World Leaders Forum

A web-only multimedia feature on the World Leaders Forum. Includes slideshows, an audio slideshow, articles, and a blog.

The legacy of the forum should not be how many mentions Columbia received on Fox News but rather the incredible student turnout and University spirit—albeit unconventional—that emerged.

Along with the usual array of accomplished presidents and prime ministers, this year, Columbia's World Leaders Forum is hosting Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, the chief adviser of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh. Ever since his pseudomilitary regime took office in Dhaka, rampant human rights violations have become the state's hallmark.

On a morning when most eyes were turned elsewhere, President Gurbanguly Malikgulyyevich Berdymukhammedov of Turkmenistan kicked off the World Leaders Forum in a speech at Casa Italiana Monday morning.

University President Lee Bollinger blasted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad before the Iranian president’s speech yesterday, during which he attacked Western interference with his nation’s policies.

Chilean President Michele Bachelet stepped up to the podium last night to conclude a historic day for Columbia’s World Leaders Forum, discussing the status of democracy in Latin America and asserting her place as a woman in the man’s world of politics.

As Columbia prepares to host one of the most controversial individuals on Earth at today’s World Leader’s Forum, University President Lee Bollinger meets both criticism and approval from students, alumni, and outside protesters—who are likely to flood the streets of Broadway today by the thousands—for his decision not to withdraw the invitation.