Skip Sub Menu

Global Citizen Forum

The Global Citizen Forum is a conference focused on themes of global importance that takes place in March each year.  The Forum is part of Drake’s overall Engaged Citizen Experience (ECE).

The ECE is a part of the Drake Curriculum which aims to ensure students will learn to participate effectively in democratic processes through coursework and classroom and community activities. The Engaged Citizen Experience seeks to mobilize the entire campus community to discuss a critical theme or global issue. In order to create an integrated experience, the ECE is a blend of academic and co-curricular programming. New courses and existing courses are designed to engage students in the exploration of an annual theme. Co-curricular programs, presentations, and workshops involve the larger community in the discussion.

The Inaugural Global Citizen Forum took place in 2019 and was a collaboration between the ECE, Drake International, the Nelson Institute for Diplomacy & International Affairs, the Principal Center for Global Citizenship, the Office of Community Engaged Learning, the Harkin Institute, and Cowles Library. Collaboration between diverse campus offices will continue based on themes of each year’s Forum.

 

2021 Global Citizen Forum

Drake is partnering with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) to host a virtual conference on equity and inclusion in higher education March 3-5, 2021. 

Visit our web page for more information, or to submit a presentation proposal. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are encouraged to apply to present. 

As in past years, the forum will also feature the Nelson Student Research Symposium, giving Drake students the opportunity to share their research. This year's theme is "International Perspectives on Racial Justice". 

 

Previous Global Citizen Forums

2020 Global Citizen Forum

Theme: International Perspectives on Privilege

The Nelson Institute was proud to support Drake's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and partner institution, the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, in offering this forum. 

Conference events included:

  • Lecture from Dr. Debanuj DasGupta titled Migration, Asylum, and Transgender Lives
  • Student workshop focused on creating equitable and inclusive service projects
  • Comedian Hayden Kristal
  • Student Research Symposium 
  • Documentary screening of Ready or Not: Black Students Experiences of South African Universities, presented by researchers from University KwaZulu-Natal 

2019 Global Citizen Forum

Theme: Perspectives on Migration

Conference events included:

  • Lecture from Jose Galvez, a photojournalist documenting Latino experience in the United States
  • Film screening of A Little Salsa on the Prairie
  • Student Research Symposium
  • Keynote Address: Dr. Livingstone Sewanyana
  • Activism Workshops