Thomas Friedman Shares his World View on the Eve of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

New York Times Foreign Affairs Columnist Thomas Friedman was the speaker for the 2022 FAU Larkin Symposium on the American Presidency. His address, on Feb. 23, 2022, was on the eve of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Friedman echoed the message in his book “The World is Flat,” that the actions of one country have repercussions around the world like never before in our history. More than 1600 people attended the lecture in which Friedman talked about his interactions with Presidents. The lecture was moderated by presidential historian Timothy Naftali.

Friedman is renowned for his direct reporting and accessible analysis of complex issues shaping the world. According to Foreign Policy magazine, “Friedman doesn’t just report on events; he helps shape them.” Winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, he has covered monumental stories from around the globe for The New York Times since 1981. Vanity Fair called him “the country’s best newspaper columnist.”  

Since its founding in 2007, the Alan B. and Charna Larkin Symposium has welcomed author Doris Kearns Goodwin, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, journalists/authors Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein; Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post; and historian David McCullough.

For more information about the Larkin Symposium, visit fau.edu/larkin