The 2018 Conference on World Affairs presented by The University of Colorado Boulder

Join VoteRunLead Founder, Erin Vilardi, at The Conference on World Affairs from April 9-13, 2018

This year-round unit of the University of Colorado Boulder, offers events without admission fees to the Boulder community, students, and the public. CWA Week is a festival of ideas featuring 200 panels, 100 speakers and performers, over 5 days, attracting more than 70,000 in cumulative attendance each year. There is also the CWA Speaker Series where thought leaders in their field join us for a campus visit with an evening discussion open to all.

Each April, a hundred fascinating luminaries from the widest range of backgrounds gather in Boulder for what The New York Times calls “a week-long extravaganza of discussion and debate” on more than 200 sessions over five days. Roger Ebert, who participated in the CWA for four decades, always referred to the CWA as “the Conference on Everything Conceivable.” The CWA is made up of vast network of engaged, committed volunteers. Many of the presenters would normally command large speaking or performing fees, but all who appear at the CWA waive honoraria and pay their own way to come to Boulder. University faculty, staff and students work alongside local community members to plan and host the week’s public events, as well as the participants’ transportation, housing and social functions.

All events are open to the public, without charge—and attended by students, faculty, staff, alumni, townsfolk, journalists and visitors from around the nation. Audiences at the individual sessions range in size from an intimate 100 to well over 2,000.