The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading

The Saudi Arabian Vision and the Future of Saudi/U.S. Relations with Fahad Nazer
2026-01-21 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event, PA, United States
Fahad Nazer is the official spokesperson for the Embassy of Saudi Arabia to the United States. He was
appointed to this role on January 18, 2019. Prior to this appointment, Nazer was a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and served as an International Fellow at the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations. Additionally. He was also a columnist for the daily newspaper Arab News. His publications have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, CNN, Foreign Policy, YaleGlobal Online, The National Interest, and Newsweek. Nazer earned his BA in political science from New York University and an M.A in political science from Saint John’s University in New York City. He has also completed the credit and examination requirements of the PhD program in political science at the Catholic University of America in Washington.
Click here to register for this webinar now

Securing the Indo-Pacific: Strategies for Keeping the Peace - Dr. Ely Ratner
2026-02-11 11:30 - 13:30 | McGlinn Conference Center, 460 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading, PA, 19607, United States
Dr. Ely Ratner served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs. Prior to confirmation, he served as the Director, DoD China Task Force and as a Senior Advisor to China to the Secretary of Defense. Before arriving at the Department of Defense, Dr. Ratner was the Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), where he was a member of the executive team and responsible for managing the Center’s research agenda and staff.
Dr. Ratner served from 2015 to 2017 as the Deputy National Security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, and from 2011 to 2012 in the office of Chinese and Mongolian affairs at the State Department. He also previously worked in the U.S. Senate as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and in the office of Senator Joe Biden. Outside of government, Dr. Ratner has worked as a Senior Fellow for China Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at CNAS, and as an Associate Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation.
Click here to attend live
Click here to register for this webinar now

The Plight of the Kurds with Kani Xulam
2026-03-11 11:30 - 13:30 | McGlinn Conference Center, 460 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading, PA, 19607, United States
Kani Xulam is a native of Kurdistan. He studied International Relations at the University of Toronto, holds a BA in history from the University of California Santa Barbara and an MA in the International Service program at American University.
At the University of Toronto, he represented Kurdistan at the Model United Nations, which passed a nonbinding resolution recognizing the right of the Kurdish people to self-determination.
At the University of California Santa Barbara, he was part of a group of peace activists who protested the first Gulf War by taking part in a sit-in at Chancellor’s office in January 1991. Everyone was arrested. Mr. Xulam pled not guilty, defended himself, and was sentenced to 18 hours of community service to plant saplings in Santa Barbara.
In 1993, at the urging of Kurdish community leaders in America, he left his family business in Santa Barbara, California to establish the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN) in the nation’s capital. AKIN is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering Kurdish-American understanding and friendship.
Click here to register for this live event now

Academic World Quest 2026
2026-03-12 08:30 - 14:00 | McGlinn Conference Center, 460 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading, PA, 19607, United States
READING, PA — The World Affairs Council of Greater Reading hosted the 2026 AcademicWorldQuest competition on March 12, 2026, at the McGlinn Conference Center at AlverniaUniversity. Teams of ninth- through twelfth-grade students from across Berks County faced offin a fast-paced test of international affairs knowledge, with Wilson High School’s Red Teamclaiming first place and earning the right to represent Berks County at the National Competitionin Washington, D.C. this April.

Competition Results
1st Place: Wilson High School — Red Team2nd Place: Governor Mifflin — Maroon Team3rd Place: Governor Mifflin — Gold Team
The first-place Wilson Team consisted of Chase Mitstifer, William Cochran, Jakub Mochon, and Christina Rohm, under the guidance of adviser Dr. Franklin Reese, Gifted Support Teacher at Wilson High School. The second-place Maroon Team from Governor Mifflin consisted of Joshua Velez, Ethan Kurtz, Charles Shuker, and Kuljeet Sangha, and the third-place Gold Team consisted of Jamie Michalsky, Madelyn Spayd, Stella Belinski, and Lillyanne DeLoretta. Both Governor Mifflin teams were advised by Michael Kurtz, Social Studies Teacher and department chairperson at Governor Mifflin School District.
As the regional winner, the Wilson Red Team is sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading to attend the National Competition in April 2026.

