The International Advisory Council (IAC) has been a valued part of the life of the Brookings Institution since 2006. Founded by Trustee Antoine van Agtmael and former Brookings President Strobe Talbott, the IAC comprises business and community leaders from around the world who bring critical perspectives on issues and events to Brookings and help amplify the independent, fact-based research of its experts and scholars. Throughout what was once again a challenging year, the IAC stepped up its engagement through frequent scholar briefings, quarterly “regional conversations,” and its annual meeting.

Antoine van Agtmael

Co-Chairman of the IAC
Brookings Trustee

IAC members provide critical financial resources through contributions to the President’s Special Initiatives Fund, which President John R. Allen uses to support key institutional priorities such as inclusion and diversity, AI regulation, the transition to low-carbon energy, renewing the middle class, congressional oversight, and the federal partnership on infrastructure, among others.

Just as they did in 2020, the International Advisory Council convened virtually for its 2021 annual meeting, which featured sessions on the state of the pandemic and the future of remote and hybrid work, as well as a broader range of topics, including White House climate policy, the future of U.S.-China relations, transforming legacy media organizations, the Biden administration’s agenda across a range of issues, and the role of corporations in addressing systemic racism. The highlight of the meeting was a fast-moving, interactive crisis simulation that divided IAC members, participating Trustees, and Brookings scholars into teams representing six countries that responded to a cascading series of fictional events, including an oil tanker disaster, a global pandemic, economic shock, and military action. The country teams struck alliances and took cooperative action to confront new developments and chart a path forward.

Paul Desmarais, Jr.

Co-Chairman of the IAC
Brookings Trustee

The IAC also came together virtually for quarterly “regional conversations” on specific topics of interest from around the world, including the U.S. elections, the impact of the U.S. on the global economy, and 2021 priorities for the African continent. Members heard views from experts across Brookings and shared perspectives on the impacts and implications of global developments on their regions and industries. The IAC also heard observations on the new Biden administration from Capitol Hill in a conversation with Representatives Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). Vice President and Director of Global Economy and Development Brahima Sangafowa Coulibaly and a panel of Africa Growth Initiative scholars shared important insights from Foresight Africa: Top Priorities for the Continent in 2021, the latest edition of AGI’s flagship report. In addition to key findings from the 2021 report, this quarterly conversation also highlighted the impact of Brookings’s work on the continent.

The IAC remains an important source of knowledge and varied perspectives as our scholars develop innovative and actionable solutions to difficult policy issues that are rooted in rigorous research. As the world continues to grapple with large-scale economic uncertainty and polarization, compounded by the ongoing pandemic, Brookings is grateful to the International Advisory Council and Co-chairs Antoine van Agtmael and Paul Desmarais, Jr. for their support and engagement, which make what we do possible.

Brookings looks forward to once again convening the IAC in person at our Washington, DC headquarters as soon as health conditions permit. Until then, the IAC will continue to leverage technological capabilities to ensure a close connection to Brookings and its work.

International Advisory Council