A Look Back at Our Inaugural Edition

Sunday, March 22, 2026
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Metcalf Trustee Ballroom, 595 Commonwealth Ave., Boston

Under the theme "Navigating the Future of a Fractured World," the inaugural Boston International Affairs Summit brought together 27 distinguished speakers and over 150 student attendees from across various academic disciplines at Boston University.

Through conversations on contemporary global challenges, the summit created a space for interdisciplinary dialogue and engagement with the evolving international landscape.

Keynote Speakers

  • President Mohamed Nasheed

    Former President of the Maldives (2008-12)

    He was the Maldives' first democratically elected president, serving from 2008 to 2012, before becoming Speaker of the People's Majlis from 2019 to 2023. He currently serves as Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, leading international advocacy on behalf of nations most vulnerable to climate change

  • Dr. Youssef Chahed

    Former Prime Minister of Tunisia (2016-20)

    Known as both the youngest head of government in Tunisia’s history and the longest serving democratic Primer Minister. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, he served as Secretary of State for Fisheries and Minister of Local Sffairs. Dr. Chahed is currently a Senior Fellow with Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative

Fireside Chat

Who Writes the Rules? Power, Policy, and AI

  • Monique Priestly

    Vermont General Assembly

  • Victoria Gu

    Rhode Island Senate

  • Amy Kuhn

    Maine House of Representatives

  • James Maroney

    Connecticut General Assembly

  • Tricia Farley-Bouvier

    Massachusetts House of Representatives

Panel Block A

Topic 1: The Participation Gap: Rebuilding Democracy in a Disengaged Age

  • Jarrett James Lash

    14th U.S. Youth Observer to the UN | Township Planner

  • Frank Pobutkiewicz

    Executive Director and Founder of All-American Model United Nations

  • Marina Rakhilin

    Adjunct Professor at Boston College School of Social Work

  • Katya Arutyunyan

    Co-Founder of Overlap Politics

Topic 2: Blurring the Lines We Draw: Migration, Conflict, and the Politics of Development

  • Ambassador Ashraf Haidari

    Founder and President of Displaced International

  • Brian Thomsen

    Special Operations Association of America | OpsHub Inc. | Joint Special Operations Command SOCOM

  • Lina Chawaf

    Journalist, media consultant, and human rights advocate

  • Ambassador Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed

    Ambassador of the Maldives to the U.S.

Topic 3: Rising Tides, Rising Tensions: Climate and the Future of Security

  • Dr. Patrick Keys

    Assistant Professor in BU’s Department of Earth and Environment

  • Benjamin Sovacool

    Director for the Institute for Global Sustainability at Boston University

  • Ambassador Tareq Md Artiful Isam

    Ambassador of Bangladesh to the U.S.

  • Jin In

    Author and former Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Boston University

Panel Block B

Topic 1: Storytelling in a Fractured World: Human Rights, Power, and Representation

  • Aaron Kopp

    Award-winning director, producer, and Emmy-nominated cinematographer

  • Dr. Dana Janbek

    Master Lecturer at Boston University College of Communication

  • Camille Eiss

    Former Senior Advisor to the Ambassador for Sanctions Coordination at the U.S. Department of State

  • Deepak Rauniyar

    Associate Professor of the Practice, Film, and Television

Topic 2: The New Frontier: Capital, Development, and Opportunity in Emerging Markets

  • Professor Luis Ballesteros

    Global Business Career Development Professor, Strategy and Innovation

  • Ambassador Omar Razzak

    Former Maldivian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Belgium

  • Kevin "KAYR" Robinson

    Real estate investor, entrepreneur and author of Can’t Break Me

Topic 3: Building the Sustainable State: Policy, Health, and Climate Adaptation

  • Patricia Fabian

    Professor of Environmental Health and Associate Director at the Institute for Global Sustainability at Boston University

  • Ambassador Mark C. Storella

    Former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, serving as Ambassador to Zambia