tickets, online livestream tickets, and all event details, visit tciaf.com.
About the Central Michigan University Hart-Milliken Speaker Series
Central Michigan University established the Philip A. Hart and William G. Milliken Endowed Speaker Series for Integrity in Politics to encourage a civil approach to politics, by hosting individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to encouraging positive change in American politics and policy-making.
This endowed speaker series is named in memory of former U.S. Senator Philip A. Hart and former Michigan Governor William G. Milliken. A legendary trait of the careers of Senator Hart, a Democrat, and Governor Milliken, a Republican, was their ability to work together with members of opposing political parties.
This speaker series challenges interested parties — students in particular — to approach politics in a way that embraces America’s diversity of ideas and perspectives and to strive to replace negativity and partisanship with creativity and innovation in shaping public policy.
“For over two decades, the Hart-Milliken series has shown our students and our community members how our common beliefs about complex policy challenges are stronger than our political differences, “ said Thomas Greitens, Chairperson of the CMU School of Politics, Society, Justice, and Public Service. “By showcasing the power of bipartisanship, the series helps maintain the foundations of our country’s political ideals.
Sponsors & Supporters
International Affairs Forum programming at Northwestern Michigan College is supported by gifts from community members and sponsors. IAF thanks the following for their support of its 32nd season:
Central Michigan University | IAF Gold Sponsor
Grand Traverse Pie Company | IAF Gold Sponsor
Thompson Retractor | IAF Gold Sponsor
IAF Members | Across northern Michigan & across the country
Learn more about event sponsorship and opportunities to support here: tciaf.com/support
Release date: February 13, 2026
For more information:
Alexander Tank
Director
International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College
(231) 995-1844 | atank@nmc.edu
Sarah Buckley
Communications Coordinator & Web Developer
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Anspach 114A | Central Michigan University
989-774-1788 | Sarah.J.Buckley@cmich.edu