About Academic WorldQuest
Founded in 2003, Academic WorldQuest is a team-based competition testing high school students’ knowledge of international affairs. Four-person teams compete across ten thematic categories covering critical global and U.S. foreign policy issues. Students prepare using the official WACA Study Guide — available at worldaffairscouncils.org/2026awqstudyguide — which draws on curated sources from organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Financial Times, and GlobalPost. The team with the most correct answers wins.
This year marks the 22nd year of Academic WorldQuest in Berks County. This year’s competition featured teams from Berks Catholic, Boyertown, Conrad Weiser, Exeter, Governor Mifflin, Hamburg, Muhlenberg, Twin Valley, Wilson, and Wyomissing school districts. The competition is made possible by the generous support of the five Institutions of Higher Education in Berks County and other donors.
National Competition — Washington, D.C., April 2026
The Wilson Red Team will join 200–250 of the nation’s top high school students in Washington, D.C., for a three-day event taking place April 26–28. Activities include a speaker and panel discussion at the National Press Club, the four-hour national competition, an evening reception, and a visit to the Australian Embassy — a unique opportunity for students to engage with global affairs dignitaries and connect with like-minded peers from across the country.
Event Organizers
The 2026 Berks County competition was co-organized by Nicholas P. Nicoletti, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science at Alvernia University and member of the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading Board, and Brooke M. Nicoletti, ELA Teacher at Wilson Southern Middle School, who served as a volunteer organizer.
For more information about Academic WorldQuest or the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading, please contact the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading.

Venezuela, An Update with Dr. Paul Esqueda
2026-04-08 11:30 - 13:00 | McGlinn Conference Center, 460 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading, PA, 19607, United States
Dr. Paul D. Esqueda is a Professor Emeritus Engineering. His areas of interest are project management, negotiations, and operations management. He has a particular interest in developing negotiation case studies. For the last 30 years, Esqueda has been primarily dedicated to administration in academic institutions. Past positions include Division Head of Engineering, Business, and Computing at Penn State Berks; Dean of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Administration (IESA) in Caracas, Venezuela and President of the Engineering Research Institute also in Caracas. Esqueda served as a consultant for the European Union to review the European Union Latin American Scholarship Program from 2003-2008. He was part of a 20 expert panel (10 from Europe and 10 from Latin America) that met every year in Brussels to audit the program and advise the EU on the development of the program.
Click here to register for this webinar now

Excursion 2026: Two Treasures of Harrisburg
2026-04-20 08:30 - 17:30 | Harrisburg, PA
EXCURSION 2026
TWO TREASURES OF HARRISBURG
Monday, April 20, 2026
Featuring the Pennsylvania State Capitol & National Civil War Museum
The Capitol Experience
Our day begins at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, where Senator Judith Schwank willhost our group for an inside look at state government in action.
Highlights include:

Guided tour of the historic Capitol
Lunch at the Capitol Café
Escort to the Senate chamber for the opening of session

The National Civil War Museum
After lunch, we will travel a short distance to the National Civil War Museum, a Smithsonian-affiliated institution known for its balanced and comprehensive presentation of America’s defining conflict.
Our visit includes:

A special presentation by CEO Wayne Motts • Free time for a self-guided
tour of the museum

Itinerary
8:30 a.m. – Depart from Walmart, Wyomissing
10:00 a.m. – Arrival at Capitol (go through security)
11:00 a.m. – Capitol tour
11:45 a.m. – Lunch at Capitol Café
12:30 p.m. – Senate chamber session
1:30 p.m. – Depart Capitol
2:00 p.m. – Arrive at Civil War Museum
4:00 p.m. – Depart for Wyomissing
About Senator Judith Schwank
Senator Schwank has represented Pennsylvania’s 11th District since 2011 and has devoted her career to public service. Her work focuses on agriculture, food systems, and the health and well-being of women and children. She previously served in leadership roles with the Penn State Cooperative Extension, where she helped establish the Master Gardener Program.
She made history as the first woman elected Berks County Commissioner, securing major renovations for Berks Heim and strengthening community services. She has also served as Dean of Agriculture and Environmental Services at Delaware Valley College.
Senator Schwank holds both a B.S. and M.Ed. from Penn State and completed the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University. She currently serves as Democratic Chair of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee and sits on the Appropriations, Game & Fisheries, and Health & Human Services Committees.

