The Other World Leaders

Thursday's ServiceNation program is generating a great deal of well-deserved excitement, but students should not forget about the opportunities presented by the World Leaders Forum. In this program, Columbia brings numerous international dignitaries to speak on campus each year. The University has undoubtedly had its share of high-profile speakers, but speeches that create less of a stir often go unnoticed by the majority of students.

Since 2003, Columbia has capitalized on its name and location to bring in policymakers and leaders in an effort to assert the school's status as a global university. Speakers have ranged from Pervez Musharraf to Vladimir Putin to lesser-known diplomats and policy institute executives. This year, the list will include President Victor Yushchenko of Ukraine and Anne Lauvergeon, the chief executive director of the Areva Institute, an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development with the aid of nuclear energy. More names will be announced as the semester progresses. Students can easily sign up for any events at the World Leaders Forum Web site, and, unlike at Thursday's ServiceNation event, audience members often have the opportunity to interact with the dignitaries through question-and-answer sessions at the events. Unfortunately, there is little hype surrounding these events, and it is all too easy for students, especially first-years, to continue going to classes not knowing that anyone will be speaking later that day.

The University was right to e-mail students about Wednesday's registration, and should continue to contact students as they schedule more speakers. For their part, students who complain about ticket availability at high-profile events like last year's visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should take advantage of all World Leaders Forum events, as they remain opportunities to engage with world newsmakers firsthand. Moreover, they should make use of the World Leaders Forum Web site, which is regularly updated and easy to use. For its part, the administration should not ignore the possibility of hosting such popular events in other, larger spaces such as Levien Gym.

Despite the awesome fanfare that ServiceNation will bring to campus, the World Leaders Forum has the potential to offer more substance than Thursday's event. The administration often bills Columbia as a global university, and the World Leaders Forum is one means of achieving that title. Yet too little advertising from the University and too little interest from students means less access to the global community. Beyond the events with the most high-profile dignitaries, students and administrators alike would do well to give the World Leaders Forum—and its host of international leaders­—the attention it deserves.