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2013 Academic WorldQuest Sponsors


Merrill Lynch --
Mr. Michael Phillip


New Mind Education

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs -- U.S. Dept of State

Communications Sponsor


Prize Sponsor

Gallup Education

Special Thanks

Foreign Policy

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Our Sponsors

 

Akmaaq

 

Aviation Leasing

 

Barclays Capital

 

Booz Allen Hamilton

 

 1918 Society Members

 

Carnegie Corporation of New York

 

Carlson & The Carlson Family Foundation

 

Cisco

 

Chevron

 

The Claremont Group

 

Duke Energy

 

El Paso Corporation

 

ExxonMobil

 

The Gambrinus Company

 

German Marshall Fund of the U.S.

 

Goldman Sachs

 

Heydar Aliyev Foundation

 

Hutchins Family Foundation

 

IRELI

 

Johnson + Sterling

 

Merrill Lynch -

Mr. Michael Phillip

 

NATO

 

Northrop Grumman

 

Raytheon

 

Steelcase, Inc.

 

Tomassian, Throckmorton & Inouye LLP

 

Thomson Reuters

 

Turkish Cultural Foundation

Week of May 13th

Save the Date: 2013 National Conference

The World Affairs Councils of America will host its 2013 National Conference November 13-15, 2013 at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel. Registration and hotel booking details to follow shortly. We look forward to seeing you all in November!

 

Future of Korea: Applications Due Wednesday, May 15

KEIWe are pleased to announce continued collaboration with the Korea Economic Institute of America on the Future of Korea program series. The speaker program focuses on the economic and political situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as U.S.-Korea relations. 
 
The centerpiece of the program is a panel discussion consisting of one representative each from the U.S. Department of State, the Korean Embassy, KEI, or other relevant institutions. The panel participants typically offer a general overview presentation (approximately 60-90 minutes in length), followed by a Q&A period. The speakers address political, security, economic and financial issues pertaining to the Korean Peninsula and U.S.-Korea relations. Visit our website to learn more. 

 

All councils may submit expressions of interest; up to eight councils will be selected to participate. Councils interested in hosting need to send a completed Application Form to Althea Georgantas at ageorgantas@worldaffairscouncils.org by Wednesday, May 15.
 
The 2012-2013 Future of Korea program has two events in May:

 

May 14 -- World Affairs Council of San Antonio

 

May 16 -- World Affairs Council of Kentucky and S. Indiana 
 
Hot Topics Conference Call on North Korea Recording
We hosted a Hot Topics Conference Call on Wednesday, April 24 with Dr. Abraham Kim, Vice President of KEI and speaker for the Future of Korea program. Dr. Kim will addressed the ongoing situation in North Korea and what the future looks like of U.S.-North Korean relations. The call was moderated by our President & CEO, Todd Culpepper.

  

 

CONTEXT: Partnership with the Wilson Center

We are excited to announce CONTEXT, a new partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Every week, the Wilson Center interviews experts on pressing foreign policy and national security issues. Each interview is split up into short clips packing the vital information one needs to know. 

 

Check out the latest CONTEXT, Africa Transformed: How Women and Youth are Leading the Way Through Technology and Innovation, featuring Kevin Urama, Executive Director, African Technology Policy Studies Network; Oreoluwa Somolu, Executive Director, Women's Technology Empowerment Centre (W. Tec); and Richard Seshie, Founder, Vivuus Renewables.

 

 

Development on the African continent has gone "high tech." Using the Internet, mobile devices, and other tools unavailable to previous generations, young people, particularly women, are leading the way in finding innovative ways to unleash technology to solve problems large and small.

 

Not My Life Programs Underway

Our newest national program series focusing on human trafficking and modern-day slavery is underway. The program features screenings of the documentary film Not My Life by Robert Bilheimer and Worldwide Documentaries at over 35 World Affairs Councils. The program is made possible by a generous grant from Carlson & The Carlson Family FoundationClick here to see the participating councils. This month's events include:

 

May 17 -- World Affairs Council of New Hampshire

 

May 22 -- San Diego World Affairs Council

 

Qatar: Sand, Sea and Sky with Diana Untermeyer

The World Affairs Councils of America, in collaboration with the Embassy of Qatar, is sponsoring an Engage America Speaker Series with Diana Untermeyer, author of Qatar: Sand, Sea, and Sky. Mrs. Untermeyer lived in Doha, the bustling capital of Qatar, from 2004-2007 while her husband Chase served as U.S. ambassador. Qatar: Sand, Sea, and Skygives an overview of Qatar's rich culture and history and documents its journey into modernity. Though small in size, Qatar's strategic location and natural gas wealth make it a rising economic and political power. Breathtakingly illustrated by award-winning photographer Henry Dallal, Mrs. Untermeyer's personal narrative provides a unique perspective of this moderate Muslim country and the way it attempts to become modern and engaged with the world without losing its heritage. This month's events include:

