The Berkeley Forum Podcast

Welcome to the Berkeley Forum Podcast! Sammy Obeid is a Berkeley Alumni with a degree in business and applied mathematics, Obeid’s comedy has been praised for being clever, self-deprecating, and sometimes filled with math puns. Event Format: 30 minute address, conversation with a student moderator, Q&A with the audience. Event Originally Held on May 4, … Continue reading "Comedy on College Campuses— Sammy Obeid"

Peter Thiel is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor, and author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book, Zero to One: Notes on Startups, Or How to Build the Future. He will be speaking on his philosophies on creating truly innovative startups and how to navigate a future marked by globalization in a world … Continue reading "An Address by Peter Thiel"

What does it mean to be Muslim-American? The panel will focus on the growing issue of Islamophobia in America, contrasting with the notion that the United States is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, open equally to all. Speakers: Hoda Hawa: Director of Policy and Advocacy, Muslim Public Affairs Council Jabir Faqir: Senior Development … Continue reading "Panel: What Does it Mean to be Muslim-American?"

Welcome to the Berkeley Forum Podcast! Today, we’re thrilled to be hosting Hannah Song, the President and CEO of Liberty in North Korea. She began working at LiNK in 2006 and became CEO in 2008. During her TEDx talk in 2012, Song noted that the change in North Korea is “being driven by the people,” … Continue reading "The Human Crisis of North Korea — Hannah Song"

Jeh Johnson is the fourth Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States. Prior to joining DHS, Secretary Johnson served as General Counsel for the Department of Defense, where he spearheaded reforms to the military commissions system at Guantanamo Bay in 2009, and co-authored the 250-page report that paved the way for the repeal of … Continue reading "Threats to the Homeland — Secretary Jeh Johnson"

The Internet, global positioning systems, the laser, multi-touch displays and search engines. What do these have in common? These technologies, which we take for granted today, came out of basic scientific research. Basic research creates knowledge. It advances our fundamental understanding of the world. Its impact on society is immeasurable. In this talk, Professor Jeannette … Continue reading "Computational Thinking and Problem Solving – Jeannette Wing"

Mustafa Akyol is a Turkish author and journalist, whose most recent columns have appeared in New York Times and Al-Monitor. He is also the author of Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty, which examines the roles of democracy and liberty within the religion, and the state of modern Islam. Akyol was born in … Continue reading "Islamic Liberalism: An Oxymoron? — Mustafa Akyol"

Rand Paul is the junior senator for Kentucky. A strong advocate for constitutional liberties, he is one of the most prominent figures in the Republican Party. He will be speaking about the NSA and personal privacy. Event Format: 20 minute address, conversation with a student moderator, Q&A with the audience Event Originally Held on March … Continue reading "A Conversation with Senator Rand Paul"

Under the Second Amendment, which guarantees that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed,” most Americans are able to purchase guns legally. With 225 years since its ratification, the Second Amendment has stood the test of time and has not once been amended. Should the United States amend … Continue reading "Debate: Gun Control"