WAC is North America’s largest and Canada’s oldest annual student-run current events conference that provides high-quality discussion opportunities for thousands of inspired and globally-minded high school students from around the world. WAC has reached over a cumulative 10,000 students from more than 80 schools and 35 countries—which includes gaining formal recognition from the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Our mission at its core is to expose the next generation of thinkers, and innovators to what it’s like in the real world; the essence of this is providing them with the role models they need in order to find out what they want to mold out of the clay that is their lives. That is why we find talented, and exemplary people to deliver on these expectations.
In order to engage the student body more towards what they can expect on WAC day, March 5th 2025, I wanted to share the thoughts of two of our plenary speakers through a questionnaire. Dr. Justina Ray has been President and Senior Scientist of Wildlife Conservation Society Canada since its incorporation in 2004. Dr Ray is involved in research and policy activities associated with conservation-based planning, environmental assessment and biodiversity conservation, with a particular focus on wildlife in northern boreal landscapes. Dr. Jeremy Wang is the Co-Founder and COO of the aviation service Ribbit, an airline that builds and operates self-flying aircraft to serve remote and rural communities at the center of innovation in automated aviation. His work involves collaboration with Indigenous communities as well as various government agencies like Transport Canada, NRC, RCAF, and DND.
Question 1: What inspired you to participate in our World Affairs Conference, and why do you believe global issues are important for high school students to discuss?
Dr. Ray: I almost never turn down an opportunity to speak with students because I know firsthand how powerful these conversations can be. Growing up in a city, I loved animals, but I didn’t really know what I could do with that passion—until someone visited my classroom to talk about whales. That one talk completely hooked me, and from that moment on, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to protecting wildlife. Global issues, like conservation and climate change, are deeply connected to our daily lives, even if we don’t always realize it. Discussing them now helps you understand the world in a way that prepares you to make a difference, no matter what career path you choose.
Dr. Wang: Mrs. Suzanne Monir and I met at the Ontario Science Centre a decade ago, back when I was the outreach lead for the University of Toronto Aerospace Team and she was leading a group of high school student researchers sending experiments to the International Space Station. After crossing paths additional times since then—including co-hosting Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen at the University of Toronto!—she very kindly invited me to speak at the World Affairs Conference. As an engineer, entrepreneur, and scientist working in the aerospace sector, I feel strongly about the very real impact that fast and reliable transportation can have on quality of life and standard of living. I also believe that aerospace, in its constant pursuit of better ways to defy gravity, has a unique role in inspiring and unleashing human potential. I hope I can bring these points to life in my talk.
Question 2: What is one pressing global challenge that you think young people today should be paying more attention to?
Dr. Ray: There are so many global challenges that I would be hard-pressed to name one that deserves focus over all others, so instead I would emphasize how interconnected they all are. For example, you can’t talk about climate change without also talking about the health of nature—they directly impact each other. A warming planet leads to habitat loss and biodiversity decline, while protecting natural areas helps store carbon and regulate the climate. We might be most concerned about plastic pollution, but that issue is tied to overconsumption, environmental justice, and even human health.
Dr. Wang: Young Canadians today need to pay attention to the changing world order and how it is reshaping equitable access to essential goods, services, and living conditions like food, transportation, and national security. Climate change, the fight for water and natural resources, the return of rivals (e.g. the West vs Eastern Bloc), and fraying friendships (e.g. Canada-US relations, NATO). Globalization assured a certain level of free trade and peace for the last 3+ decades, but times are quickly changing. How Canadians act in the coming decade will decide where we land amidst these changing power dynamics and technological trends that are reshaping everything including our economy and national security. Canada must foster the kind of strength that comes from choosing to work with others despite an ability to stand on our own.
Question 3: Can you share a personal or professional experience that shaped your perspective on world affairs?
Dr. Ray: I lived for almost three years in Central Africa while doing my Ph.D. research in my early 20s. My study site was deep in a tropical forest, about 35 km from the nearest village, where I was responsible for leading a field crew of about eight people and managing food and supplies. To do this, I had to learn two new languages and adapt to a completely different culture.
The country I worked in, the Central African Republic, is one of the poorest in the world. Living and working there gave me a firsthand understanding of global inequalities and made me recognize my own privilege in ways I never had before. That experience shaped how I see the world—it influences how I lead my organization, how I think about conservation, and even how I parent. It taught me that world affairs aren’t just abstract issues; they are about real people, real places, and the deep connections between them.
Dr. Wang: The world is so interconnected that even the most remote regions are impacted, whether positively or negatively, by trends on the other side of the world. I was in Nain, Newfoundland last New Year’s with my co-founder Carl Pigeon. It is the northernmost community of Labrador, has a population of 1200, and it was so cold that even fire hydrants needed little sheds to prevent the snow and ice from rendering them inaccessible. Carl and I struck up a conversation with one of the staff at the hotel where we were staying, and learned he had settled in Nain after originally emigrating from Asia, living and studying in Scarborough (which he called “a small town”!), then ultimately moving to Nain. For the computer science folks reading this, these kinds of linkages scale with O(n^2): every node in an interconnected network affects and is affected by every other node. Complexity scales nonlinearly, which makes complex systems—especially those that are growing—so difficult to understand, manage, and predict.
Question 4: If students take away one key lesson from your session, what do you hope it will be?
Dr. Ray: Be curious, and stay informed. It might sound like a cliché, but knowledge really is power. When the news feels overwhelming, it’s tempting to tune it out—but understanding the world around you is what drives action and change. Being informed gives you the tools to make a difference, and taking the time to understand different viewpoints is key to finding real solutions. he more open you are to learning and understanding new things, the more prepared you’ll be to tackle challenges and make a difference. We need all hands on deck!
Dr. Wang: To fix a problem, you need to fix the systems and influence the people who created the problem in the first place. Consider that everyone knows how to address hunger; what we have yet to address is the greed, selfishness, and organizations that enable world hunger to persist.
If you like what you heard from the above, get hyped for WAC this Wednesday from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM to hear from tons of other speakers as well as our two fascinating keynotes, Dr. James Orbinski, and Bill Weir. The WAC team as a whole hopes that you take away and learn something about something from WAC 2025.
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The Blue and White 