Chicago, June 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Chicago Council on Global Affairs on June 18 will host the America at 250 Global Forum, a landmark conference bringing together high-level policymakers, world-class scholars and experts, business leaders and influential thought leaders to reflect on America’s past and inform its future. The forum will be held at Convene Willis Tower in Chicago and will be available to watch via live stream.
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the forum looks at the sources of America's global power and influence and what is at stake moving forward. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs will host more than 30 speakers for a series of discussions on America's geopolitical influence, its role as a global economic power, its symbolic and practical significance as an immigrant nation, the state and significance of its democracy, its commitment at home and abroad to human rights, and its future as an innovator on artificial intelligence.
"The choices being made right now—on trade, on democracy, on technology, on America's role in the world—will shape the nation's next 250 years," said Leslie Vinjamuri, president and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. "There is no more consequential time to bring the world's best thinkers together to inform the decisions the next generation of leaders must make."
Highlights from the program include:
- The Indispensable Nation? — Princeton University Professor G. John Ikenberry, former US Permanent Representative to NATO Ambassador Julianne Smith, New York Times Correspondent David Sanger and Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins assess the sources of American power and the choices that will shape the next chapter of US leadership.
- The State of American Democracy — New York Times Columnist Jamelle Bouie, UnHerd US Editor Sohrab Ahmari and Georgetown University Law Professor David Cole deliberate what the democratic project has delivered, where it falls short and what it demands of us.
- Rights in Retreat — Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard, Columbia University Professor Jack Snyder and Northwestern University Law Professor Priyanka Motaparthy examine what accountability means as American engagement recedes and international human rights norms come under pressure.
- The New Americans — University of Chicago Law Professor Nicole Hallett, Bolder Futures Founder Karthick Ramakrishnan and former National Security Council Senior Director for Transborder Katie Tobin examine the political tensions, economic pressures and human realities at the heart of US immigration.
- Shockwaves: The Global Economy in Disarray — Former US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, University of Chicago Professor Raghuram Rajan, former Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico Julián Ventura and Bloomberg Businessweek Senior Writer Stacey Vanek Smith examine the forces reshaping global trade, financial stability and America's economic leadership.
- The Geopolitics of Hunger — Former US Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, Mercy Corps CEO Tjada McKenna and World Food Prize Laureate Catherine Bertini examine how conflict, climate and geopolitical forces drive global food insecurity and what a more resilient food system would require.
- Building Blocs — Columbia University Professor Lisa Anderson, Center for Economic and Policy Research Senior Research Fellow Francisco Rodríguez and Barnard College Professor Alexander Cooley examine what a more fragmented world might mean for American power and global stability.
- Racing Toward the Future — Former White House AI Senior Policy Advisor Dean Ball, University of Chicago Cyber Policy Initiative Executive Director Jake Braun, Anthropic National Security and Public Sector Advisory Board Member Jill Hruby and University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Dean Ethan Bueno de Mesquita examine where America stands in the competition for artificial intelligence leadership and how today’s choices will shape the future.
- A World Reordered — Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Charles Kupchan, Georgetown University Professor Evan Medeiros, University of Chicago Professor Robert Pape, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Constanze Stelzenmüller and Princeton University Professor G. John Ikenberry examine how alliances, deterrence relationships and the balance of power that defined the postwar world are fracturing—and what might take shape in their wake.
The forum is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, with community support from the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. Knowledge partners include Northwestern University's Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics.
The event is open to the public. Admission is free for Council members; nonmembers may register for $199, which includes a one-year Council membership. A live stream option is also available for those unable to attend in person. To register and learn more, visit globalaffairs.org/america-250-global-forum.
About the Chicago Council on Global Affairs
A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, the Council was founded in 1922 and is dedicated to increasing knowledge and engagement in global affairs. Our in-depth analysis and expert-led research influence policy conversations and inform the insights we share with our growing community. Through accessible content and open dialogue of diverse, fact-based perspectives, we empower more people to help shape our global future. Learn more at globalaffairs.org.
Communications Team Chicago Council on Global Affairs communications@globalaffairs.org