Christopher T. Keaveney is a Professor of the Humanities in the Global Liberal Arts Program at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. He has authored five books concerning Sino-Japanese literature and cultural exchange and Japanese cultural studies including his most recent book Western Rock Artists, Madame Butterfly, and the Allure of Japan. Keaveney is also a poet whose poetry has appeared in several dozen poetry journals, and he is the author of two collections of poetry including The Boy Who Ate Nothing But Sonnets.

Ambassador Michael Gfoeller is a distinguished American diplomat, scholar, and innovative thinker with a 26-year Foreign Service career (1984–2010). Serving in Warsaw during the Cold War’s end, as well as in Moscow, Riyadh, Manama, and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Saudi Arabia (2004–2008), he navigated complex political dynamics in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. As Senior Political Advisor to General David Petraeus at U.S. Central Command (2008–2010), he shaped Middle East and Central Asia strategies, including tribal negotiations in post-invasion Iraq. After retirement, Gfoeller advised ExxonMobil, consulted for Henry Kissinger, and lectured at Georgetown University. An accomplished scholar, he authored books on the traditional architecture and antiquities of Armenia, where he established an archeological foundation and museum. His recent book Consciousness is Curvature (2025) models human and artificial intelligence as dynamic geometric curvature in informational spaces, inspired by relativity and quantum theory. His latest book, Faster Than Light, explores how recent advances in theoretical physics can enable feasible interstellar travel, inaugurating a new Age of Exploration that may never end.

David H. Rundell is widely regarded as one of America’s leading Middle East experts. After studying economics at Colgate and Arabic at Oxford, he embarked on a thirty-year diplomatic career. He is particularly noted for his expertise on Saudi Arabia, where he served as Chief of Mission, Deputy Chief of Mission, Political Counselor, Economic Counselor, and Commercial Counselor. He was stationed in Saudi Arabia during both Operation Desert Storm and the 2003 Al-Qaeda insurrection. He played important roles in negotiating Saudi entry into the World Trade Organization and is the author of the highly regarded book Vision of Mirage, Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads.

Ambassador Michael Gfoeller (ret.) is a distinguished U.S. diplomat with a 26-year career in the State Department, serving in key posts across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Russia, Armenia, Moldova, Poland, and Belgium, retiring in 2010. He advised General David Petraeus at U.S. Central Command, providing strategic insights on Middle Eastern affairs. After retirement, Gfoeller led ExxonMobil’s Middle East and North Africa government affairs, leveraging his deep regional expertise. A committed philanthropist, he founded the Gfoeller Renaissance Foundation, dedicated to advancing archeological research and cultural preservation in Armenia. His extensive diplomatic experience and leadership in energy and cultural initiatives reflect a legacy of effective global engagement.

Ambassador Zion Evrony was born in Iran and immigrated with his family to Israel in 1950, when he was one year old. He spent his childhood in a ma’abarah (refugee camp), without electricity or running water. With his father unemployed, the family endured severe poverty. At age 13, Evrony was admitted to a Jerusalem boarding school for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. He went on to receive a B.A. in sociology and political science, an M.B.A, and a Ph.D. in international relations from Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1973, he joined Israel’s Foreign Service and held distinguished positions in Jerusalem and abroad, including Ambassador to Ireland, Ambassador to the Holy See, Consul General in Houston, and Consul in New York. He also served as Head of the Policy Planning Division and Director of the Cadet Course for new diplomats. In 2001, he received Awards for Excellence from both Israel’s Foreign Ministry and its Civil Service. From 1991 to 1995, Ambassador Evrony taught at the Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, and the Open University of Israel. Since his retirement, he has been an adjunct professor at universities in the United States, where he teaches courses on diplomacy, Israeli foreign policy, Judeo-Christian relations, and the Holocaust. Among his publications are Human Rights in International Relations (Hebrew; Open University Press, 2011) and Jewish-Catholic Dialogue (ed., Urbaniana University Press, 2016). He has also written opinion pieces for the New York Times and other papers focusing on the war in Gaza, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Judeo-Christian relations.

