Held annually for over two decades, the World Affairs Councils of America's National Conference engages our regional leaders and members drawn from the business, civic, and education communities with leading policy-makers and experts.
The Conference helps to frame and guide our national network of Councils to plan programming for the coming year on critical global and U.S. foreign policy issues identified by our network leadership across the country.
In March, we asked Council membership to select 10 topics/regions from among 40 topics. The results of this poll revealed several new themes in addition to some from previous Conferences that remain compelling. These topics and related issues will inform the 2014 National Conference agenda:
- China, the U.S., and Asia
- Russia / Eurasia
- Cybersecurity
- Future of Education
- Youth, Jobs, and Social Unrest
- Food and Water
- Global Economic Realignment
- Future of Energy
- Africa
- Climate Change
You don't have to wait for the Conference to engage on these issues: See the
Cover to Cover author conference call details below for an opportunity tomorrow, April 30 at 2:00 PM ET, to discuss our top topic: China.
Last year's conference kicked off with Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) at Wednesday evening's opening dinner and closed with a keynote from former First Lady Laura Bush. Past conferences have featured distinguished speaker and panelists including Zbigniew Brzezinski, former CIA Director General David Petraeus, Singaporean Ambassador to the U.S. Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, and many more. Click here to see our 2013 speakers and agenda.
Staying at The Fairfax
We have secured a special group rate at The Fairfax at Embassy Row:
Superior King: $234 per night (Single/Double Occupancy)
Superior Two Doubles: $254 per night (Single/Double Occupancy)
Reserve Room Here
The Fairfax at Embassy Row is a historic Washington, DC hotel is located in the Dupont Circle area. A Washington, DC landmark, the hotel has an intriguing history that spans more than 80 years.
When The Fairfax opened its doors in 1927, distinguished guests were instantly drawn to its stately elegance, and more than willing to part with the outrageous sum of $4.00 per day for a double occupancy suite with a parlor, bedroom, and full bath. Colonel H. Grady Gore and his wife purchased the historic D.C. hotel in 1932, and it was during this decade that congressman, senators, and ambassadors began to make the hotel their permanent residence. More Information
David M. Lampton is Hyman Professor and Director of SAIS-China and China Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, having also served as Dean of Faculty from 2004-2012. Formerly President of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, he is the author of many books including, The Three Faces of Chinese Power: Might, Money, and Minds (University of California Press, 2008), with prior publications appearing in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The American Political Science Review, The China Quarterly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other venues popular and academic in both the western world and in Chinese speaking societies. He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University. 
