World Affairs Council of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky

Industrial Policy Discussion
2022-06-13 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Will a more involved U.S. government help the economy revive? The current discussion of industrial policy in the United States is not simply about whether or not to support specific companies or industries, but about trust or mistrust of the government and its ability to manage the economy and deal with a rising China. The upheaval in supply chains during the pandemic exposed weaknesses in the international economy. What policies can the United States implement to deal with trade and the economy?
This session is part of the Great Decisions program through Foreign Policy Association and the World Affairs Council partners with OLLI at UC to bring you this program.

Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit
2022-06-16 | Hybrid
Join us as we explore Emergent Strategies for an Equitable, Climate Prepared Region.
In-person tickets to all days of events are limited. Please secure your spot early.
Award nominations and speaker, field trip and art submissions have closed.
Learn more about opportunities to sponsor the Summit.​
Our program includes a keynote, plenary, breakout sessions and short talks covering a broad range of relevant topics, including:

Healthy & Resilient Communities

Business & Green, Circular Economy

Government & Policy

Healthy, High-Performing Infrastructure

Creating a Food Secure Community

Climate Justice, Equity & Inclusion

Emergency Preparedness

Expo Community Conversation
2022-06-23 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual Event
Join us for this Expo Community Conversation event brought to you in partnership with the World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky, Global Ties, the U.S. Department of State and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Join us for a discussion on how we bring Expos back to the United States and do so in a more inclusive way that highlights our country’s diversity as a strength of our democracy. Expos, also known as World’s Fairs, are the world’s oldest and largest mega event, held every three-five years in host cities around the world since their inception in 1851 in London. Similar to the Olympics, which are world festivals of sports, Expos are festivals of culture, technology, innovation, design, and human excellence. Past Expos have seen a multitude of countries showcase innovations such as the mobile phone, the X-Ray Machine, and the ice cream cone.
Though Expos have not captured many U.S. citizens’ imaginations, for those who experienced the events within the United States and overseas the last sixty years, the experiences impacted simultaneously their worldviews and views of their communities.
The physical legacies of Expos in New Orleans, New York, San Antonio, and Seattle—four of the last ones hosted inside the United States, between 1960-1984—are well established. But the “felt” legacies are underexplored and powerful. With geopolitics rapidly shifting, these soft power platforms are critical to illuminating U.S. values to international audiences. We also have an opportunity to rethink how we bring Expos back to the United States and do so in a more inclusive way that highlights our country’s diversity as a strength of our democracy.
Join us for a conversation on a groundbreaking oral history project to explore the future of International Expositions and the United States’ role in them. The event will also feature Oral Historian, Anna F. Kaplan, PhD, and Paul Kruchoski, a career member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director of the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy.

Let’s Talk Oil - Energy Security and Transition Virtual Event
2022-07-27 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual Event
Professor Theresa Saboni-Helf, PhD, an international energy expert & Georgetown professor, will share insights on how energy, technology & governments intersect, including discussing questions like:

How does the quest for adequate energy shape international relations?
How do policies, technologies and markets interact in the realm of energy?
How do states balance among technological risk, environmental risk, economic risk and political risk?
How do climate goals change the energy strategies of states?
As the United States simultaneously faces the long-term threat of climate change and the near-term threat of Russian behavior in Europe, what policies are emerging, and how are they prioritized?

Theresa Sabonis-Helf is a Professor of the Practice in the Georgetown School of Foreign Service Master’s Degree program, and serves as the Inaugural Chair of the Science, Technology and International Affairs concentration. Prior to joining Georgetown, she was a Professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College in Washington DC. She has lived and worked in seven countries of the Former USSR, has assisted two nations with the development of their first National Security Strategies, has written a textbook on Caucasus regional energy issues, and has co-edited two volumes on Central Asia’s political and economic transition. She has also published and lectured extensively on energy security, climate change policies, post-Soviet energy and environmental issues, regional water politics, energy transition, and the politics of electricity. She is a frequent advisor to the US Department of State and USAID and is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Emory University, and an MPA in International Affairs from Princeton University.
Register here.

Open Data: Promise and Peril in Modern Data Flows Virtual Event
2022-08-25 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual Event
Every day, information flows at rates and quantities that are difficult for the human mind to comprehend. Within this vastness of data exist two competing concepts:

Data should be proprietary and guarded,
Data should be open and publicly available.

