Berkley Lecture: Diplomacy and U.S. National Security

ESU members and guests are invited to a special lecture program hosted by the International Relations Council (IRC). This luncheon welcomes guest speaker Ambassador Joseph Manso (Ret.), former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Organization Affairs with the U.S. Department of State. This program is part of IRC’s Berkley Lecture Series. IRC welcomes all ESU members to this program.

The work of members of the foreign service and the armed services of the United States of America are vitally important to our nation’s national security and foreign policy. For the 2025 Berkley Lecture, we will explore this deep link through the expertise of our Berkley Lecturer, Ambassador Joseph Manso. As a former U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a former faculty member of the National War College, and a seasoned member of the Senior Foreign Service, Amb. Manso is uniquely positioned to speak on this critical intersection of National Security And U.S. Diplomacy.

Amb. Manso will help to break down this nexus – speaking on the evolving challenges of global security – including key issues like  weapons nonproliferation, alliance-building, and transnational threats, answering questions like: How do the functions of our nation’s diplomatic channels intersect with the operational and policy demands of our national security to combat these threads? What structures and processes inform and protect the deep link between diplomacy and national security? What gaps exist between the diplomatic corps and military officials, and how does this affect our policies and actions?

Our military and our diplomatic corps are the two major leadership groups representing the United States abroad, understanding their intersection is crucial in having a more complete understanding of U.S. Foreign Policy. To sharpen your understanding, we formally invite you to join the International Relations Council for our 2025 Berkley Lecture!

When: Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 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 Joseph Manso (Ret.)

Ambassador Manso most recently served as the United States Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Mr. Manso’s most recent prior positions were as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (IO), Director of IO’s Office of United Nations Political Affairs and Director of the Office of European Security & Political-Military Affairs in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. 

Amb. Manso has extensive experience in multilateral affairs, as well as military and law enforcement matters. He has served on the faculty of the National War College, as the U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO, and as the Director of the Americas Program in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). Amb. Manso has also completed assignments at the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the U.S. Mission to the UN in New York, where he was an advisor and a member of the U.S. delegation to the Security Council.

Prior to entering the Foreign Service in 1985, Mr. Manso worked in law and banking in New York and Madrid. He holds a B.A. in History from Fordham College and a Juris Doctor from Fordham Law School. Mr. Manso also completed doctoral study in international law at the University of Madrid.

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).