With over 32 years of experience in foreign policy, national security expert in defense, diplomacy and intelligence Jason Howk has written numerous books on Afghanistan, interfaith issues, Islam, and other foreign policy and national security topics. On Tuesday, September 17, the Society of Skeptics will welcome the return of Mr. Howk, a frequent friend and perennial favorite of Skeptics audiences.

For his sixth Skeptics talk, Mr. Howk will elaborate on the impacts of the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021. He plans to revisit the events that unfolded and affected hundreds of thousands of people. “I will share thoughts on our U.S. involvement, what happened after we left, the status today and what the U.S. or other countries might do to change what’s happening right now,” shared Mr. Howk in a pre-event interview. 

Aside from his work deciphering the aftermath of the events of Afghanistan, the veteran has also recently examined the repercussions of key Pakistani leader Gilaman Wazir’s death in Middle Eastern international affairs. Mr. Howk writes about the state of Pakistan since the leader’s death in his piece for ClearanceJobs, titled “Unveiling Pakistan’s Fragile Security: The Gilaman Wazir Murder.”

Though the topics for his discussions change, Mr. Howk’s affinity and admiration for Blair students and their eagerness never fades. 

“One reason I love returning to Skeptics is because of Blair students. They are hungry to learn about diverse ideas and challenge their own views on various topics and I am humbled to get to help them think about ideas they may not have encountered yet,” said Mr. Howk. 

“It’s a great honor to spend time with such inquisitive young people, who are not afraid to ask challenging and smart questions, and I find myself learning a lot from each of my discussions.”

When he is not speaking to students, Mr. Howk writes as a columnist for ClearanceJobs News and is an Islamic and Afghan studies professor at the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School. Additionally, he works as a contributing writer for over two dozen journals and regularly appears on news outlets to discuss Afghanistan. 

Mr. Howk holds a master’s degree in Middle Eastern and South Asian studies and served as a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a Malone Fellow in Arab and Islamic Studies and studied Afghan Farsi (Dari) and Arabic. 

All are welcome to hear Mr. Howk speak in the forum of the Chiang-Elghanayan Center next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

History of Skeptics
 
The Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. Each week, speakers from the political, social, scientific, economic and literary arenas share their unique perspectives with students, who are encouraged to engage with presenters, asking questions and debating points of view.

The program, which is funded in part by the Class of 1968 Society of Skeptics Endowment Fund, is an outgrowth of the Blair International Society, begun in 1937. Forty years later, former history department chair Elliott Trommald, PhD, Hon. ’65, established the modern Skeptics program as a regular forum for student discussion and debate; history teacher Martin Miller, PhD, took over in the mid-1980s and molded the program into a weekly lecture series, one that has since continued without interruption. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miller and his successor, history department chair Jason Beck, Skeptics has featured a wide variety of speakers who are thought-provoking, engaging, accomplished in their respective fields and often controversial. For a listing of upcoming Skeptics programs, please visit Blair’s website.