The University of Colorado Boulder Conference on World Affairs returns in person with most sessions livestreamed online April 6-9, 2022. One hundred diverse speakers and performers will participate in 125 panel discussions, performances and keynote events on the CU Boulder campus. All events are free and open to the public; schedule will be available in mid-March. 

The event will feature dialogue on a variety of topics including this year’s conference themes: art as activism; stories from the real world; the Constitution; racism in the United States; regenerative agriculture; and the entrepreneurial journey.

Notable events include keynote presentations by:

• Victoria Garrick, mental health advocate, podcast host, and former Division I athlete
• Steven Olikara, founder & president of Millennial Action Project and candidate for United States Senate in Wisconsin
• Thomas Chatterton Williams, author, contributing writer at New York Times Magazine, and visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
• Akhil Amar, Author and Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science, Yale University

All speakers and performers are selected by the CWA program committee, comprised of student and community volunteers. See all of this year's attendees on the 2022 Speakers & Performers page. 

View the complete list of 2022 speakers & performers

To provide a safe, high-quality event experience and anticipate venue capacity needs, CWA attendees are asked to register in advance via the CWA website. Conference registration is not required, but encouraged. CU students are not required to register in advance and will receive priority seating. On-site registration will be available at the University Memorial Center (UMC) between 8-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 6 through Saturday, April 9.

 to receive the latest information on upcoming news and events.
Volunteers needed during CWA week! Indicate your interest and availability to volunteer here: Interested Volunteer Form.

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After a successful interactive virtual event in 2021, Ebert Interruptus returns as an in-person event to Macky Auditorium for the 2022 Conference on World Affairs.

A beloved tradition of the conference, Ebert Interruptus is a four-part event showcasing a film along with in-depth analysis with the host. Film critic and author Josh Larsen returns to host the 2022 event showcasing this year's feature: Jaws, the 1975 American thriller directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the 1974 novel by Peter Benchley.

CWA student volunteer coordinator Joe Kennedy interviewed Larsen about this year's event:

We’re excited that Interruptus is returning in person this year. What are you looking forward to the most about this year’s event? 

First and foremost, I'm excited to be back at CWA in person, watching our movie on the big screen at Macky with a live, interactive audience. With the help of Jamie Krutz, CWA Program Committee Film Chair, and Cooper Braun-Enos, CWA virtual support specialist, we were able to pull off a successful virtual version of Ebert Interruptus last year. And while it was good to be able to continue the tradition, there's nothing like being on campus, as part of the larger conference, doing Interruptus in person.

This is the first year a Spielberg film has been featured at Interruptus. There are so many classic Spielberg films. Why did you choose Jaws for this year’s Interruptus? 

I was a bit shocked to realize that Spielberg had never been covered at Interruptus, and delighted that it gave us the excuse to choose one of his films. He's not only one of my favorite filmmakers, but also the sort of meticulous, inspired director whose work is perfect for "interrupting," frame by frame, in order to analyze the creative choices that were made. Jaws is not only one of his best films, but also one of his most thrilling, with a rich political subtext.

Jaws is a blockbuster. What is �����ɲ�’&�Բ�����;impact on the film industry as a whole? 

Along with George Lucas' Star Wars, Spielberg's Jaws is often cited (blamed) as one of the blockbusters that steered studios away from the personal, idiosyncratic films of the 1970s and helped to usher in the cinema of the 1980s, with a focus on corporate, mass-audience spectacles and their sequels. There's truth to that, but it doesn't take away from the fact that Jaws is a masterpiece in its own right - just one that was a massive hit with audiences as well.

Interruptus events begin at 3 p.m. daily April 6-9, 2022 in Macky Auditorium on the CU Boulder campus. The first event is a full screening of the film, followed by three in-depth analysis sessions with the host.

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To deliver the best CWA yet including remarkable and prominent speakers, more livestreamed sessions, greater speaker diversity, and a safe environment for all, the CWA needs your support now, more than ever. View our updated CWA Impact Giving levels and 2022 CWA Donor Benefits (which include jazz concert tickets, special access, exclusive dinners and more).

 to support CWA's return to in-person events and to help us make the 74th CWA an unforgettable experience for our audiences.