It is generally believed that data related to personal financial and medical data should be private and secure, while it may be important for items such as NASA and SEC data to be open and publicly available. There can be gaps in security for both types. Those gaps are exploited by opportunists engaging unknowing targets. When technology outpaces oversight, it can create friction between the parties involved. It can also bring opportunities for good.

What happens when intellectual property rights impede research?
How do the strategies used by large corporations and individuals vary when it comes to making use of open data and where does each have a competitive advantage?
What are governments doing to confront these new challenges, and do they play by the same rules?
How do companies create value for their customers by sharing data?

Join us as we dive into this broad topic with our panel of three technology leaders:

Jason Barkeloo, Founder and CEO, Open Therapeutics
Debbie Kramer, Sr. Director – Privacy, The Kroger Co.
Michael Wilhite, VP Enterprise Standards, 84.51°

Society and Cyberthreats: Risks to National Security in a Global Economy
2022-10-19 18:30 - 19:30 | Virtual Event
Join us for a Virtual Event on Wednesday, October 19th at 6:30 PM via Zoom Webinar, Society and Cyberthreats: Risks to National Security in a Global Economy.
Today, we transact vast amounts of data through smart-devices for work, home life, and everything in between. Data is the ‘new oil’ and cybersecurity has evolved into a primary focus for malicious actors—some of whom are foreign State actors and often very well organized, coordinated, with the objective of achieving strategic outcomes. To better understand this landscape of cyberthreats, we bring together this panel discussion on Society and Cyberthreats to examine our country’s cyber strategies.
We are joined by Dr. Harknett and Ms. Guider to start by asking some simple questions to better understand Cyberthreats in our daily lives beyond our mere distant awareness about coercion, militarized crisis, and war:

Is cybersecurity more of a technology or people problem?
How have the nature of cybersecurity threats changed in the recent decade(s)?
How has the training/education curriculum evolved in response to the changing global cybersecurity threats?

Guest Panelists:
Kathy Guider, Vice President Veracity IIR, retired FBI Special Agent
Richard Harknett, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Professor & Director, School of Public and International Affairs (SPIC), Co-Director, Ohio Cyber Range Institute(OCRI), Chair, Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy (CCSP)

World Affairs Council Annual Meeting
2023-01-25 12:00 - 13:00
Let’s Celebrate The Mission Together!

We look forward to reflecting on the 2022 community impact as we could not have done it without your support this year.
In 2023, we need YOU more than ever! In whatever way we can safely accomplish it, the Council is going to continue creating international connections, raising awareness on imperative global topics, and developing empathy within students.
We hope you’ll join us to discover how you can support this important global but local work.

Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China's Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World
2023-05-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
**Partner event with World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky & World Affairs Council Orange County – This is FREE for any students (high school, university, etc.) & World Affairs Council members. For non-members, the ticket price is $10/person. The link to register is here.

The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter with Shannon O'Neil
2023-06-21 16:00 - 17:00 | Virtual Event

Educator Professional Development Webinar: Inclusion and Peace Building
2023-09-21 16:00 - 17:00
In this workshop, we will discuss the relationship between conflict and displacement, and the unique experiences and challenges faced by women, youth, and people with disabilities who are displaced. The workshop will conclude with a small group activity and a plenary discussion on how to incorporate lived experiences into curriculum.

Sponsored by: World Affairs Council – Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky, U.S. Institute of Peace, Cleveland Council on World Affairs, and World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana

Register for FREE here.

About Elizabeth Murray:

Elizabeth Murray is a senior advisor on peacebuilding and inclusion at the U.S. Institute of Peace. She leads the Institute’s efforts on disability-inclusive peacebuilding and advises on programming and research in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.

Murray first joined USIP in 2008 to work on the Institute’s grantmaking in Colombia. She has led USIP’s grantmaking in several countries and has managed programs and research in Sudan and Central African Republic. In addition to the inclusion of people with disabilities in peacebuilding, her thematic interests include national dialogues, political transitions and migration.

Prior to joining USIP, Murray managed educational programs at the Kennedy Center and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics and Latin American studies from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University, and a graduate certificate in international migration studies from Georgetown University.

