The Vanderbilt Open Dialogue Visiting Fellows Program brings together thought leaders from across the political and ideological spectrum to engage with students, faculty, the public, and each other, modeling evidence-based, civil debate. The program aims to inject thoughtful, respectful, and reasoned dialogue into our national conversation—at a time when our country needs it most.
“Diverse perspectives form the rich soil from which insight and impact grow.”
Vanderbilt’s paramount mission is to provide the conditions for transformative education and pathbreaking research. Maintaining a culture of free expression so that ideas can be shared, tested, and refined is essential to this mission.
The Open Dialogue Visiting Fellows Program, generously supported by the Stanton Foundation, advances this effort by fostering open discussions among experts with contrasting views, bringing them together for engaging, respectful, and evidence-based debate. The program addresses pressing political and social issues of our time from multiple—and sometimes clashing—perspectives, modeling intellectually rigorous, spirited dialogue about matters of public discourse.
As part of the university’s larger Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative, the Visiting Fellows program invites experts—scholars, elected officials, policy makers, activists, artists, public intellectuals, and others—to live and work on campus as they engage in meaningful dialogue with the community at Vanderbilt and beyond. Through public forums, small discussions, debates, workshops, exchanges with faculty and other experts, and guest lectures in classes, the visiting fellows will embed the principles and practice of open dialogue in every corner of the university.
The Open Dialogue Visiting Fellows Program supports Vanderbilt’s commitment to freedom of expression and encourages discourse based in evidence over ideology.