Compiled by Angelora Castellano, Communications Intern, Global Ties U.S.
The Global Ties Network brings together passionate professionals and volunteers who engage international visitors by opening their communities to meaningful exchanges. Through recent International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) projects focused on cybersecurity and emerging technology, the Global Ties Network connected international visitors with local experts and organizations at the forefront of tech innovation and digital security. These exchanges explored critical topics such as safeguarding digital infrastructures, promoting responsible technology use, and addressing global cyber threats. These presentations provided an invaluable platform for knowledge sharing and strengthening global cooperation in the tech sector.
World Affairs Council Seattle
IVLP: Digital Financial Systems of the Future: Opportunities and Challenges
NPA: Meridian International Center
By Rayan Atallah, Program Officer
The IVLP presentation left a lasting impression on both the participants and the local community, as there were a variety of interesting meetings and events for all of the attendees to learn from. One of these opportunities was a meeting with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where Brooke Patterson, Indonesian Country Lead, shared how much he enjoyed discussing the Foundation’s work and learning about the participants’ organizations. He expressed his enthusiasm for future collaboration and an upcoming trip to Jakarta to reconnect with the participants.
IVLP participants pose with Arry Yu of the Washington Technology Industry Association (middle).
The Global Connections Mixer was another highlight, bringing together 20 people, including the visiting Indonesian group, a Japanese group in town at the same time, and members of the Seattle community. The atmosphere was vibrant as both international groups connected with each other and shared their experiences. Local community members, particularly those in the financial sector, were eager to exchange insights and learn from the visitors.
The Mixer also demonstrated the IVLP’s deeper impact, with meaningful conversations between participants and local experts. Two members of the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBAR) had insightful discussions with the Indonesian and Japanese groups, with one NBAR representative excited to apply his research on Indonesia in these real-life conversations. John Bender, a financial lawyer from Corr Corin, introduced the group to the legal side of finance—a topic they had never explored before. His interaction with the participants was eye-opening for both sides, and John expressed interest in meeting more international groups in the future.
The exchange was a mutually enriching experience, offering new perspectives to all involved and highlighting the value of these cross-cultural connections.
WorldDenver
IVLP: Promoting Cybersecurity
NPA: The Institute of International Education
By Shannon Payne, Senior Program Manager
IVLP participants attend a seminar at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
In February 2024, WorldDenver hosted a Promoting Cybersecurity IVLP project in collaboration with the Institute of International Education and the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council. This multi-regional group stayed in Colorado Springs and came up to Denver for a day of appointments focused on the legal perspective of cybersecurity, particularly the Colorado Privacy Act.
Their first meeting was with Dorsey & Whitney LLP, a law firm whose Denver practice is focused on patent and trademark law. There, the speakers discussed how they advise their private sector clients on compliance with privacy laws. The visitors had the opportunity to examine federalism in privacy law–the role of federal vs. state law and the way that companies operating in the United States tend to err on the side of those states with the most restrictive laws (similar to how companies operating in Europe and globally tend to follow Europe’s General Data Protection Regulations). The group then met with the team at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office (AGO) that authored the Colorado Privacy Act. The AGO team discussed the process of developing the act and the role of this legislation in private organizations’ cybersecurity risk considerations.
This project demonstrated the ways in which laws and regulations in one continent can influence the approach that businesses in another continent may take to protect user data. It was also an opportunity for our organization to consider a programmatic theme within cybersecurity that we had not considered before. Cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving field that affects the whole world, and we were excited to contribute to this opportunity to strengthen global connections around this topic.
World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth
IVLP: Digital Financial Systems of the Future: Opportunities and Challenges
NPA: Meridian International Center
By Mahalet Kefyalew, International Services Manager, and Elaine Tricoli, Director of International Visitor Programs
In June of 2024, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosted five international visitors from Indonesia focused on Digital Financial Systems of the Future: Opportunities and Challenges. During their time in Dallas/Fort Worth, the group met with economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, blockchain experts from Southern Methodist University and the Texas Blockchain Council, and fintech specialists from academia and industry.
We asked our professional resources about what motivated them to meet with the group, what they found most compelling about the meetings, what their takeaways were, and what they hoped the visitors walked away with. We also asked them to think about the ways their meeting was an act of citizen diplomacy and why they think exchange programs matter. The professional resources were intrigued by the opportunity to gain international perspective on cryptocurrency misinformation and misconceptions. The resources valued discussions around solutions to mutual problems and prospects for the future.
An unexpected result of this project was that not only did our local resources connect with their international counterparts, but they also connected with one other, building community both internationally and locally. Taking part in this international exchange created a space for local resources to network and recognize the work of others in this emerging field.
IVLP participants with their Dinner Diplomacy hosts.
While the group was in town, they enjoyed dining in the homes of two Home Hospitality hosts. Over the years, the Council has been working to engage its young professionals in civic engagement, diplomacy, and discourse. And for the first time, a member of our young professional group signed up to be a Dinner Diplomat and hosted a portion of the group for a cookout!