Wednesday 2026 Schedule

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CWAÌý
Wednesday | April 15, 2026

Dive deeper into critical conversations and forward-thinking ideas, including the Sustainability Summit and a robust lineup of expert-led sessions.ÌýPlease note: Schedule and programming are subject to change and will be updated regularly as details are finalized.

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9:00 AM - 10:10 AM:

Flags, Borders and Belonging: The Politics of Nationalism
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Description:Ìý
How are countries protecting their national identity in an increasingly globalized world?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Ernesto Araújo
Joe Cirincione
Natasha LindstaedtÌý
Marco Messina

Art in the Open: A Catalyst for Community
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Description:Ìý
How public art can foster connection and spark dialogue.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Guillermo Galena Galindo
Seth ShaferÌý
Lynn WarshafskyÌý

Africa: Opportunity in the World's Richest Continent
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Description:Ìý
How is the the world of international business reshaping the African continent?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 4

Speakers:Ìý
Aboubakr JamaiÌýBerraoui
Azadeh Khalili
Luvuyo RaniÌý
Lizzy Shackelford

150th: From Cadet Corps to Space Force: CU ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß’s Military Legacy
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Description:Ìý
From cadet training to connections with the U.S. Space Force, our military legacy has influenced campus life and generations of Buffs who have served.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 2

Speakers:Ìý
Coming soon!Ìý

11:15 AM - 12:25 PM:

AI Wild West – Who is in Charge?
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Description:Ìý
Examine who holds AI responsibility and how policy, institutions and public trust are evolving as the rules continue to take shape.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 4

Speakers:Ìý
Asher Jay
Sofia RomanskyÌý
Sheila WarrenÌý
Ling XinÌý

Population Decline: Crisis or Cure?
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Description:Ìý
How will plummeting birth rates impact the future of human society?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Kevin Kuruc
Nalini Nadkarni
Lizzy Shackelford

Occupied States of America: Balancing Power and Civil LibertiesÌý


Description:Ìý
When domestic tranquility becomes state-sanctioned chaos. What do para-military and military presence cost the American people?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Charlotte Clymer
ÌýPatrick J. Deneen
Major General (Ret) BobÌýLatiffÌý
Dr. NatashaÌýLindstaedt

Trad Wives and the Conservative Movement
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Description:Ìý
Women's perspectives on rising conservatism and how it's shaping feminism.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 2

Speakers:Ìý
Hadar Harris
Cynthia JamesÌý

1:00 PM - 2:10 PM:

Why We Need to Preserve Independent Cinema
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Description:Ìý
A discussion with leading curators and archivists on the challenges of saving indie films and the social and historical benefits for doing so.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Maya S. Cade
Sandra SchulbergÌý

New World, New Arsenal
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Description:Ìý
How new defense technology is redefining the future of conflict, who holds power and what else is at stake for humanity.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Joe Cirincione
Major General (Ret) BobÌýLatiffÌý
Ken Liu
Sofia Romansky

2:30 PM - 3:40 PM:

Buy Now, Pay Forever: The Financial Traps Facing Young People
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Description:Ìý
From buy-now-pay-later and crypto to sports betting and prediction markets, what is the impact of modern financial traps targeting young people?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Diana Moss
Kyla Scanlon
Dan ToomeyÌý

Empowering Citizens: Civic Education, Information and YOU
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Description:Ìý
How do we equip citizens to understand, assert and defend their rights in a divided, anti-intellectual era?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 2

Speakers:Ìý
Devon Gray
Hadar Harris
Jaisal NoorÌý
Ellen WeintraubÌý

From Rubble to Reconstruction: What Comes Next?
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Description:Ìý
How societies coming out of a period of violent conflict can recover and rebuild successful governments.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 4

Speakers:Ìý
Meghna Guhathakurta
Laura I Harder
John HeffernanÌý
Luvuyo RaniÌý

Rewriting the Historical Narrative with Artifacts in Art
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Description:Ìý
How have artists used and transformed cultural objects from the past and present to tell powerful, visual stories?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Guillermo Galena Galindo
Pushpamala NÌý

4:00 PM - 5:10 PM:

Risk-y Business: The Strategic Game of Geopolitical Conquests
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Description:Ìý
Examine how shifting global power dynamics affect security, economies and everyday life, and why it matters now more than ever.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Ernesto Araújo
Paul Bierman
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Young, Wild & Free: How to Find your Niche and Build your Career
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Description:Ìý
How younger generations can create new opportunities for themselves and make a difference in the world.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Marco Messina
Alexa MohsenzadehÌý
Dr. ScottÌýSherman
Dan ToomeyÌý

From Headlines to Hashtags: Who gets to be a Journalist?
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Description:Ìý
In an age when everyone can have a platform, how can audiences separate fact from viral spectacle?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 2

Speakers:Ìý
Charlotte Clymer
ÌýCarine Hajjar
ÌýJaisal NoorÌý
Kyla Scanlon

150th: Shaping a Sustainable World: How Buffs Have Enabled Global Impact
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Description:Ìý
Buffs have built a strong foundation for a more sustainable future and continue to drive global impact and lead what comes next.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 4

Speakers:Ìý
Coming soon!Ìý

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