July 9, 2021
WACA 2021 National Conference
November 16-19, 2021
LAST CHANCE TO WIN A FREE TICKET!

One lucky individual will win a free Conference pass (covers registration fees only) for successfully naming the title of this year's event. Hint: be concise and capture this year's Conference theme - the domestic international connection.

Please submit one entry per person by TODAY, July 9, at 2:00 PM ET. We will share the top three finalists to poll the network to determine the winner next Monday. Send your entry to Laura Duncan at lduncan@worldaffairscouncils.org.
BOOK YOUR ROOM AT THE MAYFLOWER!

The World Affairs Councils of America is excited to welcome all of you to the WACA 2021 National Conference this November 16-19 at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC.

We look forward to celebrating WACA's 35th Anniversary in person at our signature national event! 
We are pleased to share that the hotel block is now open at the special rate of $284 / night plus tax (this rate applies to reservations as early as Nov. 14 and as late as Nov. 23). Given that the annual WACA Conference sells out early, we encourage you to book your room now!

Thanks to WACA's long-term contractual relationship with The Mayflower, we remind you to save the dates for the 2022 National Conference (November 15-18) and the 2023 National Conference (November 14-17). Be sure to mark your calendars!
Embassy Row Live! United Arab Emirates

The New Space Race
Tuesday, July 13 at 12:00 PM ET
The United Arab Emirates recently joined the small group of nations that have successfully launched a spacecraft to Mars, further proving space is the new domain for international cooperation—or competition.

Join WAC Connecticut and WACA as we speak with the woman who led the UAE's successful mission to Mars, and one of the world's rising stars in space and technology: H.E. Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri. She is the nation's first-ever Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency.

H.E. Minister Al Amiri will address the yet-to-be answered questions in the emerging space domain—from opportunities for technological innovation and global peacebuilding, to what it means for national security—and beyond.
ABOUT H.E. SARAH BINT YOUSEF AL AMIRI:

In her role as Minister of State for Advanced Technology, her excellency spearheads the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s efforts to empower the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and promote research and development in the advanced science and technology sector, in order to create new industries that drive the shift towards a knowledge economy. This, in turn, contributes to the overall mandate of the Ministry to strengthen the UAE’s industrial base, ensure in-country value, and raise the competitiveness of local industries.

As Chairwoman of the Space Agency, Her Excellency is responsible to oversee the Agency’s mandate of guiding the space sector, ensuring its contribution to the national economy and to the UAE’s sustainable development.

Her Excellency is also the Chairwoman of the Emirates Scientists Council, Chairwoman of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, and previously Science Lead of the Emirates Mars Mission (Hope) at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC).

Previously, Her Excellency was the Head of R&D at MBRSC, where she established the Centre’s knowledge management, strategic research and product assurance functionalities. She was also involved in DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2, and in the establishment of the KhalifaSat program. In 2014, Her Excellency was tasked with and led the establishment of the Advanced Aerial Systems Program, where she championed development efforts on a prototype High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite. The project resulted in a successful 24-hour flight of the unmanned vehicle, which recorded the highest altitude of any aircraft over UAE airspace.