Building the Next Generation of International Leaders.
Global Scholars Academy is not your average summer program.
GSA is an immersive, week-long experience where globally minded high school students (ages 14-18) explore the forces shaping international affairs, engage with real-world policy challenges, and develop the skills to become future leaders.
Go beyond the classroom. At GSA, you think critically about international issues through collaborative learning experiences and interactive activities.
Here is what a week at GSA looks like:
- Debate real global conflicts.
- Participate in student-led discussions with experts from industry and government.
- Represent countries and organizations in high-stakes simulations.
- Sharpen your leadership, public speaking and critical thinking skills.
5 Days, 5 Global Themes.
Each day tackles a different theme that builds on those before it.
- Structure of the International System
- Diplomacy and the Pursuit of Global Influence
- Trade, Development, and the Digital Economy
- The Global South and Colonial Legacies
- Environmental Challenges to Building a Sustainable Future
Highlights of the Week:
- Interactive crisis simulation on rising Indo-Pacific tensions, featuring negotiations, shifting alliances, and Cold War–era geopolitical decision-making, led by real diplomats
- Explore real-world case studies in sports diplomacy, the China-Africa relationship, and digital development in the Global South
- Engage in hands-on workshops, including trade simulations, propaganda analysis, and policy design at historic diplomatic summits like the Bandung Conference
- Demonstrate your knowledge through interactive activities on resource competition, digital statehood, and maritime policy.
Past Guest Speakers Include:
- Ambassador Michael Pelletier, U.S. Amb. to Madagascar & Comoros
- Ambassador Christopher Ashby, U.S. Amb. to Uruguay
- Dr. Brett Ashley Leeds, Chair of Political Science, Rice University
- Dr. Jason Enia, Chair of Political Science, Sam Houston State University
- Dr. George Guillen, Executive Director, Environmental Institute of Houston
- David Michels, Chief Financial Officer, Kinder Morgan
- Li Lou, Communications Officer, World Bank
2026 Locations:
- Session 1: July 13-17 Phillips 66 (2331 CityWest Blvd, Houston, TX 77042)
- Session 2: July 20-24 Aramco Americas (The Emporium at One Allen Center — 500 Dallas St, Houston, TX 77002)
- Session 3: July 27-31, Chevron Center for Education and Golf at Memorial Park (1001 E Memorial Loop Dr, Houston, TX 77007)
