Great Decisions Global Discussions
Mondays 6 - 7:15 PM
Tuesdays 12 - 1 PM
Know the World, then Change the World
Diplomats, policy makers and practitioners, think tank specialists and journalists
leading the conversation
Past Programs
February 4 through March 26, 2019
Two options to attend:
Monday, 6-7:15 p.m.: Aquinas College Performing Arts Center
Tuesday, 12-1 p.m.: Recital Hall in the Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College
Parking recommended next to the De Vos Communication Building or the Prince Conference Center, with covered access across E. Beltline taking you directly to the Covenant Fine Arts Center
$10 admission per discussion, $60 for a series pass
New topic and speaker each week
Free admission to WACWM corporate members and their employees; Senator members; and the faculty, staff and students of our educational partners.
No reservations needed. Free, convenient parking.
Buy your series pass now
Support the series through our Friends of Great Decisions campaign.
Hear from our experts
Feb. 4 and 5
"State of the State Department"
Ambassador Barbara Stephenson
President, American Foreign Service Association
sponsored by Calvin College
Feb. 11 and 12
"Democracy on the Run: Dispatches from Eastern Europe"
Carol Schaeffer
freelance journalist
sponsored by the Friends of Great Decisions
Feb. 18 and 19
"Immigration Policy Beyond the Border"
Ambassador Jim Nealon
Former U.S. Ambassador to Honduras
sponsored by the Ash Lectureship at Montcalm Community College
and Varnum Law
Feb. 25 and 26
"A New Nuclear Arms Race?"
Kelsey Davenport
Arms Control Association
sponsored by The World Affairs Council Endowment Fund
Mar. 4 and 5
"China-U.S. Trade War"
Amy Celico
Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG)
sponsored by AlphaMax Advisors
Mar. 11 and 12
"Life in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings and the Islamic State"
Rania Abouzeid
author of No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria
sponsored by Aquinas College
Mar. 18 and 19
"Global Cyber Threats"
Special Agent Peter Jolliffe
FBI
sponsored by Price Walgren: A Division of George Koch Sons
Steelcase
Mar. 25 and 26
"Mexico and the U.S.: The Economic Ties that Bind"
Carlos Capistran
Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York City
sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch
BDO
Click on speakers' images or topic titles for more information on topic and speaker
Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs, initiated by the Foreign Policy Association in New York City.
Series Sponsor:
Livestream Sponsor:
Media Sponsors:
Topic Sponsors:
Host campuses:
Educational Partners:
Aquinas College Calvin College Davenport University Ferris State University
Grand Rapids Community College Grand Valley State University
Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University Montcalm Community College Northern Michigan University Rhein- Waal University, Germany
Western Michigan University
Community Partners:
Association for Public Justice Bethany Global
Calvin Academy for Lifelong Learning (CALL) Consular Corps of Michigan
Cultural Intelligence Center Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and Museum Grand Rapids Public Library
The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University
Kent District Library Kent Intermediate School District
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Aquinas Refugee Education Center
Treetops Collective U.S. Global Leadership Coalition
West Michigan World Trade Association (WMWTA)