The Return of Great Powers: A Diplomatic Discussion with Jim Sciutto

Join UNC Global Affairs for a Diplomatic Discussion with Jim Sciutto, CNN chief national security correspondent and former chief of staff to the U.S. ambassador to China. Sciutto will speak on the many fronts the U.S., Russia, and China, as well as their allies, are coming to face-to-face with one another, such as Ukraine, Taiwan, the Middle East, AI and space. He will emphasize themes from his book, The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War.

Plan to attend? Let us know! CLE credit is available.

The Diplomatic Discussion speaker series is part of Carolina’s Diplomacy Initiative, which introduces students to shared global challenges and provides them opportunities to practice skills necessary to address those challenges. In 2025, UNC Global Affairs launched the Carolina Diplomacy Fellows for students interested in deepening their engagement with the Diplomacy Initiative.

Jim Sciutto is CNN’s chief national security analyst and anchor of “The Brief with Jim Sciutto” on CNN International. Sciutto reports and provides analysis on all aspects of U.S. national security including foreign policy, the military, intelligence community and the U.S. Department of State. Throughout his career, he has reported from more than 50 countries across the globe, including stations in the Middle East and Ukraine. Sciutto is the author of four books, including the New York Times bestseller, The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China and the Next World War (2024), and has earned numerous honors and awards. Sciutto also served as chief of staff and senior advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to China, Gary Locke. He is a graduate of Yale University, where he studied Chinese history, and was a Fulbright Fellow in Hong Kong.