Mike Watson

Associate Director, Center for the Future of Liberal Society

Foreign Policy
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At A Glance:

Mike Watson is associate director of Hudson Institute's Center for the Future of Liberal Society.

Biography

Mike Watson is the associate director of Hudson Institute’s Center for the Future of Liberal Society. He holds a BA in history from the University of Virginia and an MA in security policy studies from George Washington University. He writes weekly for the Washington Free Beacon about foreign affairs, and his written work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Commentary, Tablet, and National Affairs. His research focuses on America’s competitive advantages against foreign adversaries and the historical roots of American foreign policy and strategic thought.

 

Events
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22
May 2025
Virtual Event | Invitation Only
US-China Rivalry in the Middle East Conference
Featured Speakers:
Senator Ted Cruz
Elliott Abrams
Michael Doran
Mary Kissel
Bernard Haykel
Joshua Meservey
John Lee
Aaron MacLean
Ray Takeyh
Thomas J. Duesterberg
Ellie Cohanim
Jonathan Hessen
Joel Scanlon
Jason Hsu
Dan Blumenthal
Michael Sobolik
Garrett Exner
Ilan Berman
Mike Watson
Moderators:
Liel Leibovitz
Zineb Riboua
Ethan Gutman
Adhwaa Alsaleh
Daniel Samet
(US-China Rivalry in the Middle East logo)
22
May 2025
Virtual Event | Invitation Only
US-China Rivalry in the Middle East Conference

Former policymakers and leading national security experts will join Hudson to assess how China’s growing influence is reshaping the regional order—and how the US should respond.

(US-China Rivalry in the Middle East logo)
Featured Speakers:
Senator Ted Cruz
Elliott Abrams
Michael Doran
Mary Kissel
Bernard Haykel
Joshua Meservey
John Lee
Aaron MacLean
Ray Takeyh
Thomas J. Duesterberg
Ellie Cohanim
Jonathan Hessen
Joel Scanlon
Jason Hsu
Dan Blumenthal
Michael Sobolik
Garrett Exner
Ilan Berman
Mike Watson
Moderators:
Liel Leibovitz
Zineb Riboua
Ethan Gutman
Adhwaa Alsaleh
Daniel Samet
Learn More
16
May 2024
Past Event
Planning to Win: An Analysis of US Strategy | Political Studies Policy Certificate Program
Featured Speakers:
Mike Watson
Peter Campbell
Rachel Mackey
(Getty Images)
16
May 2024
Past Event
Planning to Win: An Analysis of US Strategy | Political Studies Policy Certificate Program
(Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Mike Watson
Peter Campbell
Rachel Mackey
Learn More
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A journalist takes a photo of a live feed of Xi Jinping speaking at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, on May 14, 2017. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)
A journalist takes a photo of a live feed of Xi Jinping speaking at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, on May 14, 2017. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)
The Middle Kingdom’s Media Blitz
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mike_watson
Mike Watson
Associate Director, Center for the Future of Liberal Society
Mike Watson
Commentary
4 Min Read
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer JS Hyūga (DDH 181) launches an MH-60J Seahawk helicopter during training. Operating as part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, units assigned to Carl Vinson and Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Groups, America and Essex Amphibious Ready Groups, alongside JMSDF, are conducting training to preserve and protect a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (Photo by Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Jeremy Faller)
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Hyūga launches an MH-60J Seahawk helicopter during training in the Philippine Sea on January 21, 2022. (DVIDS photo by Jeremy Faller)
Japan Abandons Pacifism
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mike_watson
Mike Watson
Associate Director, Center for the Future of Liberal Society
Mike Watson
Commentary
10 Min Read
During a gala marking the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party, performers dressed as emergency workers surround a large Communist Party flag on June 28, 2021 at the Olympic Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty)
During a gala marking the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party, performers dressed as emergency workers surround a large Communist Party flag on June 28, 2021 at the Olympic Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty)
Fooling Ourselves in the Far East
Default Expert Image
Mike Watson
Associate Director, Center for the Future of Liberal Society
Mike Watson
Commentary
4 Min Read