Pillars of Service
Programs
The Council hosts expert-led lectures, panel discussions, luncheons, film screenings, networking events and more.
Education
The Council connects students to the global leaders & offers educators personal & professional development opportunities.
Travel
Featured Programs
NEW DATE – The Rise of Antisemitism Around the World: ADL’s Sharon Nazarian
Online Program TXDue to inclement weather, this event is rescheduled to Thursday, March 4th.
Global Connections: Adrian Garcia, Global Affairs Commissioner
Online Program TXDuring our dialogue with Commissioner Adrian Garcia, we will learn about Harris County’s newly established Intergovernmental and Global Affairs Department (IGA), its mandate, priorities and goals. With Commissioner’s 35-year career in Houston’s public service and knowledge of the city, this will be a dialogue on Houston’s continued development into globally significant city and the importance of strategic alliances.
Bill Gates: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need.
Online Program TXBill Gates: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need.
DATE RESCHEDULED to March 9: Academic WorldQuest – International Trivia Competition
Online Program TXAcademic WorldQuest is an exciting game of international trivia for high school students, played in teams of four, with 10 rounds of seven questions. Answers are submitted by teams, not individuals. It’s a great way to test your knowledge of international issues. Anyone can participate free of charge and teams can be formed by schools or SWAC clubs!
“Rothko in Jazz” with Maris Briezkalns Quintet
Online Program TXIn honor of Mark Rothko’s Latvian heritage, Latvian jazz ensemble the Māris Briežkalns Quintet commissioned ten Latvian composers to each create an original jazz composition, arranged and performed by the Quintet. Each composition is created to illustrate the moods and atmosphere evoked by an iconic Rothko painting selected by the composer.
Global Connections: Ideas for a Sustainable Future – Daniel Etsy,Yale University
Online Program TXDan Esty is the Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy at Yale University. He serves as director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy (www.yale.edu/envirocenter) and as co-director of the Yale Initiative on Sustainable Finance. From 2011 to 2014, Professor Esty served as Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. He is the author or editor of thirteen books and dozens of articles on environmental protection, regulatory reform, finance, and energy policy, and their connections to sustainability, trade, and broad-based economic progress—including his most recent edited volumes, A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future, and Values at Work: Sustainable Investing and ESG Reporting.
Portugal’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union – Priorities, Expectations, and Challenges
Online Program TXAmbassador Domingos Fezas Vital, Portugal’s Ambassador to the United States of America
Global Connections: The Future of Finance and Energy, Stephen Trauber, Citi’s Global Head of Energy
Online Program TXStephen Trauber joined Citi in 2010 as Vice Chairman and Global Head of Energy and serves on the senior leadership team of Citi’s Global Corporate and Investment Bank.
TIME’s Walter Isaacson & Carlyle Group Founder David Rubenstein on ‘The Code Breaker’
Online Program TXWalter Isaacson, a professor of history at Tulane, has been CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time. The bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs returns with a gripping account of how Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues launched a revolution that will allow us to cure diseases, fend off viruses, and have healthier babies. He is also the author The Innovators; Einstein: His Life and Universe; Benjamin Franklin: An American Life; and Kissinger: A Biography, and the coauthor of The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made. Visit him at Isaacson.Tulane.edu.
Global Connections: Bobby Tudor, Chairman of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.
Online Program TXBobby Tudor is a Partner at Perella Weinberg Partners. He also serves as the Chairman of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. which combined with Perella Weinberg Partners in November 2016. TPH is a leading Energy Investment and Merchant bank formed in 2007 with over 180 employees in five offices in the US, Canada and UK. It is widely recognized for its industry leading position in Energy securities research, Energy investment banking advisory transactions, and Energy asset management.
Conversations with a Conscience: Civic Engagement
Online Program TXThis student event will host our guest expert Dr. Alan Steinberg who will be facilitating a discussion around civic engagement and ways we can take action.
Global Connections: David Michels, VP and CFO at Kinder Morgan, Inc.
