WorldAffairs 2012
WorldAffairs is a conference designed for all global citizens who care about the world in which we live and want deeper insight, understanding and context surrounding critical issues of the day to weigh choices, seize opportunities and seek solutions.
Over the course of a day and a half, the WorldAffairs 2012 conference will examine three key themes:
1. Global Security: What are the top foreign policy priorities facing the next president?
2. Global Economy: How can we understand the changing dynamics of the international economic landscape?
3. Global Future: What might the world look like in 2050?
WorldAffairs 2012 Agenda
Conference Speakers
Registration Information
Watch Live Via Webcast
* Online Registration for WorldAffairs 2012 is now closed. If you are still interested in attending, you may purchase a conference ticket onsite.
1:30 PM Registration Opens
2:00-3:15 PM Keynote Conversation: The End of War in Afghanistan: A Turning Point in US Foreign Policy?
Karl Eikenberry, Distinguished Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University; Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan & Retired US Army Lt. General
Michael O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy, The Brookings Institution
3:15 PM Break
3:30-4:30 PM Discussions in Depth
1. Global Security After the Arab Spring: Are There Real Prospects for Change?
Ellen Laipson, President & CEO, Stimson Center
Robin Wright, Senior Fellow, US Institute of Peace; Distinguished Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
2. Global Economy From Bailouts to Brussels: Rethinking the Future of the European Union
Megan Greene, Head of European Economics, Roubini Global Economics
Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, Research Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
3. Global Future The Arctic: New Frontier for Navigation, Exploration, and Exploitation?
John Bellinger, Adjunct Senior Fellow for International & National Security Law, Council on Foreign Relations
Captain Melissa Bert, USCG, Military Fellow, US Coast Guard, Council on Foreign Relations
Lawson Brigham, Distinguished Professor of Geography & Arctic Policy, University of Alaska Fairbanks
4:30 PM Break
5:00-6:00 PM Keynote Conversation Shifting Political Landscapes: How Can the United States Adapt?
Michael Mandelbaum, Professor & Director of the American Foreign Policy Program, Johns Hopkins University, SAIS
6:00-7:00 PM Reception
Join a conversation over lunch breakfast with senior representatives from our Take Action partner organizations and other moderators on one of three themes: Global Future, Global Economy, or Global Security
9:15 AM Break
9:30–10:45 AM Keynote Conversation The World in 2050: Global Innovation and Energy?
Vijay Vaitheeswaran, Shanghai Bureau Chief & China Business Editor, The Economist
Rhonda Zygocki, Executive Vice President, Policy and Planning for Chevron Corporation
10:45 AM Break
11:00–Noon Discussions in Depth
1. Global Security After Bin Laden: Where Is the Terrorist Threat?
Michael Nacht, Professor of Public Policy & former Dean, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California Berkeley
Barbara Sude, Senior Political Scientist, RAND Corporation
2. Global Economy The Building BRICs: Is This the Start of a New Economic Paradigm?
Rafiq Dossani, Director, South Asia Initiative, Stanford University
Paulo Sotero, Director, Brazil Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Andrew Weiss, Director, Center for Russia & Eurasia, RAND Corporation
3. Global Future Food & Water: Sustaining Life on a Crowded Planet
Gawain Kripke, Director of Policy & Research, Oxfam America
Peter Lochery, Director, Water Team, CARE
12:15 PM Lunch
1:30-2:45 PM Keynote Conversation Understanding the Shifting Global Economic Landscape
Edward Luce, Chief US Commentator, Financial Times
David Rothkopf, Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
2:45 PM Break
3:00-4:00 PM Discussions in Depth
1. Global Security After the UN Vote: A New Map for Israel?
Martin Indyk, Vice President & Director of Foreign Policy, The Brookings Institution
2. Global Economy From Longitudes to Latitudes: Is There a Rising South-South Economic Zone?
Uri Dadush, Senior Associate & Director, International Economics Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Shantayanan Devarajan, Chief Economist, Africa Region, the World Bank
3. Global Future How Will We Power the World in 2050?
Lisa Margonelli, Director, Energy Policy Initiative, New America Foundation
Meghan O’Sullivan, Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
4:00 PM Break
4:15-5:30 PM Keynote Conversation The World in 2050: What is the Next Big Idea?
