How CWA Works
Anchored by the campus tradition of the Conference on World Affairs, our team develops and executes programming that highlights CU Boulder’s status as a premier public research university. Our mission is two fold:
Engage diverse voices in an open exchange of opinions on the most pressing issues facing the world.
Foster critical thinking, civic engagement, and transformative dialogue that advances CU Boulder’s impact as Colorado’s leading public research university.
CWA Planning Team
The CWA team 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.
Arts
The Arts committee brings timely, thoughtful, and sometimes provocative artists and creatives to participate in the discussion of global affairs through events in any number of artistic disciplines: poetry and spoken word, music, dance, theater, visual arts, photography, sculpture, architecture, animation and film. The Arts committee also works in conjunction with the longstanding Ebert Interruptus film event, and future events in partnership with the Sundance Film Festival. Programming formats include art installations, interactive events, artist interviews, and performances.
Business
The Business committee takes a multidisciplinary approach to creating conversation on trade and economics. Our reach is encompassing and considers scale, geography, and policy to explore the most urgent issues shaping business today. In contrast with programming that focuses on business alone, our aim is to explore our topic in dialogue with others, and therefore we seek to forge connections across fields inside and outside the university.
Domestic and International Politics
In a fast-changing world with growing interdependence of all nations, Politics is at once global, national, local, and personal. The Domestic and International Politics committee develops programming around hot-button geo-political issues, international diplomacy concerns, planetary environmental issues, and global trade, in tandem with pressing discussions of domestic policy, civil rights, partisanship, government, and economic disparities. National and world leaders, community organizers, judges, journalists, and activists come from all over the U.S. and the globe to participate in robust conversations about our political life and times.
Human Condition
The Human Condition committee aims to provide global and inclusive perspectives on what it means to be human in modern society. Traditionally defined to include the entire spectrum of human experience, the Human Condition committee examines these experiences broadly across the humanities, social sciences, the arts, religion, and the study of the human brain. Similarities and differences within human experience are given equal consideration in the topics the committee addresses. Community and Student Members bring together writers, scientists, scholars, public officials, and others to discuss what it means to be alive in society, in all its cultural variation.
Science and Technology
The Science & Technology committee recruits panelists who bring diverse perspectives to the development, application, and implication of current and emerging issues in life sciences, technology, engineering, and medicine. We take a broad view, engaging expertise ranging from artificial intelligence, astrophysics, and neuroscience to communication, healthcare, and science fiction. We pursue panelists who can effectively engage in informative and spirited dialogue on a broad range of contemporary and controversial scientific topics with a popular audience in mind.
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.