2026 Berkley Lecture

ESU members and guests are invited to a special lecture program hosted by the International Relations Council (IRC). This luncheon welcomes guest speaker Ambassador Christopher Hill (Ret.), a former career diplomat, a four-time ambassador, nominated by three presidents, whose last post was as ambassador to Iraq, April 2009 until August 2010. This program is part of IRC’s Berkley Lecture Series. IRC welcomes all ESU members to this program.

For the 2026 Berkley Lecture, Ambassador Hill will reflect on what it means to represent the United States abroad during moments of crisis, negotiation, and transition. In this lecture, Ambassador Hill will explore the practical realities of diplomacy — how embassies operate under pressure, how diplomats coordinate with military and intelligence partners, and how decisions made in real time shape long-term outcomes. He will examine the limits of U.S. power, the importance of alliances, and the human dimension of statecraft, offering lessons that remain highly relevant as the United States confronts a more complex and contested global landscape.

This conversation will provide audiences with an accessible yet substantive look at the challenges of modern diplomacy and the role it plays in advancing U.S. interests and preventing conflict.

When: Wednesday, February 11, 2026, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Where: Grand Street Café, 4740 Grand Avenue, Kansas City, MO

Tickets: Discounted tickets for IRC and ESU members: $65.00 all-inclusive including tax and gratuity. To purchase tickets online, click here then for “ESU Members,” select number of tickets, then click “Proceed.”

Luncheon: Ticket price includes parking, a delicious buffet lunch, choice of soft drink, and dessert. A cash bar will be available.

About Ambassador Christopher Hill

Over the course of his career, he served as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Iraq, Poland, and North Macedonia, and as Chief U.S. Negotiator for the Six-Party Talks on North Korea’s nuclear program. These roles placed him at the center of complex security environments involving alliance coordination, nuclear nonproliferation, and crisis diplomacy.

Prior to Iraq, Hill served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs from 2005 until 2009 during which he was also the head of the U.S. delegation to the Six Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue. Earlier, he was the U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Previously he served as U.S. ambassador to Poland (2000-2004), ambassador to the Republic of Macedonia (1996-1999), and special envoy to Kosovo (1998-1999). He also served as a special assistant to the president and a senior director on the staff of the National Security Council, 1999-2000.

Ambassador Hill graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine with a B.A. in Economics. He received a Master’s degree from the Naval War College in 1994. He speaks Polish, Serbo-Croatian, and Macedonian.

About the Berkley Lecture
The Berkley Lecture was founded in 1996 and brings an expert in foreign policy and global affairs to the Kansas City area. The lecture was established through the Berkley Endowment to honor the IRC’s founder and his decades of service, and to provide a platform for engaging community members in understanding critical global issues. Past Berkley lecturers include former U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford (2014), Gerald Seib (2011), The Honorable Thomas R. Pickering (2005), and Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr. (1998).