The Columbia World Affairs Council

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The Columbia World Affairs Council Connecting Columbia to the World

www.columbiaworldaffairs.org Connecting Columbia to the World!

Founded in 1993, the Columbia World Affairs Council is a private, non-profit 501(c) 3 non-partisan organization in the Midlands region of South Carolina, located in the state capital. We serve as the bridge between our local community and its global counterparts. In recent years, South Carolina has experienced rapid growth in international business, politics and culture. Devoted to promoting intercontinental awareness in South Carolina, the Columbia World Affairs Council exists not only for the state’s benefit, but also for its citizens by enhancing their opportunities to engage in projects that are beneficial to the international community. Members might be invited to spend an evening with an ambassador, attend seminars on crucial topics presented by different nations, or even dine with foreign diplomats, dignitaries or international business executives. The council provides its members with opportunities for direct contact with key international figures and for networking within the region's expanding community.

You are cordially invited! Link 🔗 to tickets 🎟️ & more in the bio ⬆️. 🌎 🤝 🌍 🤝 🌏The Columbia World Affairs Council is pl...
10/09/2026

You are cordially invited! Link 🔗 to tickets 🎟️ & more in the bio ⬆️. 🌎 🤝 🌍 🤝 🌏

The Columbia World Affairs Council is pleased to present the 2026 Global Vision Award to Dr. Fred Carter, president of Francis Marion University (1999-present), executive director of the SC State Budget & Control Board (1991-1999), chief of staff to Governor Mark Sanford (2003), and senior executive assistant to South Carolina Governor Carroll Campbell (1987-1991). Dr. Carter will be honored at a black-tie gala on Tuesday, December 1, at the Columbia Museum of Art. This is our 33rd year recognizing a leader whose contributions have made a significant impact on projecting South Carolina globally.

The annual Global Vision Award Gala is the Council’s only fund-raising event, generating critical operational funds needed to continue our mission to keep SC globally connected and competitive in the year ahead. Each year, the gala is attended by South Carolina’s esteemed leadership in government, law, business, education, and our globally engaged community. Please join us for the special evening and help support South Carolina’s global impact - Tickets & sponsorship opportunities available now!

“This is a very special honor, made all the more meaningful by the fact that Governor Carroll Campbell, Governor David Beasley and Senator Hugh Leatherman also received it,” Carter said. “Those three were truly masterful at charming our international partners. But of course, all of those collaborative efforts would have been for naught if the Columbia World Affairs Council and college faculties across the state hadn’t been so successful in sustaining them.

“Four decades ago, Carroll Campbell reminded us that our future as a great country was dependent upon having other great countries stand alongside us. That observation has never been more relevant or timely.”

The Global Vision Award was established in 1994 and the first recipient was Governor Carroll A. Campbell. The 2025 Global Vision Award was given to Governor David Beasley.

FREE with RSVP! Link 🔗 in bio ⬆️ Tuesday, October 13, 2026Reception | 4:00-4:45pm | Golden Spur Grill Film Screening | 5...
10/01/2026

FREE with RSVP! Link 🔗 in bio ⬆️
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Reception | 4:00-4:45pm | Golden Spur Grill
Film Screening | 5:00-7:00pm | DMSB, Rm #123

Dive into the fascinating world of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry with a fun reception and the premiere of an eye-opening film!

The Columbia World Affairs Council, in partnership with the Taichung City Government, Taipei Economic & Cultural Office (TECO) in Atlanta and the Folks Center for International Business at USC’s Darla Moore School of Business, cordially invite you to join us in celebrating the Sister City partnership between Columbia, SC and Taichung, Taiwan with a reception and premiere screening of A Chip Odyssey (2025)!

This event highlights the Columbia-Taichung sister city partnership formed in 2014, beginning with a networking reception on the patio of the Golden Spur Grill. Then, join us next door in the Moore School’s BlueCross BlueShield Auditorium (Rm #123) to hear comments from TECO’s Director General Jared Lin, USC’s Dr. Andy Spicer, and a virtual message from Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen before the premiere screening of A Chip Odyssey. We will also have special snacks from Taichung available!

