Some 50 World Affairs Councils hold local AWQ competitions for high school students in their communities. Since 2003, winning teams have traveled to Washington, DC every April to vie for the national championship.
The Carlos and Malú Alvarez Academic WorldQuest National Competition is made possible by sponsors and sustained by our AWQ Endowment. To become a sponsor, please contact WACA by phone at 202-833-4557 or email waca@worldaffairscouncils.org.
2020 Academic WorldQuest National Competition
WACA is pleased to announce that the 2019-2020 AWQ season is officialy underway with the announcement of our topic categories! The Carlos and Malú Alvarez 2020 Academic WorldQuest National Competition will be held in Washington, DC on April 24-25, 2020.
Please see the 2020 AWQ Ops Paper, Teachers Guide, and Flyer for useful information. Submit the 2020 AWQ Pledge Form to register your local competition in this year's AWQ season, and view the 2019-2020 AWQ Official Study Guide to get started. We look forward to a wondeful year, and wish all our Councils, educators, and students the best of luck!
2019-2020 AWQ Topics
- U.S.-Russia Relations
- Country in Focus: South Korea
- Preventing Extremism in Fragile States
- Oceans: The World's Garbage Dump
- Great Decisions
- Refugees and Global Migration
- The Middle East: Regional Disorder
- Nuclear Negotiations: Back to the Future?
- The Rise of Populism in Europe
- Decoding U.S.-China Trade
- Cyber Conflict and Geopolitics
- The United States and Mexico: Partnership Tested
- State of the State Department and Diplomacy
- Brexit and the EU
- China's Belt & Road Initiative
- Germany: 30 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall
- Qatar and the Future of the Gulf Cooperation Council
- Current Events
2019 AWQ National Competition Photo Highlights
WACA President and CEO Bill Clifford, Fatema Al-Baker, and the First Place team, and the Friday Welcome Reception at the Qatar-America Institute
Academic WorldQuest Sponsors
Key Dates
AWQ Topics Announced
September 16, 2019
AWQ Official Study Guide Release
October 11, 2019
AWQ Pledge Form Due
November 15, 2019
Local Competition Questions Released
October 31, 2019
National Competition Registration Opens
TBA
National Competition Registration Closes
TBA
Hotel Block Deadline
April 2, 2020
National Competition in DC
Reception
April 24, 2020
2020 AWQ Championship at USIP
April 25, 2020
HOTEL BLOCK
The Westin D.C. City Center
April 23-25, 2020
1400 M St. NW
Washington, DC
Reserve Here
Deadline: April 2, 2020