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Thanks to all who joined us for the annual John and Katherine Rosenbloom Endowed Symposium for the Exploration of Ideas on Tuesday, October 26. This interdisciplinary conversation addressed the State of Equality in 2021. 

Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss of the University of Colorado Law School moderated a discussion by scholars of law, philosophy, and politics on these questions and more.

The John and Katherine Rosenbloom Endowed Symposium for the Exploration of Ideas was established in 2016 to support engaging interdisciplinary, relevant, and thoughtful discussions on important issues in honor of former Colorado Law Dean Phil Weiser and the lectures he implemented during his deanship. Presented as a partnership between the University of Colorado Law School and the University of Colorado Boulder Conference on World Affairs.

Watch the recording of the discussion below:

[video:https://youtu.be/z6BqrtfsFsE]

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The Conference on World Affairs is pleased to announce its programming executive team for the 2021-22 conference year. Laurie Leinonen will continue as CWA Program Committee Chair, working in partnership with Alex Pham, CWA Student Program Chair. The Board created the Student Program Chair position last year in an effort to further enhance student voices in curating the conference.

Betsy Block will serve as the Community Program Vice Chair, supporting the programming leadership. Robin Luff will take over the role of CWA Community Outreach Chair and her appointment will also hold a seat on the CWA board.

• Laurie Leinonen is a 40 years+ resident of Boulder where her two children were born and raised. Having attended CWA for years, she became involved directly as a volunteer with CWA in 2014 when she joined the Arts Committee, later becoming its Co-Chair from 2016-2019. Her interest in volunteering for CWA has always been about reaching a more diverse community and student population. Laurie focuses on how best we can keep CWA thriving and engaging, whatever the current issues may be.

• Alexander Pham is a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder pursuing a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering, and serves as a member of the Global Engineering Program. Pham is currently the CWA Student Program Chair for the 2021-22 conference year. Apart from CWA, Pham also works in research in HIV vaccination, advocates for improved access to healthcare, and is a volunteer with Children's Hospital Colorado.

• Betsy Block - After retiring in 2013 from a career in women's health, Betsy attended her first CWA. Entralled with the experience, she decided to volunteer. She was warmly welcomed by the Human condition sub-committee and became a co-chair two years later. During the past six years she has loved meeting and working with students and community members, searching for the finest speakers and creating innovative and stimulating panels. She looks forward to meeting new challenges and continuing CWA's tradition of excellence. When not working on CWA, Betsy is passionate about watching and playing tennis, cycling, opera and being with her family, including her two granddaughters.

• Robin Luff is an Advisory Board member for Watson Institute and is CWA Community Outreach Chair for the Conference on World Affairs. Professionally, Robin had a long career in publishing, working with magazines that focused on sports or health. Robin has also worked in post-conflict countries with programming in Early Childhood Education with a Respecting Differences Curriculum. Over the years, she has served on the board of Impact on Education, Summit Charter School, The Community Foundation, The School Food Project and El Centro Amistad. She worked with Community of Sudanese and American women and hosted Sudanese Refugee, Mary Ingiria, who lived with Robin’s family as Mary she finished her degree at CU. Her team is Kevin, Kerrick and Aidan Luff.

Other new CWA board members are as follows:

• Elise Miller (Community Seat) - Originally from San Francisco, Elise Miller has been a Boulder resident for over 30 years. She is a University of Colorado, Boulder alumna with a BA in Psychology. She worked in business development, sales and marketing for over 20 years, served as Chair of the Board of Jarrow Montessori, on the Executive Committee for the Parent Council and on the Development Committee at Alexander Dawson School. Elise has been involved in CWA in various capacities, including on the Development Committee, Chair of Keynote Committee and a member of the Business Committee. She is currently pursuing her JD at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law.
   
• Benjamin Teitelbaum (Faculty Seat) - Benjamin R. Teitelbaum is Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology and International Affairs. He earned a Ph.D. from Brown University with auxiliary studies at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm and Harvard University, and a B.M., summa cum lade, in nyckelharpa performance from Bethany College. Prior to coming to the College of Music, he was Instructor and Head of Nordic Studies, also at the University of Colorado Boulder.
   
