The Speaker's Bureau serves as the official liaison between the World Bank and its visitors, including governmental delegations, community groups, youth organizations, students and teachers. It has formed partnerships with some of these organizations. The Speaker’s Bureau also responds to invitations to forums and participates in guest lectures.
World Bank Briefings
The Speaker's Bureau offers general World Bank briefings to visiting schools and universities on selected days throughout the year. Visitors are given an overview of the history of the World Bank Group and its mission, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Groups must be 15 persons or more and space is on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups may be combined, wherever possible. Groups of 50 or more persons should allow at least a month's notice and may be accommodated separately.
To request a briefing, email the Speaker's Bureau. We will respond to your request by email. Please include the following information:
- Name of group/contact
- Contact phone number
- Contact email
- Group location
- Group description
- Number of participants
- Average age of participants
- Course of study
- Course degree
- Job titles
- Topic(s) of interest
- Desired briefing dates
Presidential Fellows Lecture Series
In this series, the World Bank invites eminent thinkers and political leaders to come to the Bank and share their wisdom and experiences. These events provide Bank staff and other guests with insights about development issues that complement their daily work.
Previous speakers include: Dr. Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister of Malaysia; Sir Nicholas Stern, second permanent secretary to Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom; Peter Bell, president and CEO of CARE; Juan Somavia, director general, International Labour Organization; Shirin Ebadi, winner, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize; Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS; Mike Moore, former head of the World Trade Organization and former prime minister of New Zealand; Bertie Ahern, prime minister of Ireland; Kumi Naidoo, CEO and secretary of CIVICUS; Thoraya Obaid, director, United Nations Population Fund; Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate.