Blog Posts

Reflection from the Socrates Students & Young Professionals Seminar.

Aspen Ideas: Economy examined how our rapidly aging population is reshaping the way we think about work, savings, caregiving, and quality of life, highlighting the urgent need to prepare for longer, healthier lives with greater security, dignity, and opportunity for all.

Danny Harris, Executive Director of Aspen Socrates Program, shares some lessons on leadership collected along his journey, including as a parent.

America’s rising generations—the youth and young adults best positioned to meet the country’s growing need for STEM professionals—are on the front lines of recent and rapid policy shifts within the federally-funded research and higher education ecosystems. Attracting and supporting their training and development at a time when uncertainty is high and alternative pathways abound will require significant and sustained coordination across STEM sectors. Whether situated in formal and informal learning institutions, industry, government, or civil society, we must all come together to support, reform, and enhance our collective investment in the future leaders of STEM.

This report, developed as part of the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program’s 2025 roundtable series, synthesizes insights from practitioners in K–12 education, higher education, science research, professional associations, science communication, and civic science.

Catalina Martínez Coral is a leading force for reproductive rights across Latin America and the Caribbean, guided by her belief that “the political is personal, and the personal is political.” As Vice President at the Center for Reproductive Rights, her leadership has driven landmark victories—from decriminalizing abortion in Colombia to securing justice for women and girls across the region.

A few lessons we learned from producing In Session: Practical Wisdom from Aspen Institute network leaders.

Recently, Aspen FSP hosted a workshop to identify the financial shocks that most impact our Community Advisory Group. Here’s what we learned.

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the United States in 2020, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and Aspen Institute Board Trustee Alex Azar faced the challenge of a lifetime.

Mike Wilkening’s work as a public servant has followed a simple philosophy: government in service of its people. In this blog, he shares more about his leadership approach and his position as an Aspen FSP Fellow.

Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Kyiv, reflects on how the war in Ukraine has reshaped her understanding of leadership.