Slate of G-20 Related Programs Offered by World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh Starting Sept. 16

The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh is offering a wide range of educational opportunities related to the G-20 that will benefit local business leaders, community members, high school students and teachers, and young professionals.

Wednesday, Sept. 16: The Pittsburgh G-20: What Should We Expect?
In partnership with Carnegie Bosch Institute, RAND Corporation, and the University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh, the World Affairs Council presents this program featuring local CEOs and international experts on the G-20.

The two morning panels will cover: The G-20: What Is It and Why Does it Matter? and The Issues: Energy, Environment, and Economic Recovery. Local CEOs participating will be J. Christopher Donahue of Federated Investors and Sunil Wadwani of iGATE Corporation.

"RAND is pleased to play a role in helping citizens of the region understand the issues likely to be on the agenda for the Pittsburgh Summit,” said Susan Everingham, director of RAND's Pittsburgh office.

The event will take place at the Heinz History Center. The program will be webcast for those who cannot attend the program in person. A complete list of speakers, the schedule, and registration details can be found at www.worldaffairspittsburgh.org.

Thursday, Sept. 17: The Pittsburgh G-20 Student Summit
More than 1200 high school students will participate in the Pittsburgh G-20 Student Summit, held at Fox Chapel Area High School in collaboration with Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3. Up to 500 students will gather at Fox Chapel Area High School, and more than 700 students and teachers from schools across the globe will “tune in” via interactive webcast or video conference. All participants will hear from a panel of experts about key issues facing G-20 members.

Following the panel presentation, students will break into small groups to analyze these issues from the perspective of a specific G-20 member with the guidance of an expert facilitator. International students in Brazil, Georgia, Italy, South Africa, and other countries will participate via video conference and will consider policy with students attending the program virtually in the Pittsburgh region.

After the small group session, students will regroup to compare and contrast the outcomes of their policy discussion. Educational resources, including G-20-themed lesson plans, are available for all educators who register for this program.

Tuesday, Sept. 22: The Pittsburgh G-20 Beer Summit
On a lighter note, the Council will also be hosting a “G-20 Beer Summit” at the Sharp Edge Beer Emporium on September 22nd. The Beer Summit will offer tastings of six beers from select G-20 member countries.

With this program, the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh aims to engage a younger audience – young professionals and graduate students – who are excited to celebrate our city’s selection as the site of the upcoming Summit. This event will provide basic information about the G-20 while giving the participants an opportunity to network and enjoy learning about international beers.

G-20 Information On-line
The web page at www.worldaffairspittsburgh.org/g20.jsp is a comprehensive resource for all the things people need to know about the G-20, its members, and what it means for the region.

Featured on the site is a short original film produced by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh entitled, “G-20: the Basics” and short one-minute podcasts highlighting each of the member states, called the “G-20 Minutes.”

The site also highlights the economic situation in each country as they approach the summit and identifies the local Pittsburgh connections to participating member states.

For more details on the community programs, contact Brandon Wallace at 412-281-7055 or brandon@worldaffairspittsburgh.org. For information about the school programs, contact Christina Unger at 412-281-7027, or christina@worldaffairspittsburgh.org.