Fareed Zakaria

Fareed Zakaria (Opening Keynote Speaker) Biography: Along with his duties as a columnist for The Washington Post, a contributing editor for The Atlantic, and a bestselling author, Fareed Zakaria is the host of Fareed Zakaria GPS, a weekly international and domestic affairs program that airs on CNN/U.S. and globally on CNN International. Since its debut in 2008, it has become a prominent television forum for global newsmakers and thought leaders. Fareed Zakaria has interviewed notable guests including past U.S. President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Other past guests include military officials such as Gen. David Petraeus and Adm. Michael Mullen; corporate leaders such as Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein and Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi; and other public figures like Bill Maher and Bono. Zakaria is the author of four highly-regarded and New York Times bestselling books: In Defense of a Liberal Education (2015), a commentary on the importance of a well-rounded education; the international bestselling The Post-American World (1st ed.2008, 2nd ed. 2011), a discussion of the rise of non-Western powers; and The Future of Freedom (2003), a study of “illiberal democracy” in various countries, also an international bestseller; and his newest book Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World (October 2020).