About Wayne Motts
Wayne Motts is a nationally recognized Civil War historian, museum leader, and author. Before joining the National Civil War Museum, he served as President and CEO of the Gettysburg Foundation, where he played a key role in preserving and enhancing Gettysburg National Military Park.
He holds a B.A. in Military History from Ohio State University and an M.A. in American History from Shippensburg University. Motts has written extensively on Civil War history and is a frequent speaker, educator, and media contributor. His leadership has strengthened public understanding of this pivotal period in American history.

Cost
(includes transportation, coffee, snacks, lunch & special programs)

Members: $120 per person
Ambassadors/Benefactors: $110 per person(Spouse at member rate)
Students: $65 (limited to 3)

Seating is limited to 25 participants(per request of Senator Schwank)
Reservations required by March 31, 2026 – First come, first served
To reserve your seat, please contact:
Kristina Prislin, Treasurer, 610-376-2240

Middle East Tensions with Michael O'Hanlon
2026-05-13 11:30 - 13:00 | McGlinn Conference Center, 460 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading, PA, 19607, United States
Michael O’Hanlon is a senior fellow, and director of research, in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, where he specializes in U.S. defense strategy, the use of military force, and American national security policy. He co-directs the Security and Strategy Team, the Defense Industrial Base working group, and the Africa Security Initiative within the Foreign Policy program, as well. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia, Georgetown, and Syracuse universities, and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. O’Hanlon was also a member of the External Advisory Board at the Central Intelligence Agency from 2011-2012.
O’Hanlon’s latest books include: The Senkaku Paradox: Risking Great Power War over Limited Stakes (Brookings, 2019); Beyond NATO: A New Security Architecture for Eastern Europe (Brookings, 2017); The Future of Land Warfare (Brookings, 2015); and Strategic Reassurance and Resolve: U.S.-China Relations in the 21st Century (with Jim Steinberg, Princeton University Press, 2014). Previously, he wrote Bending History: Barack Obama’s Foreign Policy (with Martin Indyk and Kenneth Lieberthal, Brookings, 2012); A Skeptic’s Case for Nuclear Disarmament (Brookings, 2010); The Science of War (Princeton University Press, 2009); Crisis on the Korean Peninsula (with Mike Mochizuki, McGraw-Hill, 2003); Winning Ugly: NATO’s War to Save Kosovo (with Ivo Daalder, Brookings, 2000); and Technological Change and the Future of Warfare (Brookings, 2000), among others.
O’Hanlon has written several hundred op-eds in newspapers including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Japan Times, USA Today, and Pakistan’s Dawn paper. His articles have appeared in Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, Survival, Washington Quarterly, Joint Forces Quarterly, and International Security, among other publications. O’Hanlon has appeared on television or spoken on the radio some 4,000 times since eptember 11, 2001.
O’Hanlon was an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office from 1989-1994. He also worked previously at the Institute for Defense Analyses. His Ph.D. from Princeton is in public and international affairs; his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, also from Princeton, are in the physical sciences. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Congo/Kinshasa (the former Zaire) from 1982-1984, where he taught college and high school physics in French. Earlier, he worked on a dairy farm in Upstate New York, where he grew up, and attempted (unsuccessfully) with a team of Princeton experimental physicists in the “Gravity Group” to disprove Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.
Click here to attend live
Click here to register for this webinar now

The Pennsylvania German and the American Revolution
2026-06-10 16:30 - 18:00 | Reading Liederkranz, 143 Spook Lane, Reading, PA, 19606, United States
William W. Donner received his PhD in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently the Freyberger Professor of Pennsylvania German Studies at Kutztown University. He has been involved with the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, The Kutztown Folk Festival, and other Pennsylvania German organizations for over 25 years. He has published about Pennsylvania Germans in numerous journals including, Pennsylvania History, Pennsylvania Magazine of Biography and History, Yearbook of German American Studies and Sociological Inquiry, among other journals. He has published a book about Pennsylvania German expressive culture, Serious Nonsense: Groundhog Lodges, Versammlinge, and Pennsylvania German Heritage (2016, Penn State Press).

