World Leaders Forum

The School of Diplomacy serves as a forum for dialogue where distinguished visitors come to discuss critical global concerns.

Our distinguished visitors have included: heads of state and government, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, public officials and political leaders, journalists and labor leaders, business executives and philanthropists, ambassadors and diplomats.

As part of our signature program, the School of Diplomacy and International Relations World Leaders Forum, we have welcomed Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre, President of the 77th UN General Assembly, Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Tony Blair, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, and former President of Poland Lech Walesa to Seton Hall's campus.

Greeted by audiences of up to 2,000 students, faculty, alumni and friends of the University, these leaders have addressed complex and controversial issues such as the roots of terrorism, the role of politics and religion in cross-cultural dialogue, climate change and the environment, the changing role of power and sovereignty in international organizations, and the inequities associated with global debt. In each case, speakers have encouraged dialogue in search of new avenues for building peace. View a complete list of World Leaders Forum guests.

Students play a significant role in these events, as both graduate and undergraduate students are given the opportunity to actively engage one-on-one with international leaders through small group discussions, interviews, formal dinners, and as volunteer Student Ambassadors.

In addition to the World Leaders Forum, the School of Diplomacy offers a host of additional opportunities each semester for students to engage with international leaders. Whether you choose to attend a lecture, conference, keynote address, or a more intimate gathering such as a seminar, reception, or dinner, your educational experience will be enhanced through making personal connections with some of the most important figures in international diplomacy.