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What is Conference on World Affairs?
For over 75 years, the Conference on World Affairs (CWA) has brought together leaders and experts across different fields to spark lively conversations on today’s top issues. Designed to inform and engage all audiences, CWA is free to attend via livestream or in person at CU Boulder.
We hope to see you next year during the week of April 7, 2025, for the next CWA! Returnhere for information on the 2025 Conference on World Affairs.
Our History
Founded in 1948 as a forum on international affairs, theConference on World Affairs offered a week of panel discussions open to students and the public, without charge, featuring thought leaders from around the world.
Our Vision
To partner with campus and community event organizers to build an annual lineup of CU and Boulder events leading up to the Conference on World Affairs each April. This schedule engages a wide range of audiences, including CU students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, K–12 students, and beyond.
Our Goals
A multiyear commitment to the future of CWA
CU Boulder is making a multiyear commitment to CWA’s future, and we have initiated the following next steps for the 2024–25 academic year.
Our Community
The Conference on World Affairs (CWA) is a collaborative effort among CU Boulder students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the local Boulder community. Together, we aim to inform, inspire, and engage diverse audiences through meaningful dialogue and shared insights.
Mission
1. The Conference on World Affairs (CWA) strives to be the preeminent venue for open, multifaceted and balanced discussion of today’s challenging issues, characterized by cross-disciplinary synergy among top-tier speakers, in events collaboratively planned by CU Boulder students, faculty, staff and Boulder community members for academic and nonacademic audiences.
2. CWA creates a forum for interdisciplinary discussion that honors intellectual diversity in the belief that robust solutions arise from a broad range of perspectives. CWA seeks to educate, engage and inspire attendees to become local, national and global leaders.
a. CWA educates by presenting complex issues in multiple contexts, creating a more informed electorate and striving to strengthen our democracy.
b. CWA speakers inspire by exploring society’s most pressing issues at personal, local, national and global levels.
c. CWA’s interactive format encourages engagement in the practice offreedom of expression that is central to CU Boulder’s public mission and essential to the democratic process.
Strategic Events Team
The CWA team, housed within Strategic Relations and Communications, collaborates with campus and community partners to create programming that enhances the CU experience for students, elevates the achievements of faculty and staff, and strengthens connections with the Boulder community.
We understand the importance of everyone’s time and commitment, and we strive to maximize reach, deliver impactful content and fulfill CU Boulder’s institutional values: leading with purpose, innovating with intent, and making a meaningful impact. Join us in celebrating and advancing these efforts through CWA’s powerful programming.
Learn more about Strategic Events
Committees
A corps of volunteers develops the CWA process for identifying speakers and conference content. To ensure that conference content is considered from a diversity of perspectives, the volunteers are organized into committees with specific focus areas. The committees then work together to ensure recruitment of a set of diverse and engaging speakers who can address timely topics.
Below is a description of these committees. People from CU (students, faculty, staff) and those from the broader community (Boulder and beyond) are welcome to join committees to participate in program development. Please reach out to cwa@colorado.edu if you are interested in joining one of our committees.
Arts
Join the arts committee and add to the creative mix that is CWA. Through brainstorming and drawing upon each other’s ideas and connections, the committee brings timely, thoughtful and sometimes provocative artists and creatives to participate in the programming of panels and events in any number of disciplines: poetry and spoken word, music, dance, theater, visual arts, photography, sculpture, architecture, animation and film. Programming can include art installations, interactive events and performances. You can help select titles for the CWA Book Club or be part of the classic Ebert Interruptus film event. It's a big box of fun and we split it up so you can do what interests you.
International Affairs
In a fast-changing world with a growing interdependence of all nations, the CWA international affairs committee is composed of a globally oriented group of volunteers who discuss and create panels for the conference based on the most pressing international issues. Diplomatic strategies, national security concerns, environmental issues, global trade, economic growth and development, and creating effective foreign policies are a few of the many thought-provoking topics that our committee delves into. Every year, we help develop panels that consistently include high-caliber speakers of diverse backgrounds and expertise levels.
Business
The business committee takes a multidisciplinary approach to provide a business perspective to the Conference on World Affairs. Whether you're interested in geopolitics, sustainability, finance or any other niche, it can all be explored in the business committee. We use many disciplines to discuss a large variety of topics and how they can be applied to real-world business situations. The business committee seeks to connect people, departments and interests by creating engaging and relevant panels that provide value to students and community members. If you're interested in discussing many topics through a business lens, stop by one of our committee meetings.
Politics and Media
The CWA mission states that the conference is committed to free speech, thoughtful discussion of ideas and a willingness to understand opposing points of view. A key group working to fulfill that mission is the politics and media committee, composed of students and community members. Speakers include journalists, professors, politicians, commentators and other national leaders. Recent CWA panel topics that showcase these speakers have included U.S. domestic policies, the Constitution, the impact of media, Supreme Court issues and the current political climate.
Human Condition
The CWA human condition committee provides global and inclusive perspectives on what it means to be human. Community and student members bring together writers, scientists, scholars, public officials and others to discuss human desires, needs, rights and societies. We typically explore topics in areas such as education, health, human rights, recreation, relationships and social issues. Past programs have focused on the criminal justice system, education reform, gun safety, human displacement, love and sex, sports, and more.
Science and Technology
The science and technology subcommittee recruits panelists who bring diverse perspectives to the development, application and implication of current and emerging issues in science, technology, engineering and medicine. Members take a broad view, engaging expertise ranging from artificial intelligence, astrophysics and neuroscience to communication, religion and science fiction. The science and technology subcommittee is as likely to host panels on science and bioethics as it is panels on extraterrestrial life or GMOs. It pursues panelists who can effectively engage in informative and spirited dialogue on a broad range of contemporary and controversial topics.
Roles & Responsibilities
The Conference on World Affairs (CWA) brings together CU Boulder students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the Boulder community to create a platform for thought-provoking discussions. Our mission is to inform, inspire, and connect diverse audiences through impactful conversations and shared perspectives.
CWA Planning Process
CWA aligns its activities with CU Boulder's academic calendar to ensure an inclusive and engaging experience for students, faculty and staff. Below is an overview of our annual planning process.
CWA starts recruiting students and community members for our program committee as the new school year begins. We kick off weekly informational meetings where new members can learn about committees and their roles.
Committees dive into conference planning by identifying and inviting speakers, brainstorming panel topics, and developing themes for the upcoming event.
Speakers are confirmed, and committees focus on finalizing panels and programming details.
We kick off the spring semester with “Planning Saturday,” where all committees come together to present panels and lock in the conference schedule.
It's all about the final touches—sharing itinerary details with speakers, launching marketing campaigns, prepping volunteers and confirming last-minute programming elements
It's Conference on World Affairs month!
We wrap up the year with a recap meeting to review reactions from audiences, speakers and volunteers, and nominate new committee chairs for the upcoming year.