2025 Schedule Page
听
2025
Opening Keynote | Cynthia Erivo听
Monday, April 7听
A Conversation with Cynthia Erivo
The Conference on World Affairs, the Center for Leadership and the Office of Strategic Relations and Communications are thrilled to welcome Tony庐, Grammy庐 and Emmy庐 Award-winning actress, singer and producer鈥攁nd 3x Oscar庐 nominee鈥擟ynthia Erivo.
A group of 桃色视频 students will be pre-selected to ask their questions live on the evening of April 7 and will have the opportunity to meet Ms. Erivo following the program. Students are encouraged to submit their questions for Ms. Erivo here by Monday, March 17, to be considered. Tickets will become available the week of March 17.听
Tuesday, April 8
Cracking the Code: Addiction, Brain Science and the Genetics of Dependence
Description: Addiction and how our understanding of neuroscience and genetics help us find the most effective mitigation and treatment.
Speakers:
Danielle Dick
Judy Grisel
Ty Tashiro
When Oligarchs Rule, Who Pays the Price?
Description: What is an oligarchy, how do they form and what impact do they have on society and democracy?
Education and Opportunity: Designing Sustainable and Inclusive Future
Business of Beauty: Insecurities for Him & Her
Description: The cost of keeping up with appearances in the 21st century.
Shadow Forces: The Impact of Terror, Violence and Non-State Actors in the Global System
Speakers:
John Heffernan
Marcela Prieto
When It Rains鈥t Pours: Struggles in Enacting Change
Description: A new reading of Levi Fraizer's 1999 play 鈥淲hen It Rains鈥 by campus and community performers.
Speakers:
Levi Frazier
Kevin Kling
Who takes the Blame? Accountability and Corporate Responsibility
Description: Exploring the ethics鈥攁nd lack thereof鈥攊n modern business decisions, and the frameworks to course-correct.
Speakers:
Rebekah Bill
Paul Misener
Carl Quintanilla
Luvuyo Rani
The Freedom to Read: Navigating Book Bans, Libraries and Censorship
Speakers:
Wisdom Cole
Nicole Ellison
Karin Gr枚nvall
Steven Hayward
Danielle SeeWalker
Directions for Democracy: A Liberal Perspective听
Description: A forward-looking discussion with an opportunity to articulate a vision for the future and what we need to be doing to get there.
Directions for Democracy: A Conservative Perspective
Description: A forward-looking discussion with an opportunity to articulate a vision for the future and what we need to be doing to get there.
Speaker:
Steven Hayward
Storytelling Performance with Clare Murphy and Kevin Kling
Speakers:听
Kevin Kling
Clare Muireann Murphy
Improving the World through Innovation, Investment and Entrepreneurship
Description: How entrepreneurship, innovation and investment drive sustainable growth, create opportunities and reduce inequality in developing countries.
Speakers:
Luvuyo Rani
Amir Shevat
John Skajem
Emiliana Vegas
Journalists and AI: Friends or Foes?
Description: Journalists are using AI in the newsroom, but are also feeling threatened by it.
Speakers:
David W. Brown
Jessica Herzberg
Jose Marichal
Carl Quintanilla
Cyber Battlegrounds
Description: Cyber espionage, cyber security and their impact on economies, governments and international affairs.
Speaker:
Namrata Goswami
Afro-Grunge: Fashion Showcase and Panel Discussion
Description: A grassroots fashion show and discussion with a global context.
Speaker:
Anita Hlazo
Transforming a Planet in Peril: Does Biodiversity Really Matter?
Description: What are the trade-offs between the needs of humans and other species in the race to save the planet?
Speakers:
F. Stuart (Terry) Chapin III
Nancy Knowlton
Clare Muireann Murphy
Ted Schmitt
America First or America Alone? A Look at Isolationism
Description: A discussion on what an isolationist approach to foreign policy means for geopolitics, international relations and global security.
Speakers:
Joe Cirincione
Heather Hurlburt
Marcela Prieto-Botero
Wednesday, April 9
Social Movements and Changing the World
Description: A discussion on how activism, social movements and organizing can be used to create change in the world.
Speakers:
John Heffernan
Jose Marichal
Srdja Popovic
Life after college? Internships, jobs and entering the workforce
Description: As the competition for internships and post-grad jobs heats up, industry experts give tips on how to get ahead.
Speakers:听
Matija Goljar
Ciara Lucas
Beyond Earth: The Future of Humanity in Space
Description: The philosophical, cultural, ethical and societal dimensions of humanity's journey into outer space.
Speakers:
David W. Brown
F. Stuart (Terry) Chapin III
Shaniya Jarrett
Ted Schmitt
听
Embracing Joy: Harnessing Technology and Positivity in Daily Life
Description: Leveraging digital tools to foster a sense of well-being and discover strategies for maintaining a positive outlook amidst life's challenges.
Speakers:
Wakanyi Hoffman
Seanna Leath
Laura Marciano
Luke Springer
The Pendulum of Global Power Dynamics
Description: What determines a state's strength, how do world leaders negotiate power and has the era of U.S. hegemony come to an end?
