Symposia

Society of Fellows Symposia

SOF Symposia offer an in-depth exploration of current events, from arts and culture to foreign policy. These two or three-day courses, moderated by leading scholars, feature a blend of lecture, readings, and discussion. Symposia are open to SOF donors only. Participants are seated at a seminar roundtable with the moderators, while auditors may listen from the perimeter of the room. For additional information, please contact Patrick Kelly at (970) 544-7924 or patrick.kelly@aspeninstitute.org. Download Registration Form for all symposia.

Space is limited, early registration is encouraged.

Upcoming Symposia

The Future of Democracy in the Arab World
July 11-14, 2011, Aspen, Colorado

This timely symposium will address recent uprisings throughout the Arab world, including Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. It will pay special attention to history, the geopolitical balance of power, prospects for the near future, and US foreign policy. Through expert analysis and lecture, discussion, and readings, participants will come to a deeper, more complete understanding of this crucial narrative in our world. Moderated by Vali Nasr, Senior Advisor to Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. State Department, and Professor of International Politics at Tufts University; and by Randa Slim, political analyst and co-founder of the Arab Network for the Study of Democracy.

Opening reception followed by three half-day sessions. LIMIT: 50 participants.

Download the Agenda. Download the Registration Form.

Fee: $475 participant, $250 auditor.

In Tune with Shakespeare
July-August 2011, Aspen, Colorado

The Society of Fellows is pleased to present a series of seminars in collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival again this summer. "Art Inspires Art" is this year's theme for the Music Festival, and several concerts and operas will feature Shakespeare’s presence in music. The following one-morning SOF seminars will be offered on the same day as performances by the Aspen Opera Theater Center. They will be moderated by Alan Fletcher, President and CEO of the Aspen Music Festival and School, along with other guest moderators below.

Saturday July 16, SOF Seminar 8:30 am-12:30 pm; Opera 7:00 pm, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Co-moderated by Jane Glover, Director of Opera at the Royal Academy of Music, and conductor of the July 16 AMFS performance of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream; and by Tom Buesch, professor of communications and humanities, Colorado Mountain College.

Saturday July 30, SOF Seminar 8:30 am-12:30 pm; Opera 7:00 pm, Falstaff (Henry IV). Co-moderated by Ken Adelman, Vice President, Movers & Shakespeares.

Saturday August 20, SOF Seminar 8:30 am-12:30 pm; Opera 7:00 pm, West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet). Co-moderated by David Ivers, Artistic Director, Utah Shakespeare Festival; and by Carol Adelman, President, Movers & Shakespeares.

Fee: $500 for all three sessions; no auditors. LIMIT: 60 participants.

Download the Agenda. Download the Registration Form.

US-China Economic Relations: Do They Own Us? 
August 1-4 2011, Aspen, Colorado

The economies of the China and the U.S. appear inextricably linked. We will analyize the trends and implications of recent events, and explore potential implications for the coming decade. Through readings, lecture, and discussion, moderators and participants will explore this timely, compelling issue. Moderated by Orville Schell, Director of the Center on US China Relations at the Asia Society and former Dean of Journalism at UC Berkeley; and by John Delury, Assistant Professor at Yonsei University and former director of the China Boom Project.

Opening reception followed by three half-day sessions. LIMIT: 60 participants.

Download the Agenda. Download the Registration Form.

Fee: $475 participant; no auditors.

What makes a good life? How do I find satisfaction and meaning? How do I align my life with my values? What are my responsibilities to my community? These core questions have motivated the Aspen Institute for over 60 years. This special symposium will delve deeply into the quest for meaning - as individuals and as a society. Moderated by Jay Marshall, Managing Director at AlixPartners and an Aspen Seminar moderator.

Opening reception followed by three half-day sessions. LIMIT: 25 participants.

Download the Registration Form.

Fee: $475 participant, $250 auditor.

Recent Symposia

Mind, Body, and Behavior: The Science of Meditation 
March 14-17, 2011, Aspen, Colorado

The ancient discipline of meditation is coming into new light through neuroscience. Through expert lecture and moderated dialogue, the program will address the most recent neuroscience research, the mind-body relationship, and implications for leadership. Can meditation indeed lower stress, increase happiness, and improve personal health? Drawing equally from the monastery and the laboratory, this symposium will be a fascinating exploration of the science of meditation.

Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, professor of religion at Emory University, has studied for many years with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. An expert in both contemplative studies and neuroscience, he directs the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative.

Amishi Jha, Associate Professor, Psychology, University of Miami, studies the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction training (MBSR). With grants from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and several private foundations, she has been systematically investigating the potential applications of MBSR in education, attention deficits, healthy aging and the military.

LIMIT: 30 participants. See registration information at top of this page.
Download Symposium Agenda

The Future of Free Speech:
Balancing Tensions of the First Amendment 
February 21-23, 2011, Aspen, Colorado

Through constitutional history and expert analysis, we'll address the balance of freedom of speech and freedom of religion, Google's screening of permissible content, same-sex marriage, and free speech in wartime. Why is freedom of speech so vital to our democracy? To what degree do we embrace liberty, even at the expense of security? This two-day symposium will deepen your understanding of the issues, challenge your thinking, and allow for a lively, but civil, dialogue.

Our moderators, Jeffrey Rosen and Geoffrey Stone, are nationally renowned experts on the First Amendment. Rosen, a professor of law at George Washington University, interviewed Justice Ginsburg at last summer’s Aspen Ideas Festival. Geoffrey Stone is a former dean and current professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School.