Aspen Institute Socrates Program

Ski season is right around the corner! 🏔️ For your next snow trip, combine winter sports with Socratic learning and join the Aspen Socrates community. Join us for a weekend of intellectual debate, outdoor adventures, and lifelong friendships. Our Spring Socrates seminars feature leaders in their fields (Dr. Ashwin Vasan, Vivian Schiller, Sewell Chan, and David Becker) who have curated topics on themes of democracy, the media, and public health. Our line-up features new and veteran moderators leading three seminars: 1️⃣ Who Knows What’s Best For You? 2️⃣ Can Democracy Survive The 21st Century? 3️⃣ Will We Ever Trust The News Again? We can't wait to host in Aspen, March 28-31. Learn more about the Socrates seminar experience, the seminar and moderators this Spring, and about how you can join us here: https://lnkd.in/e2j47NEE  #aspencolorado #socratesseminars #lifelonglearning

What will the future of Democracy look like in 2025, and what can we learn from our history? Four years ago today, the limits of Democracy were tested when members of the government - both Republicans and Democrats - faced danger after protestors seized the United States Capitol. David Becker - who is moderating a Socrates Seminar in March - spoke about the impact of January 6th on CBS, and political violence at large. If you are interested in continuing to engage with David and his work, we highly recommend you register for his Spring Seminar, “Can Democracy Survive the 21st Century?” while seats are still available: https://lnkd.in/e2j47NEE

Explore big ideas, connect with inspiring leaders, and experience Aspen this spring! The Aspen Institute Socrates Program Spring Seminars (March 28–31, 2025) offer a unique opportunity to explore contemporary issues through expert-moderated dialogue. With engaging discussions and time to enjoy Aspen’s natural beauty, it’s an experience you won’t want to miss. The #HuntAspenFellowship provides scholarships that cover participation, with a focus on leaders from the Borderplex Region. Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis—apply by Sunday, January 26 to be considered. Secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/eADADdNh The Aspen Institute

Looking back over the year with Aspen Institute Socrates Program, we have achieved meaningful milestones and worked to elevate curiosity and conversation. In 2024, Socrates: - Welcomed 680 participants around the world, our highest number ever; - Hosted 25 events in 15 cities with participants from 45 countries;  - Launched new programs in Armenia, Germany, Moldova, New Zealand, and Poland; - Invited 62% of attendees in Aspen as first-time participants; - Provided 85 scholarships; - Piloted new Socrates experiences and partnerships from debates in San Francisco to panels in D.C. to art salons in New York City;  - Welcomed two new staff members; and - Celebrated 10,500 Socrates Alumni since our founding!  As we look to 2025 and beyond, we are eager to welcome more participants, develop new and improved Socrates experiences, and grow our partnerships. Join us for our Spring Seminars in Aspen on March 28th-31st, which will discuss themes of democracy, the media, and public health. https://lnkd.in/e2QmjXjP

As 2024 comes to a close, we want to thank you for a spectacular year. Together, we: - Celebrated 10,500 Socrates Alumni  - Welcomed 680 participants around the world, our highest number ever! - Hosted 25 events in 15 cities with participants from 45 countries on topics from the future of bipartisanship to how the arts help us manage uncertainty to ethics and AI.  - Launched programs in new countries, including Germany, Poland, New Zealand, and Moldova. - Invited 62% of attendees in Aspen as first time participants - Provided 85 scholarships. - Piloted new Socrates experiences and partnerships from debates in San Francisco to panels in D.C. to art salons in New York City.  - Welcomed two new staff members: Danny Harris and Amiri Nash. - Celebrated Cynthia Querio’s five year anniversary with The Aspen Institute. - Sat down for hundreds of coffees, calls, and Zooms with Socrates alumni to get your feedback, hear your ideas, and explore new partnerships and opportunities. Looking to 2025, we are excited for more opportunities to learn and grow together. Come join us in Aspen (March 28-31) and find more here: https://lnkd.in/e2j47NEE  Happy New Year, everyone, and here’s to building more community through Socrates in 2025!

The passing of Jimmy Carter is a moment to reflect on his legacy and leadership. What shared values did he uphold? Did he make the country a better place? What actions did he take that history will uphold? Presidential historian Mark Updegrove - who moderated a #Socrates Seminar in 2023 - spoke with Good Morning America today about Jimmy Carter’s life and legacy. Leaders are more than the policies they enact, the wars they wage, or the deals they make - their legacies are a measure of the values they upheld throughout their lives. Mark shares a bit about who Jimmy Carter was a human and how he hoped to be remembered for his work beyond his Presidency. Watch the segment here:  https://lnkd.in/eYWC_QK2

Last week, #Socrates Spring Seminar Moderator Ashwin Vasan sat down with New York Amsterdam News and reflected on his legacy as the Commissioner for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: https://lnkd.in/e8CZTARX He recounted some of the achievements from the last few years during his position: “We made incredible investments in mental health, especially youth mental health, and overdose prevention. Today, we just announced we had the first reduction in overdose deaths in four years, so we’re turning the tide on that. We stood up after the Dobbs decision on abortion and became a national leader in abortion access and reproductive health. We addressed affordability of healthcare. Over the next three years, we’ll be clearing $2 billion in medical debt from 500,000 low-income families and launched an office of healthcare accountability to improve price transparency. We’ve invested in maternal health and launched the citywide doula program.” Dr. Vassan will be moderating a seminar entitled  “Who Knows What’s Best For You?” during our Spring Programming taking place March 28th-31st. We invite you to join us in #Aspen to discuss public health with Dr. Vasan around the table with other thoughtful attendees. Learn more about our programs and register while there are seats available:  https://lnkd.in/e2j47NEE

It was incredible for the Socrates seminar "One World in Tech: Reimagining the Digital Future" to come to life in Nanyuki. In partnership with Aspen Initiative Africa - Nairobi and our expert moderator William Powers, who guided our group through questions about how technology has the potential to be a unifying force as time unfolds. We look forward to more conversations, questions, and Socrates programming around the world with you at the table!

♠️ Socrates Spring moderator David Becker - Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research - recently gave his analysis of the legitimacy of the election/conspiracy theories in the aftermath of the 2024 election on CBS. He says, “They have become masters at leveraging the losing side's disappointment at the outcome to create a fantasy world of election denial and to stoke fear, anger and hate directed at our fellow citizens, including our public servants. We saw on Jan. 6, 2021, how this anger can lead to violence.” 🎥 Find the full interview and read his analysis here: https://lnkd.in/g_c2TQtx 📥 If you are interested in continuing to engage this topic and David’s work, we welcome you to register for his Socrates Spring Seminar in Aspen. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/e2j47NEE

Dr. Ashwin Vasan is a moderator for a Socrates Spring Seminars in Aspen. His seminar, taking place at the March 28th-31s programming, seeks to explore public health in the 21st century, and further, to interrogate the question ‘Who Knows What’s Best for You?’ ‘Should we allow individuals to make decisions that they believe are best for themselves or regulate decisions that are the best for the collective, and how do we draw the line between the two? Whether wrestling with vaccine mandates or how artificial intelligence can deliver more personalized medicine, these issues are layered in ethical and societal questions, most notably: who knows what’s best for you?’ Dr. Ashwin Vasan is a physician, epidemiologist, public health professor at Columbia University, and the 44th New York City Health Commissioner from Jan 2022-2025. Find information about how to attend here: https://lnkd.in/e2j47NEE