The Cyril Foster Lecture series

Over the past 50 years, the Cyril Foster Lecture series has delivered engaging lectures from some of the world's most influential policymakers and academics. This year's lecture will be given by Christine Ahn and Lt Gen (Ret) Dan Leaf, US Air Force, bringing together two leading, internationally renowned speakers on peace activism and peacekeeping. The lecture will be introduced by Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lord Tarassenko, and chaired by Cyril Foster Lecture Chair, Professor Neta Crawford.

The Cyril Foster Lecture 2025

Many fear that the next big interstate war will begin in Asia, whether as an escalation of pre-existing but unresolved conflicts or by accident and miscalculation. Christine Ahn and Lt Gen (Ret) Dan Leaf, US Air Force have decades of experience working in conflict zones. They have found working together to bring peace and reconciliation in the Asia Pacific region valuable. They will share insights from their individual work in Korea and Vietnam, their collaborations and will talk about the politics and process of ending wars.

More about Christine Ahn and Christine Ahn and Lt Gen (Ret) Dan Leaf, US Air Force

Christine Ahn is an Fellow from the Institute for Policy Studies and Founder, Women Cross DMZ. Christine is a Korean-American peace activist who served as the Executive Director of Women Cross DMZ, an organization of women advocating for an end to the Korean War. In 2015, she led 30 international women peacemakers across the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) from North Korea to South Korea. She is also the 2020 winner of The US Peace Prize for her work for peace on the Korean peninsula and her advocacy for women's leadership in peace-building efforts.

Lt Gen (Ret) Dan Leaf, US Air Force, is the Managing Director of Phase Minus 1, LLC (PM1), a company he formed in 2017. His focus areas include peace on the Korean Peninsula, the US-Viet Nam relationship, conflict resolution, effective governance, and strategic leadership. He provides independent consulting services on cyber security solutions, adaptive learning systems, and AI-enabled planning tools. A decorated combat fighter pilot, Dan Leaf has more than 3,600 flight hours, including F-15 and F-16 combat missions during a 33-year USAF career that culminated in duties as the Deputy Commander of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) 2005-2008.

Event Schedule

4:30pm - 4:55pm: Registration

5pm prompt: The Cyril Foster Lecture 2025 will start;

• Opening remarks from Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lord Tarassenko CBE FREng FMedSci, President of Reuben College
• Introduction to Christine Ahn and Lt Gen (Ret) Dan Leaf, US Air Force by Professor Neta Crawford
• Cyril Foster Lecture 2025: ‘How to End Wars: Pragmatic Approaches to Peacebuilding' by Christine Ahn and Dan Leaf
• Q&A, chaired by Professor Neta Crawford
• Closing remarks by Head of Department of Politics and International Relations, Professor David Doyle

6:30pm - 7:30pm: Drinks Reception

About the Cyril Foster Lecture Series

This lecture series is the legacy of Cyril A Foster. We know very little about him. Mr Foster owned several small sweet shops in and around London and lived alone in Essex. On his death, he left a bequest to the University, asking us to create an annual lecture series on the ‘elimination of war and the better understanding of the nations of the world’. This wish is particularly unusual, as he had no previous connection to the University. His kind and generous gift continues to promote international cooperation.