A Chip Odyssey (2025, 106min.) features interviews with over 80 key figures who witnessed and shaped the development of the semiconductor industry - from the first generation of engineers and female factory workers, to policymakers and technology veterans, and today’s young engineers facing new crossroads. This feature-length documentary chronicles how Taiwan built its semiconductor industry from scratch and transformed it into a global technological force, capturing a vital and transformative chapter in the island’s modern history.

Please join us for the launch of the Fall 2026 Palmetto Forum series as we hear a recent, first-hand account of an aid m...
09/14/2026

Please join us for the launch of the Fall 2026 Palmetto Forum series as we hear a recent, first-hand account of an aid mission to the War in Ukraine!

Save your seat today - Registration 🔗 in bio ⬆️

PLEASE NOTE: Ticket sales close at the end of Friday, September 25, in order for the event caterer to prepare. As always, lunch is included with your ticket!

Please join CWAC, in collaboration with USC’s Walker Institute, for our next Palmetto Forum on The U.S. and the Compact ...
05/12/2026

Please join CWAC, in collaboration with USC’s Walker Institute, for our next Palmetto Forum on The U.S. and the Compact of Free Association Agreements (COFA) with Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Federated States of Micronesia. [NOTE: Ticket window closes on May 22 - secure your spot today! Registration 🔗 in bio ⬆️]

This month, we are excited to welcome John D. Brewer, Director of the Office of Insular Affairs U.S. Department of the Interior & the World Affairs Councils of America National Board of Directors, to discuss COFA and how it supports U.S. interests and national security in the Pacific. In his current role, Mr. Brewer coordinates federal policy for the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands. Brewer also supports the Assistant Secretary for Insular, International, and Ocean Affairs.

Prior to joining the Interior Department, Brewer served 14 years in various leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These include Administrator of the United States Foreign Agricultural Service; Special Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for Intelligence Issues; and Special Assistant to the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. He has also held senior posts at the U.S. Departments of State, Defense, and Treasury. Brewer worked in the private sector at American International Group (AIG), a financial services and insurance company and Booz Allen Hamilton, a multinational consulting firm.

COFA and U.S. interests in the region are not well-known to many of us, so please don’t miss this enlightening discussion!

Please join CWAC & in welcoming Canadian Consul General Rosaline Kwan for our April 22 Palmetto Forum! Tickets availabl...
04/07/2026

Please join CWAC & in welcoming Canadian Consul General Rosaline Kwan for our April 22 Palmetto Forum! Tickets available now - link 🔗 in bio ⬆️

Consul General Kwan will highlight how Canada is adapting its diplomatic and economic strategy to a more competitive global environment while maintaining strong and enduring ties with the United States. The Consul General will highlight South Carolina – Canada economic partnerships and how collaboration and innovation can help drive prosperity on both sides of the border.

Rosaline Kwan is a diplomat with over 25 years of experience in international trade and foreign policy. As Canada’s Consul General to the Southeast United States, she overseas the dedicated team stewarding the bilateral relationship between Canada and the states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

RSVP TODAY! Join us tomorrow for a fireside chat with Ambassadors Ed McMullen and James Story, followed by audience Q&A....
04/07/2026

RSVP TODAY! Join us tomorrow for a fireside chat with Ambassadors Ed McMullen and James Story, followed by audience Q&A.

The Folks Center for International Business and the Sonoco International Business Department, in collaboration with the , are proud to launch a new public forum series on Trade and Diplomacy. The inaugural event, The Realignment of Global Trade, will take place on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

This forum will bring together leaders from business and government to explore the evolving intersection of international commerce and global policy. The panel will feature distinguished former U.S. Ambassadors Ed McMullen (Switzerland) and James Story (Venezuela), and Jerry Cheatham (Vice President, Global Financial Planning & Analysis, Sonoco) alongside a senior corporate leader, offering diverse perspectives on shifting trade and investment patterns.

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2210 Devine Street
Columbia, SC
29205

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

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