Institute for Global Leadership International Symposium
2026 International Symposium: Risk and Resilience in an Uncertain World
The 40th annual Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) International Symposium will take place at Tufts University from Wednesday, February 18 – Saturday, February 21, 2026.
This year’s theme of “Risk and Resilience in an Uncertain World” will include far-reaching discussions on critical issues that challenge today’s leaders, including the future of Artificial Intelligence and ethics, control and accountability; the U.S.-Russia-China relationship and changing geopolitics; food insecurity and climate resilience; the revived threat of nuclear proliferation; the ability or inability of international institutions to meet the moment; and the impact that history continues to have on the present. We anticipate provocative and informed exchanges.
Symposium Schedule
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
| 7:00 pm | Cultural and Arts Evening, ASEAN Auditorium, Cabot Center |
Thursday, February 19, 2026
| 12:30 pm | Mind the Gap: Political Geography and Geopolitics, Cabot Center 206 |
| 4:00 pm | Spheres of Influence: China, Russia, and the United States, Cabot Center 206 |
| 7:00 pm | The Hollow Order: Global Governance and its Discontents, ASEAN Auditorium, Cabot Center |
Friday, February 20, 2026
| 10:30 am | Synchronous Failure: Food Security & the Politics of Hunger in the Global South, Cabot Center 206 |
| 1:00 pm | [Keynote Address] When Systems Fail: Power, Security and Survival, Cabot Center 206 |
| 2:00 pm | Nothing to Hide? Surveillance Technology and Digital Privacy, Cabot Center 206 |
| 3:30 pm | The Risks and Rewards of AI: A Roundtable Discussion, Cabot Center 206 |
| 7:00 pm | Nuclear Weapons: Risk or Salvation?, ASEAN Auditorium, Cabot Center |
Saturday, February 21, 2026
| 10:00 am | Climate Resilience, Cabot Center 206 |
| 1:30 pm | Advocating for Change: The Future of Non-Violent Resistance & Global Protest, Cabot Center 206 |
| 3:00 pm | [Keynote Address] Human Psychology Behind Risk, Cabot Center 206 |
| 3:30 pm | Small Group Discussions, Cabot Center 206 |
| 5:00 pm | Leading through Crisis, Cabot Center 206 |
This information will be updated as the symposium develops.
Logistics
- The symposium is free and open to the community.
- All symposium events and panels will take place in the Cabot International Center, located at 170 Packard Avenue in Medford, MA, on Tufts University’s Medford/Somerville campus.
- Paid parking is available at the Dowling Hall Parking Garage, located at 419 Boston Avenue in Medford. It's an 8 minute walk from the Dowling Garage to the Cabot Center. Information about visitor parking passes and daily rates for the Dowling Garage can be found on the Tufts Parking website.
2025 International Symposium: Democracy on the Brink
Thank you to everyone who joined IGL’s Democracy on the Brink Symposium! We are grateful for all the hard work put in by our students, as well as staff, alumni, faculty, and partners at the Oslo Freedom Forum to make the symposium possible. We were inspired and moved by the discussions around issues like modern threats to democracy, global comparisons, justice movements under authoritarian rule, criminal justice, capitalism, and more.
Photo by Nick Pfosi
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