Great Decisions events are sponsored in St. Louis by the World Affairs Council of St. Louis & UMSL Global. The Great Decisions initiative is a national discussion program focusing on eight major foreign policy issues each year. It has been produced by the Foreign Policy Association (FPA) since 1954. The FPA is the U.S.’s oldest organization devoted to citizen education in world affairs. The issues are selected at the beginning of the year based on the most critical global challenges to United States foreign policy. The program aims to present all sides of each issue in order to inform and educate the public.

Preparing the next generation of leaders, scholars, and decision-makers to thrive in a complex and rapidly changing world – where our national interests are intertwined with the global community – is one of the greatest challenges facing our country. It requires a renewed enthusiasm for global studies in our high schools. Too many American students today fall behind their counterparts from other countries in their knowledge and understanding of world history, geography, and current international events. The purpose of Academic WorldQuest is to close the gap.