CANCELLED Conversation with Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Al Saud, The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ambassador to the U.S.
2023-10-19 12:00 - 13:00
Centennial Series Strategic Issues Forum

**This event was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. It will be rescheduled for 2024.
The World Affairs Council is thrilled to launch its Centennial Series under the theme 100 Years of Global Issues – Looking Back and Look Forward – History Repeating Itself with this important strategic issues forum. Register HERE
Event Details:
You are invited to a candid conversation with the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to the U.S., Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. She is the first woman in the country’s history to serve in the role of Ambassador and presented her credentials in 2019.
A graduate of The George Washington University with a B.A. in Museum Studies, HRH Ambassador Reema has focused on women’s empowerment, particularly in Saudi Arabia, throughout her career. Among many appointments, she served as President of the Mass Participation Federation and was the first woman to lead multi-sports federation in Saudi Arabia. HRH Princess Reema has also served as a member of the World Bank’s advisory council for the Women’s Entrepreneurs Financial Initiative in 2017 and has founded several businesses and non-profits all working to expand opportunities for Saudi women with the Kingdom. She has worked to break down barriers for women to vote, receive equal pay, travel freely without a male companion, and even exercise in public.
She will discuss her country’s Vision 2030 plan, human rights, the Saudi-American partnership, and more.
During the World Affairs Council’s Centennial Series Celebration, we look back to a 1923 discussion between Palestine and Turkey by a predecessor of our organization and welcome HRH Ambassador Reema’s analysis of her country and the Middle East today.
**Please Note: This virtual event will be off the record for the press and will not be recorded.**
About Special Guest Speaker:
Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was appointed Ambassador to the United States on February 23, 2019 by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. She is the first woman in the country’s history to serve in the role of Ambassador. She presented her credentials to President Donald Trump on July 8, 2019.
From 1983 to 2005, Princess Reema lived in Washington, DC, while her father Prince Bandar served as Saudi Ambassador to the United States. She attended George Washington University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Museum Studies.
Princess Reema returned to Saudi Arabia, where she focused on private sector initiatives and the empowerment of women in the Kingdom. In 2000, She co-founded Yibreen, a women’s gym. From 2007 until 2015, Princess Reema was the Chief Executive Officer of Alfa International Company Limited – Harvey Nichols Riyadh, a multi-brand luxury retail company, where she collaborated with leading female recruitment agency, Glowork, and commissioned a study on Obstacles for Women in the Workplace, which set the tone for female inclusion in retail, and resulted in opening the first workplace nursery in a retail store, enabling more women to work while caring for children. In 2013, she founded Alf Khair, a social enterprise aimed at elevating the professional capital of Saudi women through a curriculum developed to enable financial self-sufficiency.
In 2016, Princess Reema left the private sector to begin a career of public service as Vice President of Women’s Affairs at the Saudi General Sports Authority where she developed policies and programs that benefited women and children throughout Saudi Arabia. After a successful year, she was promoted to Deputy of Development and Planning in January 2018. In October 2018, she was also appointed President of the Mass Participation Federation, making her the first woman to lead a multi-sports federation in the Kingdom, a role that she occupied until her appointment as Saudi Ambassador to the United States.
Princess Reema is excited to take her leadership role to the world stage as Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States.
As part of her philanthropic work, Princess Reema became a founding member of the Zahra Breast Cancer Awareness Association in 2007, which set a Guinness World Record by forming the World’s Largest Human Awareness Ribbon at the Princess Noura University in Riyadh in 2015.
Princess Reema has served as a member of the World Bank’s advisory council for the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative since 2017. She has been a member of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee since 2017, and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Women in Sports Commission since 2018.
In 2014, Fast Company recognized Princess Reema as the Most Creative Person of the year for “Inviting Women into the Workforce.” Foreign Policy Magazine recognized her as a Leading Global Thinker for the same year, placing her high up in the “Moguls” category.
She was featured on the Forbes lists of the 200 Most Powerful Arab Women and Most Powerful Arab Women in Saudi Arabia lists for 2014.

Virtual Information Session for the International Education Summit
2023-11-06 16:00 - 17:00
We invite local educators, students, and community partners to join us in exploring the UN Global Goals from a “glocal” perspective. This info session will cover the details of the Summit including our new Lauf Global Studies Grant. We will also discuss the outcomes from the summit including:

To expand students’ awareness and provide experiences for them to make an impact in their community through the Global Goals
To enhance students’ understanding of global education and career pathways

Register Here!

