Edward Shapiro Lecture: Thomas Friedman

The 2026-27 Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture series welcomes Thomas Friedman, bestselling author, New York Times Foreign Affairs Columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner. Friedman will discuss "The Big Trends Shaping the World Today: Economics, Technology and Geopolitics." Friedman has covered monumental stories around the world as a journalist for The New York Times since 1981, with his work as a foreign correspondent winning Pulitzer Prizes for international reporting in 1983, when he was based in Lebanon, and in 1988, when he was based in Israel. He became the newspaper's foreign affairs columnist in 1995, after which he won a third Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 2002. Friedman is also an author of seven books including "From Beirut to Jerusalem," his National Book Award-winning account of a decade reporting from the Middle East; "The World is Flat," an exploration of globalization at the dawn of the 21st century; and, most recently, "Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations," in which he offers a blueprint for overcoming the stresses and challenges of a world being transformed by technology, globalization and climate change. Friedman will be available to sign copies of his books following the Shapiro Lecture, with a limited number available for purchase onsite on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is free and with visitor parking free in Area 20 only. Interpreters for the deaf and live captioning will be avai