World Affairs Council of Western Michigan

A Conversation with Junghan Kim, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago
2023-05-02 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit) | L. William Seidman Center, GVSU Pew Campus, 50 Front St. SW, Grand Rapids,, MI, 49504, United States
Please join us for a dialogue with Consul General Jungham Kim as he discusses U.S.-Korea relations, trade issues, and opportunities for West Michigan companies and organizations to connect with Korean economic and educational resources.
Consul General Jungham Kim represents the Republic of Korea from consular headquarters in Chicago and covers 13 Midwestern states, including Michigan. His role is to strengthen the existing ties between the two countries in this region and promote the rights and interests of Korean communities.
The Consul General will give a short presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session. Other Consul Generals from various countries based in either Detroit or Chicago will also be invited, making this a unique global learning and networking experience.
This event is part of Michigan World Trade Week, a celebration of international trade and business growth for Michigan.
In addition to our keynote speaker, members of the Consular Corps of Michigan will be in attendance.
Networking from 11:30-12:00, with lunch and program starting promptly at noon.
Note on Parking
Discounted guest parking in the Fifth Third Bank lot, accessed off Ottawa Ave. between Michigan and Lyon Streets.
Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased below for $40 each. The price includes the cost of the meal. Open to our members and their guests.
Corporate, University, or Organization Sponsorship Tables are $400 for six persons, with a seventh person designated to sit at one of the Korean Consular tables.
Registration has closed for this event.

Sanctions: Costs and Effects
2023-03-27 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States
We welcome David Cortright from the Kroc Institute for International Peace of Notre Dame.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, sanctions have been one means for the west to challenge Russia. How effective have these sanctions been in hindering Russia’s war efforts? How do these sanctions compare with others enacted against Iran, Myamar, and Venezuela? What collateral damage has occurred through their implementation and how might sanctions be used in the future more effectively?
Reception and networking for this event will take place from 5 – 6pm.
Parking
The program will take place at the Auditorium of the Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center on the Grand Rapids Community College campus (151 Fountain Street. NE). Free parking is available in Parking Lot A on Ransom Ave NE between Lyon and Fountain (you’ll receive an exit ticket when you sign-in at the event).  Guests will walk across the walking bridge to enter the ATC and take one floor down to the auditorium.
Campus Maps
Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased below for $10 each.
If you are interested in the full Great Decisions event series, series passes are available for $60. Series passes grant you access to all of the Great Decisions events this year, as well as links to view a livestream video of the event.
For our Senator, Corporate, and Educational members, you may register and attend the series for free using the Coupon code FREEWORLD at checkout (this works for both series passes and individual tickets).
Special thanks to Series sponsor, Wolverine Worldwide
Special thanks to Media sponsors, WGVU and Grand Rapids Community Media Center

Climate Migration and the Nomad Century
2023-03-20 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States
We welcome Gaia Vince, U.K. journalist (BBC and The Economist) and author of Nomad Century.

As climate change accelerates, people in affected regions must uproot themselves and seek safety elsewhere. Vast numbers of people may be driven from their homes in the coming decades—the coming climate migration will require global cooperation. Yet, migration offers opportunities for the people migrating and the host countries that receive them.

Reception and networking for this event will take place from 5 – 6pm.
Parking
The program will take place at the Auditorium of the Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center on the Grand Rapids Community College campus (151 Fountain Street. NE). Free parking is available in Parking Lot A on Ransom Ave NE between Lyon and Fountain (you’ll receive an exit ticket when you sign-in at the event).  Guests will walk across the walking bridge to enter the ATC and take one floor down to the auditorium.
Campus Maps
Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased below for $10 each.
If you are interested in the full Great Decisions event series, series passes are available for $60. Series passes grant you access to all of the Great Decisions events this year, as well as links to view a livestream video of the event.
For our Senator, Corporate, and Educational members, you may register and attend the series for free using the Coupon code FREEWORLD at checkout (this works for both series passes and individual tickets).
Special thanks to Series sponsor, Wolverine Worldwide
Special thanks to Media sponsors, WGVU and Grand Rapids Community Media Center

Energy and the Politics of Power
2023-03-13 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States
We welcome Brian Min, from the University of Michigan.
Accessing and controlling fossil fuels have long influenced the politics of individual nations and their relations with others. As the modern world electrifies, how do the politics of energy lead to a looming energy crisis?
Reception and networking for this event will take place from 5 – 6pm.
Parking
The program will take place at the Auditorium of the Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center on the Grand Rapids Community College campus (151 Fountain Street. NE). Free parking is available in Parking Lot A on Ransom Ave NE between Lyon and Fountain (you’ll receive an exit ticket when you sign-in at the event).  Guests will walk across the walking bridge to enter the ATC and take one floor down to the auditorium.
Campus Maps
Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased below for $10 each.
If you are interested in the full Great Decisions event series, series passes are available for $60. Series passes grant you access to all of the Great Decisions events this year, as well as links to view a livestream video of the event.
For our Senator, Corporate, and Educational members, you may register and attend the series for free using the Coupon code FREEWORLD at checkout (this works for both series passes and individual tickets).