Climate Migration with United States Institute of Peace
2023-11-09 16:00 - 17:00
Register Here
The links between climate change, conflict, and human mobility are complex. In 2022, disasters internally displaced 32.6 million people, more than at any other time over the last decade. Most of these displacements occurred in areas that are fragile or conflict-prone. In fact, ninety percent of all refugees come from places that are some of the most vulnerable to climate-related impacts. Right now, these fragile regions already grapple with increased food insecurity, unemployment, and competition over resources – particularly water. In what ways does climate change exacerbate such situations? In what ways may that lead to conflict or forced migration?
In partnership with Green Umbrella, we invite students, educators, and community members for an evening exploring Climate Conflict and Climate Migration with Kayly Ober, Senior Program Officer for U.S. Institute of Peace.
Kayly Ober is a senior program officer for the climate, environment and conflict program at USIP. In this role, she leads research and analysis on climate change, migration and displacement as well as transboundary water and conflict issues.
Prior to USIP, she was the senior advocate and program manager of the climate displacement program at Refugees International. She also served as a member of the Task Force on Displacement established under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. She has worked on climate change and migration issues for more than 15 years, during which time she has held positions at organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, the Overseas Development Institute, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the World Bank, where she authored the flagship report “Groundswell: Preparing for Internal Climate Migration.”
Ober holds a master’s in environment and development from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s in international studies from American University. She is currently completing her doctorate in geography at the University of Bonn, where her dissertation analyzes policymaking and governance structures around the climate change-adaptation-migration nexus.

Apply Now! Richard Lauf Global Studies Grant Due November 27th!
2023-11-27
You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself
-Galileo Galilei

To honor the legacy of Richard Lauf, the World Affairs Council is proud to announce five grants of up to $1000 for students and educators. For 59 years, Richard devoted his time and passion to world affairs, now hoping to inspire the next generation of leaders.
Who can apply?
Students, teachers, or student organizations.
What do I have to do to apply?
GLOCAL is the main focus for this project: Think Globally, Act Locally.
Support, expand, or strengthen an initiative of existing projects/clubs or create new initiatives that benefit your school or community based on the United Nations Global Goals. Click here for more information and to apply!
Step 1: Research ways to “take action” based on the UN Global Goals. Connect with a teacher to assist in your initiative.
Step 2: Write out your project description that aligns with the “take action” in your research.
For example, a student/teacher could receive up to $1000 to start or expand a student club. The club must meet at least two times a month to research local issues for their school or community. This will then be followed up by an initiative which will be reported back to the World Affairs Council. Funds could be used to get snacks for the meetings and for the selected project. This is only one example, we encourage you to also be creative!

How much funding can you receive?
Five grants of up to $1000 will be awarded!
What is the deadline to apply?
Submissions are due November 27, 2023.
Click here for more information and to apply!

(VIRTUAL EVENT) Great Decisions: Climate Technology and Competition
2024-05-16 14:15 - 15:00 | Virtual Event
Will the United States and China, with other powerful countries following suit, approach current and future climate initiatives with an increased commitment to trade protectionism and nationalism by various measures including trade restrictions? Or could a growing spirit of international accord develop to confront the “common enemy” of climate change?
Moderator: Jeffrey S. Morton, the Pierrepont Comfort Chair in Political Science at Florida Atlantic University and a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Association.

Register here for this virtual event on Zoom!

VIRTUAL EVENT: Dan Schnur Political Report: July 2024
2024-07-18 20:00 - 21:00 | Virtual Event
REGISTER HERE

Event Overview

Thursday, July 18th, 2024
5:00 p.m. PST/ 8:00 p.m. EDT
It’s nearly impossible to find intelligent political analysis in today’s hyper-polarized and ideologically segregated information sphere. From Fox News to MSNBC — political commentators focus more on inflammatory bickering than the deep issues shaping all American political life. The Dan Schnur Political Report offers a different way to consume political information. Dan moves beyond the partisan noise to analyze the core issues and critical headlines shaping our world. Dan not only offers a fresh perspective to understand politics, he invites everyone into the conversation.