James Tyson “Jim” Currie grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Mississippi with majors in history and political science. He then attended the University of Virginia, from which he received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history. Dr. Currie is also a graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College and the Defense Department’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces, now the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy. He taught history at Mississippi College, Millsaps College, Jackson State University, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at National Defense University. He was the first Historian of the U.S. Department of Education and Associate Historian of the House of Representatives. He worked for Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. as speechwriter, legislative assistant (defense and foreign policy), and staff member on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. While on the SSCI staff, he also worked for Senators David Boren and John Glenn. Dr. Currie served a total of thirty years, active and reserve, in the U.S. Army, retiring with the rank of Colonel. His military awards include the Legion of Merit, four awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Parachute Badge. His last assignment was with the Army’s Office of Legislative Liaison. He is the author of five books and twenty-five articles, one of which was awarded the Charles Thomson Prize by the National Archives/Southern Historical Association. He is a longtime member of SAG-AFTRA (AFL-CIO) and has appeared as a background performer in the television series House of Cards and Homeland. Currie lives in Fairfax County, Virginia, with his wife Janis. They have one son, Matthew, who practices as a clinical psychologist in Maryland.

Arthur L. Lazarus, MD, MBA, is a healthcare consultant, certified physician executive, and nationally recognized author, speaker, and champion of physician leadership and wellness. He has broad experience in clinical practice and the health insurance industry, having led programs at Cigna and Humana. At Humana, Lazarus was vice president and corporate medical director of behavioral health operations in Louisville, Kentucky, and subsequently a population health medical director in the state of Florida. Lazarus has also held leadership positions in several pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and AstraZeneca, conducting clinical trials, and reviewing promotional materials for medical accuracy and FDA compliance. He has published more than 400 articles and essays and written or edited 11 books, including 7 related to the field of narrative medicine. Lazarus attended Boston University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with distinction. He received his medical degree with honors from Temple University School of Medicine, followed by a psychiatric residency at Temple University Hospital, where he was chief resident. After residency, Lazarus joined the faculty of Temple faculty, where he currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry. He also holds non-faculty appointments as Executive-in-Residence at Temple University’s Fox School of Business and Management, where he received his MBA degree, and Senior Fellow at Jefferson College of Population Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lazarus is a past president of the American Association for Psychiatric Administration and Leadership, a former member of the board of directors of the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL), and a current member of the AAPL editorial review board. In 2010, the American Psychiatric Association honored Lazarus with the Administrative Psychiatry Award for his effectiveness as an administrator of major mental health programs and expanding the body of knowledge of management science in mental health services delivery systems. Lazarus is among a select group of physicians in the United States who have been inducted into both the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society and the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society of collegiate schools of business. Lazarus enjoys walking, biking, playing piano, and listening to music. He has been happily married to his wife, Cheryl, for over 40 years. They are the proud parents of four adult children and have five grandchildren.

Steven Greer is Emeritus Professor at the University of Bristol Law School and Research Director at the Oxford Institute for British Islam. He studied law at the University of Oxford, Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and holds a Ph.D. in Law from the Queen’s University of Belfast. In a career spanning nearly 40 years, he has taught and delivered numerous papers throughout the UK and abroad, including in China and at Harvard Law School. He has published widely, particularly in the fields of criminal justice, human rights, and law and terrorism. Two of his books were shortlisted for prestigious prizes. He has also acted as consultant/advisor to various organizations, written for national and regional newspapers in the UK and Ireland, and appeared on numerous radio and TV stations.

Collin May is a Canadian lawyer and Adjunct Lecturer in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. He has published several articles and reviews on topics in political philosophy, cancel culture, professional regulation, and countering antisemitism. His writing has appeared in the National Post, Jerusalem Post, Law and Liberty, The Hub, C2C Journal, and such academic publications as Academic Questions and Society Journal. Educated at Harvard University, the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in Paris, and Dalhousie Law School, May worked with the United Nations International Telecommunication Union and the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland, before returning to Canada to study law. In 2022, following his appointment as Chief of the Alberta Human Rights Commission, May became the target of a cancel culture campaign that cost him his job and severely damaged his career. Since that time, May has worked to combat cancellations through his writing and public advocacy.