• Yvette Lowney (Community Seat) - Yvette Wieder Lowney is a Boulder native and second generation CWA volunteer. After returning to Boulder in 1989, she re-engaged with CWA, subsequently volunteering as her parenting and professional schedules allowed. Over the last decade, she has volunteered with CWA in many capacities, and now looks forward to bringing that background to her participation on the Board. 

For a complete list of board members and information on the CWA governance structure, visit the CWA Board webpage.

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The University of Colorado Boulder Conference on World Affairs student leadership team has established a new CWA student leader certificate program in which CWA student volunteers can gain recognition for their efforts in planning the annual Boulder tradition. Their efforts include recruiting speakers, logistics of event planning, panel assembly all catering to their student and community audience interests. 

"Our student volunteer group, which can grow to over 100 students each spring, spends countless hours brainstorming topics, inviting speakers, and helps to assemble over 200 events in one week, along with the logistcal challenges associated with an event of this size," says Lauren Daniels, CWA Student Program Chair. "We've never been able to quantify that work in any formal way; this certificate program provides recognition for all of the hard work they have done and for their outstanding performance and involvement with the conference."

The certification process, established by CU senior and CWA Student Vice Chair, William Romano, requires that CWA student volunteers make substantial contributions to their CWA program subcommittee (the subcommittes broken out by topic that make up the CWA program committee), have an active volunteer role during CWA week, and engage other students in the event so that their impact can benefit future events after they leave their position.

"We're hoping that this certificate program not only recognizes our student volunteers for their efforts, but gives our student group a greater structure and goal to work towards each year of the CWA," said William Romano, CWA Student Program Vice Chair. "Each year we want to leave the conference better than it was the year before, and engage more students so that it continues to thrive and benefit the CU community for many years to come."

For information on how to get involved and the many different student volunteer opportunities, visit our Student Volunteer Webpage.

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John and Katherine Rosenbloom Endowed Lectureship Series

Watch the November 12 virtual event below:

[video:https://youtu.be/DJhJsifsYFA]

If you are looking for “more diverse views of the future,” venture capitalist Brad Feld once said, look to science fiction. As we grapple with a challenging present, looking for guidance from science fiction and history promises valuable insight into the changes taking root in our politics, economy, and culture. In this discussion with Brad Feld, science fiction author Blake Crouch, Congressman Joe Neguse representing Colorado’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives, and historian Patty Limerick, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser will moderate an examination of the arc of the next fifty years and how it will be shaped by the lessons in history and by changes in politics, technology, and culture. In so doing, they will pay attention to how people are receiving and processing information as well as how our economy is changing in ways that will shape how people earn a living, where they live and work, and how they interact with others.

The John and Katherine Rosenbloom Lectureship Series was established in 2016 to support engaging interdisciplinary, relevant, and thoughtful discussions on important issues in honor of former Colorado Law Dean Phil Weiser and the lectures he implemented during his deanship. Presented in partnership with the University of Colorado Law School and the University of Colorado Boulder Conference on World Affairs.

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The 72nd Conference on World Affairs returns to the University of Colorado Boulder April 6-10th, 2020. Netflix co-founder and former CEO Marc Randolph will give the opening keynote address on Monday, April 6th. The event will include talks from Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts and host of Hardcore History Podcast and CU alum, Dan Carlin.

Themes of the 2020 CWA include “Millennials Shaping Our Future,” (featuring several names from Forbes “30 under 30” list), “Health” and “Race in the USA”.

The week-long conference features more than 200 events, including speeches, panel discussions, and performances with over 100 speakers from around the world. All events are open to the public, without charge.

In addition to the CWA program, nearly all of the conference speakers and performers will be visiting CU Boulder classes related to their expertise. These visits provide opportunities for students to connect with professionals in their field and gain insights about their industry.

All speakers and performers are selected by the CWA program committee, comprised of student and community volunteers.

Other notable names attending the 2020 conference include:

• Kai Kloepfer, 21-year-old who built the first fingerprint-reading smart gun
• Marlon West, Disney’s head of effects animation
• Lori Garver, former deputy administrator at NASA
• Justin Moore, nationally-recognized civil rights attorney 

See all of this year’s participants on the 2020 Speakers & Performers page. A complete schedule of events will be available in March via the CWA website.

View the complete list of 2020 CWA Speakers & Performers

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