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-Bringing the world to Juneau but not in person, in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council in Anchorage.

AWAC: 'Alaska Native Perspectives Of An Evolving Arctic Environment' with Prof. Sarah Arrons

Friday, January 15th | 12:00 | Online

A virtual program presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council in Anchorage.
Click here to learn more and register.

a discussion of climate, security, economic opportunity, science, resilience and other implications of a changing Arctic. Whether you are in Florida, California, Alaska, or another state in-between, you have experienced significant weather changes amplified by a rapidly changing Arctic. Come, listen, and join the conversation with two Alaska Native women who have first hand knowledge and understanding of this important issue for Alaska, the United States, and the World. Professor Sarah Aarons is an Alaska Native (Inupiaq) Earth Scientist born in Dillingham and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. Her maternal family is from Unalakleet, located on the coast of the Norton Sound close to the Bering Strait. The village is particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in sea level, storm surges, and rapid freeze-thaw conditions. Her background and lived experiences in Alaska led to a close relationship with natural resources, as she and members of her family and community are experiencing how climate change in the Arctic is altering weather, the environment, and ecosystems. This was a driving force that led her to focus on paleoclimate and climate change as an Earth Scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

AWAC: 'The Dance of Peace: South Korea and Alaska Reducing Tensions and Prompting Peace' -a panel discussion with the Korea Economic Institute

Friday, December 4th | 12:00 - 1:00 | Online

A virtual program presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council in Anchorage.

-A critical conversation focusing on the diplomatic, political, economic, and cultural circumstances on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the broadening and deepening understanding of U.S.-Korea relations. From a decades-old military alliance to deep economic ties and a large and vibrant Korean-American community, the linkages between the United States and the Korean Peninsula remain as important as ever. This program was in partnership with the Korea Economic Institute of America as a part of the WACA Engage America Series.

Speakers included Angela Kerwin, Director – Office of Korean Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State -a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service; and Kyle Ferrier, KEI Fellow and Director of Academic Affairs -charged with managing KEI’s efforts to foster collaboration between the academic and policy communities.

AWAC: 'Alaska To Timbuktu: Myth And Reality From Far Away Places' with Peter Chilson, PH.D.

Friday, October 30th | 12:00 | Online

A virtual program presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council in Anchorage.

From here to Timbuktu… we’ve all heard the phrase but how much do we really know about this legendary city? 30 years of travel in West Africa has left Dr. Peter Chilson with a wealth of insight on the area. Join AKWorld in a thrilling conversation about West African developments over the years and find out how Timbuktu came to symbolize the blank spaces of our imagination. Dr. Peter Chilson is an award-winning author, essayist, journalist, and teacher of writing and literature at Washington State University who specializes in travel writing. Chilson first traveled to West Africa in 1985 as a volunteer in the Peace Corps, and traveled to Mali in 2012 to witness firsthand the effects of that nation's civil war with its breakaway jihadist state.

AWAC: 'Worldwiz Pub Quiz - Annual fundraiser for JWAC's northern partner AWAC

Friday, October 16th | 7:00 PM| Online

A virtual trivia fundraiser for the Alaska World Affairs Council in Anchorage.

Fun!

AWAC: 'The Future Of Education In A Post-Pandemic World' with Yong Zhao, Ph.D

Friday, October 2nd | 12:00 | Online

A virtual program presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council in Anchorage.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, work and learn and has required school leaders and teachers to work tirelessly to maintain student learning amidst constant changes and uncertainty. Join this discussion with AKWorld and Professor Yong Zhao to consider the future of schooling and the positive opportunities for change as a result of the pandemic.

AWAC: 'Trekking The Climate Crisis: From Knowledge To Action' with Zach Brown, Ph.D

Friday, September 25th | 12:00 | Online

A virtual program presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council in Anchorage.

A born-and-raised Alaskan, Zach Brown, Ph.D., spent years aboard ice breaking vessels in the Arctic and Antarctic, studying how warming and sea ice loss affect the polar seas and their inhabitants. Driven to do more to protect our living world, upon completing his doctoral studies, Zach set off on a 4-month, 2,300-mile solo trek, hiking and paddling from California back home to Alaska, where he founded the Inian Islands Institute, a field school dedicated to education, science, and environmental leadership, where he now serves as executive director. Zach lives and breathes climate change as a scientist, educator, and activist.

AWAC: 'How Alaska’s Ninja Warrior Is Changing The World' with Nick 'Iligutchiak' Hanson

Friday, September 11th | 12:00 | Online

A virtual program presented in partnership with the Alaska World Affairs Council in Anchorage.

Join AKWorld for this inspiring discussion with Nick Hanson, otherwise known as the ''Eskimo Ninja'' from the TV show American Ninja Warrior. Nick grew up in Unalakleet, on the West Coast of Alaska, and as a Half-Inupiaq Half-Mixed-European, he holds a unique perspective on the blend of modern society and his cultural values and traditions. He hopes to bridge these differences by inspiring young people to understand the invaluable importance of Alaskan Traditions while also understanding the value of what Western Culture brings to our communities; and he does this by helping people Know Who They Are.