 

May 8 -- World Affairs Council of New Hampshire

 

May 16 -- Peoria Area World Affairs Council

 

May 23 -- Santa Fe Council on International Relations

 

From the Cuban Missile Crisis to Iran

Carnegie LogoThe World Affairs Councils of America is excited for the upcoming events for the Engage America Speaker Series entitled, From the Cuban Missile Crisis to Iran: Confronting the Nuclear Threat. The program is made possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. More Information

 

May 20 -- Vermont Council on World Affairs

 

Spring Leadership Meeting Recap

The 2013 Spring Leadership Meeting was held May 6 in Chicago. Topics of discussion included fundraising, marketing, and engaging millennials. A conference call was held on Thursday, May 9 to summarize the meeting. A recording of the conference call can be heard here

 

Below: Council leaders and staff at the University Club. (Photo credit: Patrick Ryan of the Tennessee World Affairs Council)

 

Academic WorldQuest National Competition 

Congratulations to all teams, coaches, parents, and councils who attended. Check out our Facebook page and like us. Photos from the weekend are posted there. Special congratulations to the winning teams:

 

 

National Champion
Plano West Senior High School 
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth 
Jeffrey Chang, Jonathan Huang, Samuel Cheng, Carlos Molina, and coach John Scott 

  

Second Place
Community School of Naples 
Naples Council on World Affairs 
Max Bressler, Mark McElwaine, Kara Bressler, Jose Sandoval, and coach Ruth Wahl 

  

Third Place
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School 
World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond 
Christopher Benos, Christine Gao, John Metz, Matthew King, alternate Kevin Yuan, and coach Brenda Ericson 

  

The weekend got off to a great start with the evening panel, From Graduation to DC: Paths to a Career in Foreign Policy featuring Kelsey Hartigan, Program Officer, International Program, Nuclear Threat Initiative; Adam Johnson, English Language Officer, International Visitor Leadership Program, U.S. Department of State, and Associate Director, External Relations, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy; Jackie Quinones, Africa Expert, Democratic Staff, House Foreign Affairs Committee; and moderator Bill Clifford, President & CEO, WorldBoston. An evening reception followed.
 
  
The World Affairs Councils of America thanks its sponsors ExxonMobil, who has been a long-standing sponsor of the Academic WorldQuest National Competition; supporting sponsors Merrill Lynch - Mr. Michael Phillip, New Mind Education, and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State; and Gallup Education, who is offering each student of the winning team a free subscription to their Gallup WorldView tool, which provides access to all data from their World Poll. WACA also thanks Georgetown University for hosting receptions for the Academic WorldQuest competitors, to moderator David Rothkopf and Foreign Policy, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and to Weber Shandwick for acting as communications sponsor. 

 

Network Notes

Dr. Lori E. Murray, Distinguished Chair for National Security, U.S. Naval Academy, WACA National Board member, and former WACA President & CEO, wrote a thought-provoking op-ed for The Huffington Post titled "Syria: The Red Line is Right -- Where's the World's Outrage?" You can read the piece here

Weekly Highlights
Council leaders to lecture on Travel the World tours from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia:

 

Mimi Gregory, Naples World Affairs Council and Francophile, travels to Paris, Alsace and Burgundy. September 24-October 4, 2013.

Ambassador Marilyn McAfee, Jacksonville Council, lectures aboard a private jet trip to South America. November 2-22, 2013.

Admiral William Fallon lectures and Met soprano, Harolyn Blackwell sings, on a 100-guest Adriatic cruise. September 22-October 3, 2013.  

  

Dr. Carla Thorson, Vice President Northern California, Antarctica Cruise. January 31-February 13, 2014. 

  

Kay Maxwell, Executive Director, World Affairs Forum, Stamford, CT. Myanmar (Burma). February 7-20, 2014. 

 

Contact www.wacphila.org/travel or call 800-942-5004 x209 or x217.

