SILL’s March Global Issues Series Continues

March 10, 2025 | Sarasota

2025 marks the 54th anniversary of Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning’s (SILL) “Global Issues” series. This hard-hitting series, which runs through March 27, features internationally renowned experts discussing a wide range of domestic and global issues.

This month’s lectures feature key global issues explored by leading experts, including Dr. John Bruno on cognitive control and its role in aging and neurodegenerative diseases; Ellen Laipson on the “The Middle East You Don’t Know” and Amb. John Tefft on Vladimir Putin’s place in Russia’s autocratic history. March lectures:

Tuesday, March 11, and Wednesday, March 12: “The Middle East You Don’t Know” with Ellen Laipson. The Arab Spring’s promise for a new relationship between Arab states and their citizens unraveled. Is there still a demand for change and reform given social, political and economic trends? Are important developments not covered in the western press? Ellen Laipson will try to illuminate some of the complicated realities of this key region. March 11: At First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota; 10:30 a.m.; and Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave., Venice; 2:30 p.m. March 12: At Cornerstone Church, 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch; 11 a.m.

Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14: “The Brain and Cognitive Control in Health and Disease” with John Bruno. Cognitive control (attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) aligns decision-making behavior to our goals. Dr. John Bruno will first discuss how the healthy brain processes information. He will then describe how changes in brain networks contribute to cognitive deficits in aging and in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disorders. March 13: At First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota; 10:30 a.m.; and At Cornerstone Church, 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch; 5 p.m. March 14: At Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave., Venice; 10 a.m.

Tuesday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 19: “Chasm: Governing Immigration in a Fractured Nation” with Daniel Tichenor. Daniel Tichenor will discuss how Americans have been at political war over immigration for centuries. Yet our great partisan divide on the issue is a relatively new development. He will highlight how previous generations overcame their ideological conflicts to enact major policy reforms, and why current partisan polarization fuels a broken immigration system. March 18: At First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota; 10:30 a.m.; and Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave., Venice; 2:30 p.m. March 19: At Cornerstone Church, 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch; 11 a.m.

Thursday, March 20, and Friday, March 21: “The U.S. & China: Inseparable Frenemies” with Jeffrey Moon. The U.S.-China relationship may be the most

consequential bilateral relationship in the world. Former U.S. diplomat Jeffrey Moon will examine the geopolitical factors and issues American and Chinese leaders navigate as they pursue national interests, identify opportunities for cooperation, manage longstanding tensions, and promote competing visions of the global world order. March 20: At First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota; 10:30 a.m.; and At Cornerstone Church, 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch; 5 p.m. March 21: At Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave., Venice; 10 a.m.

Tuesday, March 25, and Wednesday, March 26: “China’s Economic Rise: Where Did it Come from and Where is it Headed?” with Shelly Rigger. When Deng Xiaoping became China’s leader the economy was staggering from four decades of catastrophic mismanagement. 20 years later, the Chinese economy was growing at 10% per year. How did a country with no business and no private property become the factory to the world? Dr. Shelley Rigger will address China’s future. March 25: At First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota; 10:30 a.m.; and Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave., Venice; 2:30 p.m. March 26: At Cornerstone Church, 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch; 11 a.m.

Thursday, March 27, and Friday, March 28: “Vladimir Putin: In the Tradition of Brutal Russian Autocrats or Unique Leader?” with John Tefft. Vladimir Putin has ruled Russia for nearly a quarter of a century. Where does he fit in Russian history? Is Putin in the long tradition of Russia’s often brutal autocratic leaders or something unique? Amb. John Tefft, in discussion with Mike Boorstein, will explain Putin the man, his personal qualities and the policy traits of the Russian leader. March 27: At First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota; 10:30 a.m.; and At Cornerstone Church, 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch; 5 p.m. March 28: At Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave., Venice; 10 a.m.

At First United Methodist Church, 104 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota; 10:30 a.m.; and At Cornerstone Church, 14306 Covenant Way, Lakewood Ranch; 5 p.m. March 7: At Venice Community Center, 326 S Nokomis Ave., Venice; 10 a.m.

The lectures are presented on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Sarasota; Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m. and Fridays at 10 a.m. at the Venice Community Center in Venice; and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Thursdays at 5 p.m. at the Cornerstone Church in Lakewood Ranch. Lectures will also be available for purchase on video.

The 2025 season also features the popular “Music Mondays” series, which presents performances and lively conversations with renowned and emerging performers, through March 24, on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. at Church of the Palms in Sarasota; and Mondays at 3 p.m. at Venice Presbyterian Church in Venice.

Season subscriptions for the Global Issues series are available for purchase for $110 for 12 sessions. Single-day tickets for all programs are available at the door and are $15. Multiple subscription and flex pack options are also available. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit SillSarasota.org or call 941-365-6404.