Latin American Politics: A Shift to the Left?
2023-03-06 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States
We welcome P. Michael McKinley, Ambassador (ret.) to Brazil, Peru, and Colombia.
Elections in Latin America over the past four years have led many observers of the regional/political scene to discern a left-wing surge in the hemisphere, reminiscent of the so-called “Pink Tide” that swept the area some 20 years ago. But how much do these politicians actually have in common? What implication does their ascendency have for the region and for relations with their northern neighbors?
Reception and networking for this event will take place from 5 – 6pm.
Parking
The program will take place at the Auditorium of the Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center on the Grand Rapids Community College campus (151 Fountain Street. NE). Free parking is available in Parking Lot A on Ransom Ave NE between Lyon and Fountain (you’ll receive an exit ticket when you sign-in at the event).  Guests will walk across the walking bridge to enter the ATC and take one floor down to the auditorium.
Campus Maps
Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased below for $10 each.
If you are interested in the full Great Decisions event series, series passes are available for $60. Series passes grant you access to all of the Great Decisions events this year, as well as links to view a livestream video of the event.
For our Senator, Corporate, and Educational members, you may register and attend the series for free using the Coupon code FREEWORLD at checkout (this works for both series passes and individual tickets).
Special thanks to Series sponsor, Wolverine Worldwide
Special thanks to Media sponsors, WGVU and Grand Rapids Community Media Center

Iran at a Crossroads
2023-02-27 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States
We welcome Suzanne DiMaggio from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Suzanne is the Director of the Iran Project.
U.S. relations with Iran have reached a critical point. The Iranian nuclear program is more advanced than it’s ever been as negotiations to restore the JCPOA have stalled. Iran’s provision of drones to Russia against Ukraine and Tehran’s brutal crackdown on protesters around the death of Mahsa Amini have led to heightened tensions. At the same time, the international sanctions regime at the heart of the U.S.’s pressure campaign against Iran is fraying as Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing forge closer ties. Against this evolving backdrop, what are the strategic options for U.S. policy toward Iran. Is an agreement to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon still a realistic goal? What are the alternatives?
Reception and networking for this event will take place from 5 – 6pm.
Parking
The program will take place at the Auditorium of the Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center on the Grand Rapids Community College campus (151 Fountain Street. NE). Free parking is available in Parking Lot A on Ransom Ave NE between Lyon and Fountain (you’ll receive an exit ticket when you sign-in at the event).  Guests will walk across the walking bridge to enter the ATC and take one floor down to the auditorium.
Campus Maps
Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased below for $10 each.
If you are interested in the full Great Decisions event series, series passes are available for $60. Series passes grant you access to all of the Great Decisions events this year, as well as links to view a livestream video of the event.
For our Senator, Corporate, and Educational members, you may register and attend the series for free using the Coupon code FREEWORLD at checkout (this works for both series passes and individual tickets).
Special thanks to Series sponsor, Wolverine Worldwide
Special thanks to topic sponsor, Grand Valley State University
Special thanks to Media sponsors, WGVU and Grand Rapids Community Media Center

The Geopolitics of Hunger and Global Food Production
2023-02-20 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States
We welcome Brittany Cook from Louisiana State University.
In a potential future without famine, what other frameworks should we use to address global hunger? What are other productive ways for thinking about food systems? This talk explores how racial capitalism highlights key problems in the relationship between food production, geopolitics, and development.
Reception and networking for this event will take place from 5 – 6pm.
Parking
The program will take place at the Auditorium of the Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center on the Grand Rapids Community College campus (151 Fountain Street. NE). Free parking is available in Parking Lot A on Ransom Ave NE between Lyon and Fountain (you’ll receive an exit ticket when you sign-in at the event).  Guests will walk across the walking bridge to enter the ATC and take one floor down to the auditorium.
Campus Maps
Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased below for $10 each.
If you are interested in the full Great Decisions event series, series passes are available for $60. Series passes grant you access to all of the Great Decisions events this year, as well as links to view a livestream video of the event.
For our Senator, Corporate, and Educational members, you may register and attend the series for free using the Coupon code FREEWORLD at checkout (this works for both series passes and individual tickets).
Special thanks to Series sponsor, Wolverine Worldwide
Special thanks to topic sponsor, Grand Rapids Community College
Special thanks to Media sponsors, WGVU and Grand Rapids Community Media Center

