New York – – October 14, 2026 -- The Mackinder Forum will start a free, twice-monthly digital lecture series on October 21, 2026, to analyze the wars and tensions shaping the global strategic landscape.
The series, titled Taking Stock, targets national security professionals, entrepreneurs and academics. It links current events to questions for business, policy, history and the global balance of power.
Gordon Chang opens the series with a lecture on China and Taiwan
The first session, Taking Stock I: China's Project to Annex Taiwan and the Pacific Ocean, will be presented by Gordon Chang. Later lectures will cover the war in Ukraine, the Middle East and security on NATO's eastern flank.
Forum president frames series around two questions
Forum president Leonard Hochberg said the series asks where the United States and its allies stand today and what can be seen around the corner. He said military outcomes will shape how current wars end. They will also shape negotiations, domestic politics, alliances and economic pressures that determine what follows.
The forum has published the full topic list and registration for the free series on its events page.