Past Event! Note: this event has already taken place.
Michael Kovrig: Lessons from My Years in China
February 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
| Location: | 5320D Richcraft Hall |
| Cost: | Free |
Please join us in welcoming Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat and expert on China to NPSIA on Thursday, February 20th, 2025. Kovrig was wrongfully detained for nearly three years in what became a major geopolitical crisis between Canada and China. His
firsthand experience navigating high-stakes diplomacy, resilience under pressure, and insights into China’s political landscape make his talk, “Lessons from My Years in China,” a must-attend event.
This is a chance to hear from someone who lived through—and shaped—global affairs. Don’t miss it!
Michael Kovrig is Senior Adviser, Asia for the International Crisis Group, CEO of Kovrig Group, a geopolitical risk consultancy, and Founder and Executive Director of StrategicEffects, a non-profit thought network. His writing, research, analysis and advocacy deals with geopolitics, geoeconomics, global security and human rights, with a geographic focus on China and the Indo-Pacific region and related Western policies. His other research interests include the intersection of international relations, philosophy, psychology and communications. Michael is a former Canadian diplomat who previously served for more than a decade with Canada’s foreign ministry in Ottawa, at the United Nations and in China. His prior experience includes work in strategic communication for the UN Development Group, journalism in Central and Eastern Europe, and economic research on China. He has a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and is fluent in French and Mandarin Chinese. Michael lived in China from 2014–2021, including nearly three years of wrongful detention by the PRC Ministry of State Security on false charges as a political hostage. He is now based in Europe.