Climate change and economic crises, international terrorism and weapons proliferation, failing states and rogue regimes; these are just a few of the many challenges to national security in an evermore globalised world. When security can no longer be achieved through military dominance or political influence, policy-makers are left looking for new solutions to increasingly complex challenges. These challenges might be global and affect us all – but no country has a greater impact on world affairs than the United States. Whoever occupies the White House from January 2009 will be crucial to moving the world forward in dealing with these complex challenges.

In the spirit of great debate befitting a presidential election RUSI has joined forces with the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs at Princeton University to host a major two-day conference exploring the most pressing global challenges against the backdrop of the US elections. We are also pleased to have Newsweek International as our media partner for the event.

The conference will be divided into a series of panels each addressing a specific issue. Topics include: climate change, global finance, the dynamics of the Middle East, weapons proliferation, global health concerns and transatlantic relations. Participants include a wide array of academics, analysts and experts from across the political spectrum. A number of key American foreign policy advisors will be speaking at the conference, alongside some of the most influential thinkers and actors in world politics today.