The World Affairs Council of St. Louis connects the citizens of the region with the world. The Council's mission is to promote understanding, engagement, relationships, and leadership in world affairs. International Leadership Program (IVLP) We serve as the regional host for the International Visitor Leadership Program, the State Department's premier professional exchange program. This program seeks to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through short term visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders. In our role, we host approximately 200 international visitors per year from all around the globe who are chosen by our embassies. Ambassador Forums and Speaker Series The Council sponsors 10-12 member/guest programs throughout the year, incuding Ambassador Forums, where the World Affairs Council of St. Louis hosts ambassadors from strategic countires to the United States. The most recent ambassador was Javlon Vakhabov of Uzbekistan. The discussion centered around US-Uzbekistan relations, the COVID-19 situation in Uzbekistan, and recent economic developments in Uzbekistan. Foreign Policy Association (FPA) "Great Decision" Series Every year the FPA selects and develops materials on eight critical and timely challenges to U.S. foreign policy. On eight successive Thursdays in the spring, we will offer moderated discussions of the current year's "Great Decision" topics. Everyone is welcome!