A New Cold War? 

2023 Baker Peace Conference  

February 23–24, Walter Rotunda  

25 S. Green Drive, Athens, Ohio 

Are we in a new Cold War? This is the theme of the Contemporary History Institute’s annual Baker Peace Conference taking place Feb. 23-24 in Ohio University’s Walter Rotunda.

The keynote address will be delivered Thursday evening by Julia Ioffe, a Russia specialist who has contributed articles to  The New York Times ,  The New Yorker ,  The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, Forbes, The Washington Post , and other prominent publications. Ms. Ioffe is currently the Washington correspondent for the recently founded website,  Puck .    

On Friday, the conference will feature three panels, each with three speakers. The first panel will take place in the morning from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and focus on Russia and Europe. The second will take place in the early afternoon from 1:30 to 3 p.m. and address China and Asia. The third panel will take place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and adopt a broader view, considering the question of how peace may be achieved and preserved in tomorrow’s world.   

We hope to see you there. Coffee and other refreshments will be available to attendees throughout the day on Friday.   

2023 Baker Peace Conference Schedule

Conference events will be held in the Walter Rotunda on Ohio University's Athens Campus.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Keynote Address by Julia Ioffe, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 24

Russia and Europe, 10 to 11:30 a.m. 

Panelists:

• Julia Davis, Russia specialist, columnist for The Daily Beast , and creator of the Russian Media Monitor
• Carl Kawaja, portfolio manager with Capital Research
• Steven Miner, professor of Russian history at Ohio University

China and Asia, 1:30–3 p.m.

Panelists:

• Sarah Kirchberger, head of Asia-Pacific Strategy and Security at the Kiel University Institute for Security Policy
• Kaiser Kuo, editor-at-large for SupChina and co-founder of the Sinica Podcast
• Gregory Poling, senior fellow and director of the Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the  Center for Strategic & International Studies

A New Cold War? Achieving and Preserving Peace in Tomorrow’s World, 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Panelists:

• Pascal Vennesson, professor of political science at the Paris-Pantheon-Assas University and senior fellow and head of research at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore
• Elbridge Colby, co-founder and principal of the Marathon Initiative and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Strategy and Force Development
• John F. Tefft, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Lithuania

Julia Ioffe photo with permission by Max Avdeev