Ambassador Michael Gfoeller (ret.), born in 1957, is a seasoned diplomat, scholar, and independent consultant renowned for his expertise in international politics, security, and economics. With a career spanning over four decades, he has navigated complex geopolitical landscapes, advised global leaders, and contributed significantly to academic and cultural initiatives, particularly in the Middle East and Armenia. Gfoeller’s diplomatic career with the U.S. Foreign Service (1984–2010) saw him rise to the rank of Ambassador and Minister Counselor, serving in some of the world’s most critical regions. His postings included two stints in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires (2004–2008), managing U.S.-Saudi relations during a pivotal period of counterterrorism cooperation. He also served in Manama, Bahrain, fostering ties with Gulf allies; Baghdad, Iraq, during the height of the Iraq War; Moscow, Russia, across two tours amid Cold War and post-Soviet tensions; Yerevan, Armenia, supporting post-Soviet transition; Chisinau, Moldova, navigating Eastern European geopolitics; Warsaw, Poland, strengthening NATO partnerships; and Brussels, Belgium, engaging with transatlantic institutions. From 2008 to 2010, Gfoeller served as Senior Political Advisor to General David Petraeus at U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, crafting political strategies for U.S. military operations across 19 countries in the Middle East and Central Asia, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. His work bridged diplomacy and defense, earning him recognition for navigating complex tribal and political dynamics.
Upon retiring from the State Department, Gfoeller transitioned to the private sector, bringing his geopolitical acumen to global corporations. From 2010 to 2012, he led Middle East and North African affairs at ExxonMobil’s International Government Relations Department, advising on energy security and regional stability. He later consulted for prominent firms, including DynCorp, Alcoa, Kissinger Associates, KKR, and Cerberus Capital Management, providing strategic insights into government contracts and international markets. As an independent consultant, Gfoeller continues to advise on global risks and opportunities, with a focus on the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and energy markets. An accomplished scholar, Gfoeller holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University. His academic journey included intensive Arabic studies at the American University in Cairo (1979–1981), equipping him for his Middle East postings. Fluent in Arabic, Russian, German, French, Polish, Romanian, Latin, and Greek, he is a polyglot whose linguistic skills enhanced his diplomatic and scholarly work. Gfoeller taught at Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (2000–2001), where he mentored future diplomats. His publications reflect his diverse interests, including United by the Caspian, a study of Caucasian and Central Asian geopolitics, and works on archaeology and architecture, such as A New Golden Age of Archeology: Recent Discoveries in Armenia (Academica Press, 2022). These books explore international cultural heritage, blending historical analysis with beautiful photography.
Gfoeller’s commitment to cultural preservation led him in 2001 to establish the Gfoeller Renaissance Foundation, which funds archaeological and scientific research in Armenia. The foundation supports excavations and studies illuminating Armenia’s role in human evolution and civilization, reflecting Gfoeller’s passion for history and heritage. He remains an active voice in public discourse, speaking at forums like the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations on topics such as Saudi Arabia’s evolving role in global energy markets, U.S.-Iran tensions, and Middle Eastern security dynamics. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Ben Franklin Fellowship, the Cosmos Club, and the Union League Club of New York, Gfoeller is deeply engaged in intellectual and policy circles. He is married to Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller-Volkoff, a distinguished U.S. diplomat and novelist whose career included senior roles in the State Department and postings in Europe and the Middle East. The couple, who met during their university studies, have one son, Major Emmanuel Gfoeller, an Army Ranger serving in the U.S. military. Residing primarily in Miami, Florida, Gfoeller balances his consulting work with writing and philanthropy, continuing to shape global conversations on diplomacy and culture.

Monique Dixsaut is Professor Emerita at the University of Paris I.
Translator: Kenneth Quandt holds a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of California, Berkeley