Dear Attendees,

 

It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the 2014 Penn International Relations Conference. Sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania International Affairs Association, PIRC will take place on Penn’s campus on February 21 and 22, 2014.

 

PIRC was created to encourage a love of international relations and to foster an awareness of global politics among high school students in the Delaware Valley. At PIRC 2014, students will participate in an educational forum including interactive discussions and presentations from world-renowned professors and experienced undergraduates.

 

The secretariat and I have chosen “Politics and Development in Modern Latin America” as the theme of PIRC 2014. This year we hope introduce the deeper meaning of Latin America in the real of International Relations by analyzing the region from an economical, political, and cultural perspective. Our speakers will discuss both the economic rise of the region and the current dilemmas it is facing. Furthermore, we will also discuss the political diversity and the region’s current interactions with the United States.

 

Having being involved in the previous two sessions of PIRC, I can honestly say that this conference has become a personal passion during my time as an undergraduate at Penn. We hope to build upon the successes of our previous conferences and to introduce new ideas and concepts to make this experience even more interesting for all participants.

 

This year, we will emphasize more discussion-based activities and simulations. We envision PIRC 2014 as forum for the creation of new ideas to address the modern necessities of the region and the world. Throughout this weekend, we will foster an interaction between high school students, Penn undergraduates and Academia in order to reach new solutions. Moreover, we will recognize the best participants for their outstanding work.

 

If you have any questions regarding conference content, business sponsorships, student participation, or general inquiries about PIRC and the Penn IAA, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you attended last year’s conference, please share your experiences. We love feedback, and if you have any ideas you may find helpful for planning this year’s conference, share it with us! We hope to see you here!

​

Sincerely,

​

Angel Garcia de la Garza

Executive Director, PIRC 2014