University of Colorado Boulder students, faculty and community members can hear world-renowned speakers such as Malala Yousafzai, John Bolton, and Susan Rice at the 78th Conference on World Affairs.

Around 7,500 people are expected to gather at the CU Boulder campus and the Limelight Hotel for the annual conference the week of April 13-16. 

This free, open-to-the-public conference includes “more than 60 speakers across 50 panels” during the four-day schedule. The CWA serves as a “festival of ideas” with dynamic speakers from across the world, according to a news release. 

The conference, which began in 1948, focuses on examining issues on “global affairs, culture, democracy, technology, climate, media and the human experience,” according to organizers. 

In past years, the conference has hosted musicians and actress, such as Cynthia Erivo, known for her role in the Wicked movies, and comedian Scott Dikkers.

The Conference on World Affairs also serves as a leadership model for CU Boulder students, organizers said.

“We recruit a group of volunteer leaders from our student body and from the local community each year. They really take the lead with a set of programming committees, identifying speakers and identifying topics,” interim CWA Director Jon Leslie told The Denver Gazette.  

“I was looking for a way to get more involved on campus,” student Co-Director Xander Scholpp said. “It’s a really cool way to meet some fascinating people who are at the forefront of their field. Interacting with them has made me want to keep coming back to the conference.” 

“I’m fortunate enough to moderate one of our panels on anti-trust. I’m really looking forward to it,” Scholpp said. 

“This year, our students were really interested in hosting Malala Yousafzai,” Leslie said. “We did a very smart thing, listened to our students, and were fortunate to make that happen.”

Yousafzai, the famous global education advocate and author, will close the event on April 16 with a free-by-reservation discussion. Her event has now sold out, but there is a waitlist available.

“We have speakers from just about every continent. We have topics from international affairs, to politics, to AI, arts and culture, and career development,” Leslie added. 

The conference kicks off on April 13 with the Steamboat Institute and CU’s Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization bringing former U.S. Ambassadors to the United Nations Susan Rice and John Bolton. They will debate the resolution: “The United States is in the process of committing superpower suicide.”

Conference on World Affairs will also celebrate the world of filmmaking with Ebert Interruptus, a film event created by the late film critic Roger Ebert. It will pair a film screening with a discussion hosted by its filmmaker in honor of Ebert. 

This year’s conference takes place during CU Boulder’s 150th anniversary. Leslie explained that there will be panels and discussions about CU Boulder’s history throughout the week, including visits from the university’s former presidents and chancellors.  

“One of our big goals for this year has been to make the Conference on World Affairs a more well-known name on campus. Seeing the increase in student registration numbers this year has been very exciting,” Scholpp said. 

“This is a world-class, globally engaged program that is accessible to the most people possible,” Leslie said. 

The panels will be available to livestream throughout the week. 

For more information about the conference schedule and registration details, click here.