International On-Line Student Conferences

In the past three years, the Atlantic Council of the United States has co-sponsored two international on-line student conferences as a way to engage young people in dialogue about international issues with their counterparts around the globe. Each conference includes

1)       Peer-moderated small group discussions on issues related to the conference theme

2)       Expert commentaries to provide analysis and provoke discussion

3)       A key-note, live web-chat with a leading policy-maker

In April 2003, the Council worked with a number of international partners to organize an on-line conference for 400 students from 60 countries to discuss the conflict in Iraq as it was happening. Four high-ranking commentators, including Robert Hunter, former U.S. Ambassador to nato, offered commentaries to spark dialogue among the students.  To listen to Ambassador Hunter’s web-cast, please log-on to the event site.

 In April 2005, we collaborated with Politalk.org, an ngo specializing in on-line public policy discussions, to engage 414 students from 74 countries around the issue of “National Interests and Global Responsibilities: the United States and its Allies.” With the help of the University of Pittsburgh, one highlight of the 2005 event was a web-chat with Jamie P. Shea, Deputy Assistant Secretary General of nato for External Relations.  Expert commentators were recruited to further enhance and provoke conversation, including Paul Gallis of the U.S. Congressional Research Service, Capt. Kelly Johnson of the U.S. Navy and a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and David S. Lin of the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area. This event was made possible through the generosity of the NATO Public Diplomacy Division.