What’s Ahead for China and the U.S.
2023-02-13 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States
We welcome Mary Gallagher from the University of Michigan.
The U.S. and China have one of the most important and complex bilateral relationships. But this relationship has been eroding for years. While President Biden met with President Xi for the first time since his election in 2020, serious rifts remain. How might the United States and China engage with the other in these increasingly tense times?
Reception and networking for this event will take place from 5 – 6pm.
Parking
The program will take place at the Auditorium of the Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center on the Grand Rapids Community College campus (151 Fountain Street. NE). Free parking is available in Parking Lot A on Ransom Ave NE between Lyon and Fountain (you’ll receive an exit ticket when you sign-in at the event).  Guests will walk across the walking bridge to enter the ATC and take one floor down to the auditorium.
Campus Maps
Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased below for $10 each.
If you are interested in the full Great Decisions event series, series passes are available for $60. Series passes grant you access to all of the Great Decisions events this year, as well as links to view a livestream video of the event.
For our Senator, Corporate, and Educational members, you may register and attend the series for free using the Coupon code FREEWORLD at checkout (this works for both series passes and individual tickets).
Special thanks to Series sponsor, Wolverine Worldwide
Special thanks to topic sponsor, Bank of America
Special thanks to Media sponsors, WGVU and Grand Rapids Community Media Center

Reckoning on War Crimes
2023-02-06 18:00 - 19:15 UTC | Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, United States
We welcome Deborah Amos from NPR.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in widespread charges of war crimes and calls for justice. But what exactly are war crimes? Opinions of what constitutes a war crime have evolved, as have ways to identify and punish the perpetrators. Yet, war crimes are notoriously difficult to investigate and prosecute. How might the war crimes committed in Ukraine be dealt with?
Reception and networking for this event will take place from 5 – 6pm.
Parking
The program will take place at the Auditorium of the Wisner-Botrall Applied Technology Center on the Grand Rapids Community College campus (151 Fountain Street. NE). Free parking is available in Parking Lot A on Ransom Ave NE between Lyon and Fountain (you’ll receive an exit ticket when you sign-in at the event).  Guests will walk across the walking bridge to enter the ATC and take one floor down to the auditorium.
Campus Maps
Tickets
Individual tickets can be purchased below for $10 each.
If you are interested in the full Great Decisions event series, series passes are available for $60. Series passes grant you access to all of the Great Decisions events this year, as well as links to view a livestream video of the event. Click here to purchase a series pass.
For our Senator, Corporate, and Educational members, you may register and attend the series for free using the Coupon code FREEWORLD at checkout (this works for both series passes and individual tickets).
Special thanks to Series sponsor, Wolverine Worldwide
Special thanks to topic sponsor, Grand Valley State University
Special thanks to reception sponsor, Grand Rapids Community College
Special thanks to Media sponsors, WGVU and Grand Rapids Community Media Center

A Conversation with Chinese Consul General Zhao Jian
2023-01-11 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit) | L. William Seidman Center, GVSU Pew Campus, 50 Front St. SW, Grand Rapids,, MI, 49504, United States
China’s Chicago-based Consul General Zhao Jian will share some reflections on his country’s direction after the 20th National Congress at this 12-noon luncheon at the University Club of Grand Rapids. There will be opportunity to ask questions and engage in dialogue. Consul General will be joined by Vice Consul Wang Li.

The Consul General covers nine states throughout the Midwest, including Michigan, and is committed to working with people in the region to promote mutually beneficial cooperation and exchanges. He has served in various positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also abroad in Australia and Guyana.
Luncheon registration is $35 each, and there are six-person sponsorship tables available for $350, which entitle the company/organization to an extra ticket (seven total), and the designation of a representative to sit at one of the two consular tables.

Registration is available on-line here.
Zhao previously served as a staff member in the Department of Treaty and Law in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. He then worked for the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, where he became the director. Following his time as director, Zhao was appointed to counselor for the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Commonwealth of Australia and the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs. Zhao then became the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne and then transitioned into his current role in Chicago.
