Global Free Speech Summit 2024

Schedule

Attendees will have the opportunity to gain insights from thought leaders through keynote addresses, engaging panels and informative presentations.

Section Contents

Note: The summit's schedule is subject to change. 

Events will be held at the Student Life Center – Vanderbilt University

- 7:45 – 8:45 AM -

 

Continental Breakfast & Registration 

- 9:00 – 9:10 AM - 

 

Welcome Remarks

Jacob Mchangama, Executive Director, The Future of Free Speech

 

- 9:10 – 9:20 AM - 

Opening Remarks

Daniel Diermeier, Chancellor of Vanderbilt University

The Challenges to Freedom of Inquiry and Expression in Cultural Institutions

 

- 9:25 – 10:05 AM - 

Keynote Fireside Chat

Salman Rushdie (Virtual), One of the Most Celebrated Authors of Our Time

Interviewed by Suzanne Nossel, PEN America

 

- 10:10 – 11:05 AM - 

Panel #1: Academic Freedom and the Role of Universities

Panelists:

  • Amna Khalid, Associate Professor in the Department of History, Carleton College
  • Jeffrey Sachs, Assistant Professor, Department of Politics, Acadia University
  • Musa Al-Gharbi, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Communication and (by courtesy) Sociology, Stony Brook University
  • Ramiro Álvarez Ugarte, Deputy Director, Centro de Estudios en Libertad de Expresión (CELE)

Moderator: Sarah McLaughlin, Senior Scholar, Global Expression, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

 

- 11:10 AM – 12:05 PM - 

Moderated Discussion: State of Free Speech in the United States

Discussants:

  • David French, Columnist, New York Times
  • Nadine Strossen, John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law Emerita, New York Law School

Moderator: Francesca Procaccini, Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University Law School

 

- 12:05 – 12:55 PM -

Break for Lunch

 

- 1:05 – 1:55 PM -

Moderated Discussion:  Disinformation: Moral Panic or Threat to Democracy?

Discussants:

  • Freddie Sayers, Editor-in-Chief & CEO, UnHerd
  • Renee DiResta, Social Media Researcher

Moderator: Jacob Mchangama, Executive Director, The Future of Free Speech

 

- 1:55 – 2:05 PM -

Break

 

- 2:05 – 2:30 PM -

Showcase: Initiatives that Strengthen Freedom of Expression

Speaker:  Billion Lee, Co-founder of Cofacts

 

- 2:35 – 3:30 PM -

Panel No. 2: Trust and Censorship in Traditional Media and Publishing

Panelists:

  • James Bennet, Senior Editor, The Economist
  • Inaya Folarin Iman, Journalist and Executive Director of the Equiano Project
  • Ritu Kapur, CEO and Co-Founder, The Quint
  • David Plazas, Opinion and Engagement Director, The Tennessean

Moderator: John Seigenthaler, Partner at Finn Partners and former NBC anchor

 

- 3:35 – 4:05 PM -

Keynote Address: The Collapse of Hong Kong: A Stark Reminder of How Quickly Freedom Can Vanish

Speaker: Nathan Law, Hong Kong Democracy Activist

 

- 4:05 – 4:15 PM -

Day One Wrap-up & Closing Remarks