Online Program TXDavid Michels is the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Kinder Morgan, Inc., one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America. In this role, Mr. Michels directs the company’s overall financial strategy while overseeing the firm’s treasury, tax, accounting, financial reporting, investor relations and financial planning functions.
Global Connections: Kelly Zuniga, CEO-Holocaust Museum Houston
Online Program TXGlobal Connections: Kelly Zuniga, CEO-Holocaust Museum Houston
Saudi Arabia, Dubai & Bahrain
This young country has both a rich history as the birthplace of Islam and a modern presence with rich oil reserves. With the introduction of Vision 2030, an attempt to diversify its economy, this once forbidden land is ready to welcome visitors.
Student World Affairs Councils
Shaping the students of Greater Houston today into the global leaders of tomorrow.
Local to Global:
Early Career Professionals
The Council’s Local To Global discussions engage early career professionals, aged 21 to 40, in peer-driven learning and dialogue on leading international affairs issues.
Develop
Meet
Receive
Discount Pricing on Events
Global Adventures Travel
We focus on organizing unforgettable journeys to one-of-a-kind destinations for small groups of 10 to 20 travelers. Travelers are guided from the beginning to the end of the experience to ensure safety, knowledge, cultural exchange and entertainment, giving them an opportunity to connect with their surroundings and with one another.
Our Mission
In service to Greater Houston as a Global City, the mission of our Council is to promote understanding of the world – its people, politics, economies and cultures – to enable the Houston community to participate more effectively in the global world.
World Affairs and International Education
At the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston, we offer unprecedented opportunities to get involved with world affairs and international education through a Houston nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to unbiased learning opportunities and the exchange of both global culture and local perspectives.
As a nonpartisan organization, we promote international dialogue and education through cultural sessions, speaking engagements, travel opportunities and much more. All World Affairs Council programming is open to the public, as we are dedicated to free and fair discussion on pressing topics that influence the world today and the world to come.
Exploring the World
As a Houston nonprofit travel organization, we offer global citizens options and opportunities you simply cannot find anywhere else. For instance, the Council organizes insider tours, embassy visits and other such engagements in the countries we visit, offering travelers an inside view to learn about the world, taking this far beyond a simple tourism opportunity. This is a way to travel that can broaden your global perspective and impact and change your life forever.
Engaging in Houston
Of course, you do not have to travel to engage with foreign affairs in Houston. We organize premiere events that bring timely speakers and experts to you. Speakers include senators, national security advisors, presidential candidates, high-level executives, foreign world leaders and the like. Engage with world leaders and acclaimed experts and thought leaders at one of our private luncheons, an intimate Council Cabinet reception, an open dialogue at one of our evening programs, or perhaps over dinner at one of our cultural sessions. As the premier foreign affairs programming in Houston, the options are limitless.
You want to explore the world in a deeply intellectual manner and expand your own perspectives through relentless education. We’re the best Houston international nonprofit organization to make those dreams a reality.
Educational Opportunity
Throughout the academic school year, we also offer educational opportunities and programs for students and teachers. We have a vast array of resources used by teachers and professors, including international affairs lesson plans and discussion modules. Let us bring you something that you just cannot find in a standard classroom. It’s been our mission for years and we continue to work hard toward this end every day. Teachers can receive professional development credit by attending one of our programs or lectures, while students have the opportunity to engage with speakers on a one-on-one basis. As Houston’s premiere nonprofit international education center, we’re proud to offer education beyond the classroom and beyond the headlines.
The Benefits of Membership
When you join, these opportunities become more affordable and accessible than ever. You can experience our international programs in Houston at discounted rates and get advanced notice of upcoming events as soon as they get scheduled. You also get a chance to have more than your standard evening out, joining with other life-long learners and dedicating yourself to the noble pursuit of knowledge and insight on many levels.
If you’d like to learn more about memberships options and the programs we offer, please click here or contact us at 713-522-7811.