The Great Decisions series has returned to UNG for the Spring 2022 semester. UNG has hosted presentations for the Great Decisions lecture series for over a decade, providing a public forum for the discussion of current foreign policy issues facing the United States. The first Great Decisions group was organized in 1954 around informal presentation and conversation. Since then, The Foreign Policy Association has produced the Great Decisions series annually. The meetings are meant to be flexible educational experiences that are accessible through schools, libraries, community centers, and faith-based organizations across the nation.
Each year, a panel of experts selects a series of topics that serve as the focus for discussion. Topics are selected based on their current importance to international affairs including issues political, economic, and diplomatic. Topics for this year include a total of nine issues that are of concern to U.S. policymakers. The list includes: Changing Demographics; Outer Space; Climate Change; Russia and the U.S.; Myanmar and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); Quad Alliance (U.S., Japan, India, and Australia); Drug Policy in Latin America; Industrial Policy; and Biden's Agenda.
PSIA faculty members present on each of the topics listed above. The series began on February 9th and continues each week into the month of April. Presentations are held in person and also made accessible via Zoom to allow for ease of access and engagement with the presenters and the wider community.
Open to the entire UNG community and the public, we emphasize the importance of the Great Decisions series for students who look to apply their classroom experiences to the broader discussion of domestic and foreign policy concerns. Attendees are encouraged to access the discussion materials online in advance, although the presentations and subsequent discussions are engaging and in-depth even without prior attendee preparation. Students who participate in every seminar for the Spring semester receive a certificate of completion as well as a Great Decisions magazine. For the broader community including faculty, staff, and alumni, the series affords an exceptional opportunity to engage with experts on the most pressing global issues and concerns facing the United States.