Fireside Chat - "Leadership in Global Education"

Jaap Veerman 

Jaap Veerman is the senior Dutch government representative in Atlanta, overseeing relations between the Netherlands and five U.S. states. He leads efforts in trade, investment, public diplomacy, and scientific collaboration. An experienced diplomat specializing in economic diplomacy and business development, he has expertise in water management, agriculture, life sciences, infrastructure, and logistics.

With a master’s in social economic history from Amsterdam University and a background in education, Jaap began his career as a geography teacher. Over 30 years, he has held key roles in the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including positions in the Philippines, Suriname, Mexico, and the U.S. Born in Volendam, he is accompanied in Atlanta by his partner, Petra.

Daniel Stein

Daniel Stein is Professor of North American Literary and Cultural Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Siegen, and a PI in the Research Center “Transformations of the Popular” (2021-). His latest book is Authorizing Superhero Comics: On the Evolution of a Popular Serial Genre (2021).

Youngju Ryu

Youngju Ryu is Director of the Nam Center for Korean Studies at the University of Michigan where she also directs East Asia National Resource Center and the Big Ten Academic Alliance Korean Studies e-School. She is the author of Writers of the Winter Republic: Literature and Resistance in Park Chung Hee’s Korea. 

Paulina Guzman

Guzman joined the City of Atlanta in 2017 as International Affairs Coordinator and served as Global Engagement Officer and Deputy Director from 2018 to 2023. Before joining the City of Atlanta, she served as the Membership Relations Manager for the World Affairs Council of Atlanta where she led membership and development strategy and implementation. She currently serves as a board member of the Atlanta Global Studies Center External Advisory Board and Robinson College International Advisory Board.

Trevor Williams

As managing editor of Global Atlanta, Trevor has spent 15+ years reporting on Atlanta’s ties with the world. An avid traveler, he has undertaken trips to 30+ countries to uncover stories on the perils and promise of globalization. A lifelong Bulldog, Trevor earned degrees from the University of Georgia in Magazine Journalism and Religion, with a minor in Chinese. He is the father of three sons and editor of the book "Making Men: Five Steps to Growing Up."