The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) are pleased to host Ambassador, Mayor, Congressman, and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel for a fireside chat with Ambassador Michael McFaul, with welcome remarks by Kiyoteru Tsutsui, the director of APARC, and a Q&A session to follow.
Ambassador Emanuel, most recently the Ambassador of the United States to Japan, is famous for straight talk, relentless drive, and game-changing results. He will share his unvarnished thoughts on America’s relationships with Japan and other key allies, and, more broadly, what it means to lead and the leadership we need at home and abroad at this moment in history. Ambassador Emanuel is a brilliant strategist and an engaging speaker who will hold us accountable. Get ready for a fast-paced and wide-ranging discussion, including important insights from one of our generation’s brightest minds and greatest leaders.
Speaker
Rahm Emanuel has devoted his life to public service, with a remarkable number of impactful leadership positions across government. Appointed the 31st United States Ambassador to Japan by President Joe Biden, he most recently served in Tokyo from 2021 – 2025 during a period of expanding Chinese aggression and massive investment in our Asia Pacific Alliances. As Mayor of the City of Chicago from 2011-2019, he invested in education, providing universal public pre-kindergarten and full-day kindergarten for every Chicago child, and free community college. Chicago led the U.S. in corporate relocations and foreign direct investment for seven consecutive years during his administration, and he prioritized investment in infrastructure, public transportation, open space, and cultural attractions.
From 2008-2010, Ambassador Emanuel was President Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff and top advisor, helping secure the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act and the landmark Affordable Care Act. Emanuel was elected four times as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois’s 5th Congressional District (2002-2008). As Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Emanuel helped pass legislation to raise the minimum wage and authored the Great Lakes Restoration Act. From 1993 to 1998, Ambassador Emanuel rose to serve as Senior Advisor to the President for Policy and Politics in the Clinton Administration, spearheading efforts to pass the President’s signature achievements, including the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, and the historic Balanced Budget Act, which created the Children’s Health Insurance Program expanding health care coverage to 10 million children.
Moderator
Michael McFaul is a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) and former director of FSI, the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Professor of International Studies in the Department of Political Science, and the Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, all at Stanford University. He joined the Stanford faculty in 1995. Dr. McFaul is also an international affairs analyst for NBC News. He served for five years in the Obama administration, first as special assistant to the president and senior director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council at the White House (2009-2012), and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012-2014).
He has authored several books, most recently Autocrats versus Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder. Earlier books include the New York Times bestseller From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia, Advancing Democracy Abroad: Why We Should, How We Can; Transitions To Democracy: A Comparative Perspective (eds. with Kathryn Stoner); Power and Purpose: American Policy toward Russia after the Cold War (with James Goldgeier); and Russia’s Unfinished Revolution: Political Change from Gorbachev to Putin.
He teaches courses on great power relations, democratization, comparative foreign policy decision-making, and revolutions.
BAG POLICY: Large bags (including backpacks) are not allowed inside the auditorium. Please plan accordingly. Clear bags no larger than 12"x12"x6" and small purses no larger than 4.5"x6.5" may be allowed and are subject to inspection before entering the auditorium.
- Registration is non-transferable.
- Late arrivals will not be permitted into the auditorium. Please plan accordingly.
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- No outside food or drinks allowed inside the venue.
- Guests will be prompted to turn off all cell phone ringers, pagers, and alarms.
- This event will be photographed and videotaped, and by entering this venue, you consent to Stanford University and approved media using your image and likeness. Any photography and videography may not be available for future viewing at a later date.
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- Any attendee causing disruptions or found with items that are prohibited or otherwise restricted may be subject to removal from the venue.
- Entering the venue shall be deemed consenting to all the above conditions and any other conditions set by Stanford University at its events.
All media representatives interested in covering the event or accessing the event site should contact aparc-communications@stanford.edu by 5 p.m. PT on Friday, January 23, and include with their request a copy of a valid press credential from an established news organization. Freelance reporters should email a copy of a signed letter from the news organization for which they are working.