 
Monday    May 13
The World Affairs Council of Monterey Bay holds "What to do About the Nuclear Threat of North Korea and Iran?" More Information

Tuesday    May 14
The World Affairs Council of San Antonio hosts Haekwan Chung and Dr. Abraham Kim, for "Future of Korea." This program is sponsored by the Korea Economic Institute and the World Affairs Councils of America. More Information 

 

The Alabama World Affairs Council hosts Air War College instructors, for "Report to Alabama."  More Information 

  

WorldBoston hosts Thomas Vallely, for "Myanmar and Southeast Asia." More Information 

  

The World Affairs Council of Oregon hosts Evgeny Morozov, for "To Save Everything Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism." More Information 

  

The World Affairs Council of Houston hosts Alexander Zakharov, the Consul General of Russia. More Information 

 

The World Affairs Council of Maine hosts Anne Zill, for a Great Decisions Dinner on Myanmar and Southeast Asia. More Information 

 

Wednesday    May 15
The World Affairs Council of Houston hosts Christian Burgsm�ller, for "Transatlantic Energy Cooperation: Security Challenges and Opportunities." More Information

 

The Indiana Council on World Affairs hosts Sen. Richard Lugar, for "American Foreign Policy Challenges and Opportunities in a Partisan Era." More Information

 

The World Affairs Council of Kentucky and S. Indiana hosts a Panel Discussion on the "Future of US-Korean Relations: Continuing Partnership & New Opportunities in the Global Economy." More Information

 

The Foreign Policy Association hosts a screening and a panel discussion of "The General and the Democrat: Burma in Transition." More Information

 

The World Affairs Council of Northern California hosts Niko Milonopoulos and Katharina Zellweger, for "North Korea: A Perspective of Civilian Society and Assessing the Nuclear Threat." More Information

 

The World Affairs Council of Northern California hosts Evgeny Morozov, for "The Risks of Advanced Information Technology." More Information

 

The World Affairs Forum hosts Evans J.R. Revere, for "Is the Curtain Lifting on North Korea?" More Information

 

The World Affairs Council of Tacoma hosts "Travel Talk: An American Perspective on Southeast Asia - Emphasizing the rapid growth and change in Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and China." More Information 

 

Thursday    May 16

The Peoria Area World Affairs Council hosts Diana Untermeyer, for "Qatar: Sand, Sea and Sky." This program is sponsored by the World Affairs Councils of America. More Information 
 
The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan hosts Todd Huizinga, for "U.S.-EU Free Trade Agreement Within Reach?" More Information

 

The World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads hosts his Excellency Jose Cuisia, the Philippine Ambassador to the United States. More Information

 

The World Affairs Council of Houston hosts Shannon O'Neil, for "Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the U.S., and the Road Ahead." More Information

  

The World Affairs Council of Houston hosts Shannon O'Neil, for "Moving in Opposite Directions?: Mexico & Venezuela." More Information

  

The International Relations Council hosts Dean Chris King, for "International Environmental Security." More Information   

  

The Foreign Policy Association hosts a panel to discuss "Private Equity Investments in Africa." More Information

 

The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia hosts Edward J. Hanko, Thomas F. Minton, III, and Joseph P. Sullivan, for "The Second Decade of Homeland Security: Protecting America's Birthplace." More Information  

 

The World Affairs Council of Northern California hosts, for members only, Richard Haass, for "Refocusing US Foreign Policy on the Home Front." More Information

  

The Savannah Council on World Affairs hosts Dr. Raul Madrid, for "The Origin of the Two Lefts in Latin America." More Information

  

The International Affairs Forum hosts Ambassador Mel Levitsky, for "Brazil: No Longer Just the Country of the Future." More Information   

 

The World Affairs Council of Washington, DC hosts Timothy Beardson, for "Stumbling Giant: The Threat to China's Future." More Information  

  

Friday    May 17

The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire hosts a screening of Not My Life. This program is sponsored by the World Affairs Councils of America and made possible by a generous grant from Carlson & The Carlson Family Foundation.

 

The Alaska World Affairs Council hosts Lewis Simons, for "The Obama Administration's Pivot from the Middle East to Asia: Opportunities for Alaska and the Entire West Coast." More Information

 

The World Affairs Council of Hilton Head hosts Steven A. Cook, for "The Struggle for Egypt Continues: The Uprising Two Years On." More Information 

 

The World Affairs Council of Oregon hosts Ted Wheeler, for "Keeping Oregon on the Map." More Information

 

WorldBoston hosts an evening of Korean cuisine and culture, featuring Consul General Kangho Park of the Republic of Korea. An extensive assortment of delicious and traditional Korean fare will be served. More Information 

  

Saturday    May 18
The Olympia World Affairs Council hosts its annual reception. More Information

 

The World Affairs Council of Oregon hosts Ted Wheeler, for a free conference for K-12 educators on "Africa Rising." More Information
 

The World Affairs Councils of America 

1200 18th St., NW, Suite 902, Washington, DC 20036

Phone (202) 833-4557  Fax (202) 833-4555

Email waca@worldaffairscouncils.org Website www.worldaffairscouncils.org