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Women Changing the World—Global Symposium 2015

The 7th annual Global Symposium took place on March 13 and was held on campus for the first time, in honor of Barnard's 125th anniversary. Featured speakers included Queen Noor of Jordan and Nobel-Prize winner Leymah Gbowee.

Watch the Global Symposium as it streams live beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday. Click here for registration instructions.

On Friday, March 13, Barnard College will host the seventh annual Global Symposium, Women Changing the World 2015. In celebration of Barnard’s 125^th anniversary, this year’s Symposium will take place on Barnard’s New York City campus for the first time. The event will bring together women from around the globe who are leaders in their fields of business, media, the arts, finance, government, and academia, for candid discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing women in different parts of the world. Many of the participants of this year’s Symposium were involved with past symposia in their home countries, making this year’s event a particularly dynamic and special occasion.

Speakers include:

Queen Noor of Jordan, Chairperson of the Noor Al Hussein Foundation and the King Hussein Foundation
Wu Qing, Activist, Professor, and Co-Founder of the Beijing Changping Practical Skills Training Center for Rural Women
Leymah Gbowee, Activist, President of Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, and Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
Panmela Castro, Graffiti Artist and Founder of NAMI Network
Helene Gayle '76, President and CEO, CARE USA

See the full list of speakers and a lineup of the day’s panels.

As part of the annual Global Symposium festivities, Faculty Fellows and Student Fellows incorporate research opportunities for faculty, and leadership-development opportunities for students. Read more about the projects that the Faculty Fellows and Student Fellows are planning for this year's Symposium.

Read a recent Forbes article in which President Spar discusses this year's Global Symposium and the continuing effort to close the gender gap around the world.

Watch an MSNBC interview with New York City's Commissioner for International Affairs Penny Abeywardena, a speaker at this year's Symposium.

Barnard’s Global Symposia series was founded in 2009 in an effort to provide a forum for conversations among women leaders about leadership, gender equity, and other critical issues facing women, especially in regions of the world where such opportunities do not readily exist. The symposia are also intended to create a network of women leaders from around the world, and to inspire young women about their own leadership potential. Watch videos from Women Changing China 2014, Women Changing Brazil 2013, Women Changing India 2012, Women Changing Africa 2011, Women in the Arab World 2010, and Women Changing China 2009.

Learn more about the Global Symposia series.