Bites & Bytes: Google's Latest AI Rollouts Virtual Workshop
2025-10-16 11:30 - 12:30
Join us in partnership with the Hamilton County Educational Service Center (HCESC) for an informative workshop focusing on how to utilize AI in the classroom. Led by HCESC’s Instructional Technology Consultant, Sara Sheldt, learn how Google’s new AI tools—including Gemini—are transforming and supporting both educators and students.
These innovations are especially valuable for today’s global classroom, enhancing accessibility, collaboration, and cross-cultural learning. This workshop is offered in collaboration with the World Affairs Council – Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, as part of our shared commitment to promoting education for all.
The workshop will go from 11:30-12:15PM and will be $20 per person.
About Sara:
Sara Sheldt is an Instructional Technology Consultant with Hamilton County ESC, bringing 20 years of experience in education. She supports schools and districts in integrating technology to enhance teaching and learning, with a current focus on artificial intelligence tools. Sara is passionate about helping educators leverage technology to engage students, differentiate instruction, and bring real-world skills into the classroom while also simplifying their tasks to give them more time to focus on what matters most.

Global Chat: Your AI Co-Pilot for Glocal Impact (Create and Use a Custom Bot in Under an Hour!)
2025-11-17 16:00 - 17:00
Are you ready to bring high-impact global education into your classroom without adding hours to your planning time?

Join us for an energetic, hands-on session that introduces you to the future of teacher support: Your Custom AI Co-Pilot.
The World Affairs Council of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky is launching the Youth Leaders for Glocal Impact (YLGI) platform, and we’ve built a dedicated AI chatbot powered by Google’s Gemini technology just for our educators.
In this 60-minute workshop, you will:

Unlock the Power of the YLGI Chatbot: Learn how to use this custom tool to instantly get answers on project deadlines, budget templates, and program rules, so you can focus on mentoring, not managing.
Generate Ideas on Demand: We’ll dive into practical prompts and use the bot to generate tangible ideas for connecting your current classroom topics to Global Themes and local community action. Walk away with ideas you can implement tomorrow, such as:

“How can my 9th-grade history class explore sustainable cities and communities using a Cincinnati-based current event?”
“Give me three quick community engagement activities for a project focusing on access to clean water around the world.”

Become AI Literate: Gain essential skills in AI prompting and learn the responsible way to use these tools to enhance global literacy and project-based learning in your school.

Your Takeaway: You will leave this session with a clear understanding of how to use this AI co-pilot as a permanent, always-on planning assistant, allowing you to lead your students to greater Glocal Impact with less effort!
About Joshua Amstutz – Josh has taught for 15 years, 14 of which have been for the Winton Woods City School District (WWHS). He is the current coordinator of the Academy of Global Studies at Winton Woods High School, the Math Department Head at Winton Woods High School, a certified New Tech Network trained teacher, and a New Tech Network trainer for project based learning at Winton Woods High School. Josh graduated from Capital University with a degree in Integrated Mathematics and from the University of Cincinnati with a MAT graduate degree from the Department of Mathematics.
In addition to his many roles at WWHS, Josh is part of the 2019-2020 Impact U cohort on improvement science through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Strive Partnership. He is a Fulbright Alum from the 2019-2020 cohort of the Fulbright for Global Classrooms program and a TOP alum from the 2025 cohort of the Transatlantic Outreach Program. He was selected as the 2022 AFS-USA Global Educator of the Year and is a current state finalist in Ohio for the 2025 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). He has also worked closely with the curriculum director and his school’s physics teacher to implement multiple co-taught math and science courses as well as College Credit Plus (CCP) math courses in his school district. He currently teaches a combined math and science course called Pre-Calculus Aligned Physics (PCAP) in addition to CCP Statistics and CCP Calculus.

Supporting Every Voice: AI-Enhanced Classrooms for Multilingual Learners
2026-01-29 16:00 - 17:00 | Virtual Event
Artificial intelligence is opening new doors for supporting multilingual learners—making it easier than ever to translate materials, adapt lessons, and connect across languages. In this session, you’ll see how AI can help simplify complex texts, create bilingual resources, and strengthen communication between teachers, students, and families. Learn how to use AI tools thoughtfully to bridge language gaps, celebrate linguistic diversity, and build classrooms where every student feels seen, supported, and included.

Explore AI tools that support multilingual learners through translation, text simplification, and bilingual resource creation.
Learn how AI can strengthen communication between teachers, multilingual students, and their families.
Understand simple, responsible ways to use AI to bridge language gaps and create more inclusive classrooms.

Tickets are $20. Scholarships available!