Patrick Donmoyer is Director of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University, a folklife museum and research center on the Kutztown Campus. An avid speaker of Pennsylvania Dutch, Patrick’s research blends the study of folk art, vernacular language, rural architecture, seasonal customs, and healing traditions. In 2022, Patrick received the American Folklore Society’s Archie Green Public Folklore Advocacy Award for significant contributions impacting folk traditions and their communities in the United States. Patrick is the author of numerous articles, and four books, including Hex Signs: Myth and Meaning in Pennsylvania Dutch Barn Stars (2013), Powwowing in Pennsylvania: Braucherei and the Ritual of Everyday Life (2018), and Painter of the Stars: The Life and Work of Milton J. Hill (2021).

Registration is now closed.

Islam: the Basics and Role in Today’s World
2026-09-09 11:30 - 13:15 | McGlinn Conference Center, 460 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading, PA, 19607, United States
Dr. Natana J. DeLong-Bas is Professor of the Practice of Theology and Islamic Civilizations and Societies, and the Director of the Theology and Interreligious Studies minor at Boston College. Earning her Ph.D. from Georgetown University, she is an internationally recognized expert on Islam and Christianity, comparative ethics, women and gender, Islamic law, environmental ethics, and the Arabian Gulf.
As a leading voice in her field, Dr. DeLong-Bas frequently serves as a consultant to the United Nations, international media outlets, governments, and corporations. She is the Past President of the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies (ACSIS) and holds several prestigious editorial roles, including Co-Editor of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies and Editor-in-Chief of both Oxford Bibliographies Online – Islamic Studies and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Women.
She is a prolific author and editor whose notable works include Islam: A Living Faith, Shariah: What Everyone Needs to Know, and Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. Notably, Wahhabi Islam was translated into Arabic, Russian, and French, and was named one of the top five books for understanding Islam by The Wall Street Journal.
Live

Dr. Oya Dursun-Ozkanca on Turkey
2026-10-14 10:30 - 13:15 | McGlinn Conference Center, 460 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading, PA, 19607, United States
Dr. Oya Dursun-Ozkanca is the College Professor of International Studies (Endowed Chair) and Professor of Political Science at Elizabethtown College, where she also serves as the Director of the Honors Program and the International Studies Minor. An internationally recognized political scientist, her research expertise spans transatlantic security, Turkish foreign policy, the European Union, the Eastern Mediterranean, and peace operations.
A distinguished and prolific scholar, Dr. Dursun-Ozkanca has authored two recent books, including Turkey–West Relations: The Politics of Intra-alliance Opposition (Cambridge University Press), which was recently translated and published in Turkey. She has also edited multiple volumes on the European Union and civil wars, and her research frequently appears in leading peer-reviewed international relations journals. Additionally, she serves on the editorial boards of several academic publications, including Ethnopolitics and the International Review of Turkish Studies.
Dr. Dursun-Ozkanca’s work has been supported by prestigious fellowships and grants from institutions such as Georgetown University, the London School of Economics, the European Commission, and the Mellon Foundation. In 2021, she served as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. Highly regarded for her dedication to education, she has taught at universities across the U.S., Turkey, Poland, Ukraine, and Kosovo, and has received Elizabethtown College’s highest honors for teaching excellence, outstanding student service, and research excellence.
Live and Zoom

Bret Schafer on AI
2026-12-09 11:30 - 13:15 | McGlinn Conference Center, 460 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading, PA, 19607, United States
Bret Schafer is the Senior Director of Policy and Research for Information Operations at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD). A leading expert in state-backed information operations and tech policy, he specializes in tracking foreign manipulation, coordinated inauthentic behavior, and the use of AI in online warfare.
Previously, he served as a Senior Fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, where he created the Hamilton 2.0 dashboard to track Russian, Chinese, and Iranian state messaging. He regularly advises governments and international organizations, and his expert commentary is frequently featured in major outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN.
Bret holds a Master’s in Public Diplomacy from USC and a B.S. from Northwestern University. Beyond his national security work, he brings a uniquely global perspective shaped by his past experiences as an intern at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, a radio host in Budapest, and a semi-professional baseball player in Germany.
Live
