From lifesaving vaccines to groundbreaking cancer treatments, medical research institutions are at the heart of health innovation, with benefits that extend well beyond the medical breakthroughs. Focusing on Grand Rapids’ own Van Andel Institute, join us for a conversation with VAI’s President and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Peter Jones, as he shares how centers of […]
Medical schools do more than educate future doctors. They are also engines of innovation and research and are on the front lines of community care. This program explores how medical schools, including Michigan State University, contribute to solving some of the world’s most pressing health challenges, from combating pandemics to advancing health equity. Join us […]
The World Affairs Councils of America is proud to announce the 2025 National Conference: The World, On Balance. For more than a century, World Affairs Councils have been a trusted forum through global change, bringing communities together to make sense of the world, one conversation at a time. Today’s world is in flux – alliances shifting, […]
Join us for dinner and a fun and entertaining international trivia contest held every year with college, corporate and community teams competing. Prizes will be given to the top three teams along with door prizes. Moving the annual WorldQuest global trivia competition from May to January was an attempt by the World Affairs Council of […]
We welcome Emily Feng, NPR International Correspondent. In today’s China, questions of identity are no longer private. They are political, enforced, and deeply personal. This talk explores contemporary China through lived experience, drawing on NPR correspondent Emily Feng’s reporting and her new book on identity and belonging under Xi Jinping. Blending analysis with vivid […]
We welcome, Joel Westra, Department Chair, Professor, Director, Pre-Law Program, Calvin University After World War II ended, countries created the United Nations Charter, which was meant to help organize the world and prevent future conflict. Since that time, governments have worked through these international organizations to manage shared global challenges like humanitarian crises, environmental […]
Join us for informal Lunch & Learn sessions tied to the World Affairs Council’s Great Decisions global discussion series, co-hosted with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and Museum. Each session includes lunch, a 30-minute Foreign Policy Association video on the week’s topic, and a guided discussion led by World Affairs Council and […]
We welcome Ambassador Bridget A. Brink, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. What does it mean to defend democracy while living under daily missile attacks? Drawing on her experience leading the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv during Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ambassador Bridget Brink discusses Ukraine’s fight for sovereignty and the challenges of sustaining democratic resilience during […]
We welcome Bill Moseley, Dewitt Wallace Professor of Geography, Macalester College This presentation examines the evolution of food security and agricultural development in post-colonial Africa and outlines a more sustainable path forward. Challenging the long-held assumption that increased production alone can end hunger, it argues for rethinking agriculture as a valued livelihood rather than […]
Join us for informal Lunch & Learn sessions tied to the World Affairs Council’s Great Decisions global discussion series, co-hosted with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and Museum. Each session includes lunch, a 30-minute Foreign Policy Association video on the week’s topic, and a guided discussion led by World Affairs Council and […]
We welcome Hardy Merriman, former President of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC) A powerful autocratic wave is sweeping the globe. According to various measures, authoritarian governments have risen and democracies have declined worldwide over the past two decades. To ensure long-term peace, security, and human rights for billions of people, it is […]
We welcome Ambassador (ret.) Michael McKinley, senior counselor, the Cohen Group What does it mean for the United States to navigate a world of intensifying conflicts, shifting alliances, and renewed great-power competition? From ongoing wars to economic and technological rivalry, U.S. foreign policy is being reshaped in real time. This program explores the current […]