Peter Thiel, Entrepreneur, Investor and Philanthropist
Charles Bolden, NASA Adminstrator
5:30-6:00PM Closing Reception, Adjournment
Conference Details
The St. Regis San Francisco, 125 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Friday, March 30
1:30-6:30PM, Reception 6:30-7:00PM
Saturday, March 31
8:30AM- 5:30PM, Reception 5:30-6:30PM
Tickets Include:
Reception on Friday, March 30
Breakfast, Lunch and a Reception on Saturday, March 31
Hotel:
The St. Regis in San Francisco has a number of rooms reserved for the conference. Please contact the Council to inquire about availability.
Driving Directions:
From the North Bay
(Sausalito, Tiburon, Muir Woods, Sonoma)
• Take Highway 101 South over the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Follow signs towards Downtown San Francisco/Lombard Street.
• Continue on Lombard Street approximately 1.5 miles.
• Turn right onto Van Ness Avenue.
• Continue on Van Ness Avenue for 14 blocks, then turn left onto Bush Street.
• Continue on Bush Street for 12 blocks, then turn right onto Montgomery Street.
• Continue on Montgomery Street and cross Market Street.
• Continue 2 more blocks to Howard Street. Turn right onto Howard Street.
• Proceed 1 block to Third Street and turn right.
• The St. Regis Hotel is located on the right side, 0.5 blocks after Howard Street. Immediately after the Museum of Modern Art, turn right onto Minna Street.
From the South Bay
(San Francisco International Airport, Santa Clara, San Jose, Monterey, Carmel)
From Highway 101:
• Take Highway 101 North into San Francisco.
• Follow signs towards Bay Bridge onto Interstate 80 East.
• Take the last San Francisco Exit, which is Fourth Street.
• Continue through the light and turn left onto Third Street.
• Proceed along Third Street and continue for 3.5 blocks.
• The St. Regis Hotel is located on the right side, 0.5 blocks after Howard Street. Immediately after the Museum of Modern Art, turn right onto Minna Street.
From Highway 280:
• Take Interstate 280 North into San Francisco.
• Stay on the freeway until it ends onto King Street.
• Proceed several blocks to Third Street.
• Turn left onto Third Street
• Continue along Third Street for 6.5 blocks.
• The St. Regis Hotel is located on the right side, 0.5 blocks after Howard Street. Immediately after the Museum of Modern Art, turn right onto Minna Street.
From the East Bay
(Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Sacramento)
• Take Interstate 80 West over the Bay Bridge into San Francisco.
• Take the first right exit, which is Fremont Street.
• Turn left onto Fremont Street. Proceed 0.5 blocks to Howard Street and turn left.
• Continue on Howard Street for 4 long blocks, and turn right onto Third Street.
• The St. Regis Hotel is located on the right side, 0.5 blocks after Howard Street. Immediately after the Museum of Modern Art, turn right onto Minna Street.
From Oakland Airport:
• Follow the signs for Interstate 880 North, towards downtown Oakland.
• Follow the signs towards San Francisco, Interstate 80 West.
• Proceed on I-80 West over the Bay Bridge, and follow the above directions.
Parking:
Valet parking is available to guests at the St. Regis Hotel on a daily and hourly basis, with unlimited access throughout the day and night.
St. Regis Hotel Garage
Overnight Parking:
$50.00 daily maximum ($57.00 w/ tax)
Hourly Rates:
$10 for the first 30 minutes
$7. 50 for each additional 30 minutes
Several self-parking options are also available near the hotel.
Fifth and Mission Streets Parking Garage: 830 Mission Streets, between 4th and 5th Streets.
Hearst Parking Garage: On Stevenson, just behind Office Depot.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA): On Minna Street just behind the SFMOMA, between 3rd Street and New Montgomery Street.
The Education Program is pleased to sponsor 40-50 high school and university students to participate in WorldAffairs 2012. We welcome your support in this endeavor.
The scholarship covers registration fees, student program costs, conference meals, overnight accommodation and a one-year membership to the World Affairs Council. Full scholarships are $600; however, partial scholarship donations are also welcome.
Please consider sponsoring one or more students by making a tax deductible donation along with your ticket purchase.
