Regions

Chicago & the Midwest

All of our content covering Chicago, and also states including Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Upcoming Events

Emerging Leaders Program Information Session July 2026

Virtual EVENT

Globally minded Chicago-area professionals, ages 30 to 45, are invited to learn more about the Emerging Leaders Program and the benefits to their professional and personal growth.

Register Today
Emerging Leaders listen in at a Council roundtable.
Ana Miyares Photography
Jul
1

Local Voices, National Debate: How Chicagoland Views Immigration

Hybrid EVENT

Craig Kafura and Beatriz Ponce de León discuss new Chicago Council survey data on immigration attitudes in the Chicago area and what local opinion tells us about one of America's most debated issues.

Register Today
People hold signs and flags at a protest opposing "Operation Midway Blitz" and the presence of ICE, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in Chicago.
Erin Hooley / AP
Jul
16
View all Upcoming Events related to Chicago & the Midwest

Past Events

Emerging Leaders Program Information Session June 2026

PAST EVENT

Globally minded Chicago-area professionals, ages 30 to 45, are invited to learn more about the Emerging Leaders Program and the benefits to their professional and personal growth.

Jun 15
Attendees at an Emerging Leaders reception event pose for a photo.
Ana Miyares Photography

Emerging Leaders Program Information Session May 2026

PAST EVENT

Globally minded Chicago-area professionals, ages 30 to 45, are invited to learn more about the Emerging Leaders Program and the benefits to their professional and personal growth.

May 21
A group of Emerging Leaders pose for a selfie photo at a Council event.
Ana Miyares Photography
View all Past Events related to Chicago & the Midwest

Commentary

How Cover Crops Could Help the Midwestern Agriculture Business

BLOG
ChicagoGlobal by Hope O'Dell

Cover crops help prevent soil erosion and can increase farmers’ yields — but, despite widespread use overseas, they haven’t caught on much yet in the Midwest.

A red barn stands in the background with the green leaves of a corn field in the foreground
Seth Perlman/AP
Food and Agriculture

Q&A: Northwestern's New Global Affairs Chair Says Her Department is All About Connection

BLOG
ChicagoGlobal by Hope O'Dell

In her first year as head of the Buffett Institute, Deborah Cohen talks us through the role of global affairs at Northwestern, in Chicago, and beyond.

Headshot of a woman with curly dark hair and glasses
Becca Heuer
Global Cities
View all Chicago & the Midwest Commentary

Research

A Tale of Two Regions: The Economic and Political Importance of Different Paths to Heartland Renewal

RESEARCH
Working Paper by Coauthors

The regeneration strategies of the former industrial areas of Pittsburgh in the US and Germany's Ruhr offer lessons for other regions in economic transition.

Pittsburgh Skyline
AP Photos
Global Cities

Upstream Illinois: Strategies to Boost Illinois' Blue Economy

RESEARCH
Report by Alaina Harkness

This report by Nonresident Fellow Alaina Harkness offers a blueprint for inclusive growth and innovation in the blue economy grounded in the Great Lakes.

Chicago skyline with Lake Michigan in the background
Johnell Pannell
Global Cities
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Experts

Richard C. Longworth 

Distinguished Fellow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Council expert Richard C. Longworth
Expertise
Europe
Chicago & the Midwest
Global Cities
Global Politics
Phone
(312) 821-7508
View all Chicago & the Midwest Experts