REGIONAL ACADEMIC WORLDQUEST COMPETITION

Each year, World Affairs Councils around the United States host Academic WorldQuest competitions for high school students. The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth hosts nearly 85 North Texas area teams, which participate each February. Teams of four (4) study for a chance to compete on the national level in Washington, DC against other regional winners.

The competition consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, including 10 sections of 10 questions. Participants prepare for the competition by studying an online study guide. The World Affairs Councils of America decides the 10 topics based on the most relevant global issues of that year. In the case of a tie, the competition can go into a tiebreaker round of 10 multiple-choice questions and then a sudden death round of five questions that require write-in answers.

Register up to three teams by emailing jbowden@dfwworld.org

2024 Regional Competition Details

2024 Pinnacle Group Academic WorldQuest

Wednesday, February 21, 2024
9:00 AM – 1:30 PM

University of Texas at Arlington
300 West First Street
Arlington, TX 76010

Two of the 10 topics are consistent each year: Current Events and Great Decisions. The current events questions for this year’s competition were based on world events from September 1, 2023 – November 30, 2023, and the Great Decisions questions will focus on two topics from the Great Decisions 2024 publication by the Foreign Policy Association.

Topic 1: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): Alliance and Collective Defense in a Changing World

Topic 2: Demographic Dividends – Population Shift in Africa

Topic 3: The Global South

Topic 4: Sports and Diplomacy

Topic 5: Country in Focus: South Korea

Topic 6: Promoting a Green Europe

Topic 7: Women’s Contributions to Track II Diplomacy

Topic 8: Navigating AI: The Global Workforce

Topic 9: Great Decisions

• “Mideast Realignment” by Marc Lynch
• “High Seas Treaty” by FPA editors

Topic 10: Current Events

• Local Competition

Current event sources for the National Competition will be composed of only Daily Chatter Monday and Thursday Editions between September 1, 2023 and November 30, 2023.

• National Competition

Current events sources for the National Competition will be composed of only Daily Chatter Monday and Thursday Editions between January 1, 2024 and March 31, 2024.

Study Tips

• Teachers register by emailing jbowden@dfwworld.org
• Start studying early! Some teams start studying for five months in advance of the competition
• Divide and conquer the material amongst your teammates
• Hold mock-competitions at your JWAC meetings
• Keep up-to-date on current events from around the world
• Include the latest edition of the Great Decisions publication in your study materials
• Review the Academic WorldQuest guidelines and study materials
• Read the articles listed in the study materials