Speakers:
Joe Cirincione
Marcela Prieto
Emiliana Vegas
Alexander Verbeek
The Future of Civil Rights in Modern Society
Description: This conversation will explore how advocacy and activism will evolve in the coming years.
Speakers:
Wisdom Cole
Satang Nabaneh
Louis L. Reed
Kate Schatz
What to Watch for from SCOTUS
Description: A rundown of what we see on the docket, and implications of recent or pending decisions.
Speaker:
Lisa Graves
Center for Leadership: In Conversation with David Adelman
Speaker:
David Adelman
Is Laughter Really the Best Medicine?
Description: A roundtable discussion on using humor and stories to build connections, reduce pain and cope with grief.
Speakers:听
Matija Goljar
Lisa Graves
Kevin Kling
Eric Zimmerman
Star Wars or Star Peace?
Description: Will the geopolitics of outer space create collaboration or competition in the cosmic frontier?
Speakers:
Joe Cirincione
Namrata Goswami
Laura Harder
Alexander Verbeek
Empowering Voices: A New Era for Women's Rights and Gender Equality
Speakers:
Rania Elmalky
Seanna Leath
Satang Nabaneh
Kate Schatz
The Tiff About Tariffs: How Trade Tensions Affect You
Description: Learn how tariffs, trade tensions and supply chain restructuring could affect everything from smartphone prices to grocery bills.
Crime and Punishment: A Modern Perspective on Justice
Description: A discussion on what an isolationist approach to foreign policy means for geopolitics, international relations and global security.
Speakers:
Wisdom Cole
Devon Gray
Louis L. Reed
Finding Our Place in the World听
Description: Creative ways to find purpose and belonging in a world of complexity, inequality and difference.
Speakers:
Wakanyi Hoffman
Shaniya Jarrett
Danielle SeeWalker
Seth Shafer
Who is Really in Charge? A Conversation on Checks and Balances of Power
Speakers:
Lisa Graves
Steven Hayward
Heather Hurlburt
Ellen Weintraub
Too much temptation
Description: How do we set limits with easy access to social media, recreational drugs and online gambling?
Speakers:
Danielle Dick
Judy Grisel
Laura Marciano
Luke Springer
Thursday, April 10
X-pocalypse: The Fragility of Digital Public Spaces
Description: What happens when a billionaire buys the digital town square?
Speakers:
Amir Shevat
Luke Springer
Life is a Game: Game Design as a Tool to Solve World Issues
Description: Thinking strategically about world problems as if designing a board game.
Facts vs. Beliefs
Description: Reconciling science and ideological perspectives.
Speakers:
F. Stuart (Terry) Chapin III
Nancy Knowlton
Natasha Lindstaedt
Ty Tashiro
Can We Bring Back the Truth in the (Dis)Information Age?
Role of social media platforms, press, government and public to fend off misinformation and disinformation.
Speakers:
Rania Elmalky
Karin Gr枚nvall
Jose Marichal
Louis L. Reed
AI Boyfriends and Girlfriends: Love and Connection in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Speakers:
Nicole Ellison
Wakanyi Hoffman
Laura Marciano
Ty Tashiro
The Tipping Point: How Much is Too Much?
Description: Examining the rise in tipping culture, its economic implications and how it shapes consumer behavior and service industry dynamics.
Speakers:
Rebekah Bill
Danielle Dick
Matija Goljar
Carl Quintanilla
Shaping Minds: Politics and Polarization in Education听
Description: This panel will focus on how current politics are influencing and possibly conflicting with the educational system.
Speakers:
Wisdom Cole
Satang Nabaneh
Applied History and Contemporary Policymaking: How We Can Learn from Our Past to Improve Our Future?
Who Am I Without My Phone? Follow Your Heart鈥or Follow the Trend?
Description: This panel will explore the ways social media and our dependency on phones impact the development and perhaps the destruction of our individuality.
Speakers:
Danielle Dick
Nicole Ellison
Anita Hlazo
Jose Marichal
听
Psychology of a Dictator
Description: What is a dictator, what motivates them and how do they consolidate power?
After the War: Post-Conflict Development and Building for the Future
Description: What are the steps to end cycles of violence, poverty and war? Why is post-war rebuilding important and how does it affect geopolitics as a whole?
Speakers:
John Heffernan
Marcela Prieto-Botero
Emiliana Vegas
Music of the Sun, Moon and Stars
Description: Exploring the surprising intersection between astronomy and music.
Speakers:
Eli Hans
Shaniya Jarrett
Seth Shafer
How Do We Fix Our Electoral System?
Description: What are solutions to create better choices, and how can we reinvent electoral choice to fix the dysfunction in our democratic process.
Speakers:
Wisdom Cole
Devon Gray
Ellen Weintraub
Satire as Resistance
Description: Tribute to Molly Ivins' spirit of "Raise Hell, Fight Hard, Have Fun!" Using humor to raise awareness of complex issues and maintain sanity.
Speakers:
Lisa Graves
Srdja Popvic
Kate Schatz
听
Register for the 2025 !听