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As global tensions rise and questions about America’s role in the world intensify, two former U.S. national security advisers will face off at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder on April 13 in a high-profile debate kicking off the university’s 78th��Conference on World Affairs (CWA).

The debate, hosted in partnership with the��Steamboat Institute and �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder’s��Bruce D. Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, will explore the resolution: “The United States is in the process of committing superpower suicide.”

Former U.S. national security advisers John Bolton and Susan Rice

Who’s debating:

• John Bolton—former U.S. national security adviser (2018–19), U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (2005–06) and author of��"The Room Where It Happened"
• Susan Rice—former U.S. national security adviser (2013–17), U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (2009–13) and domestic policy adviser (2021–23)

The discussion will be moderated by��Carine Hajjar, opinion journalist and editorial board member at��The Washington Post and Steamboat Institute Fellow for Public Policy and American Exceptionalism.

“When the world feels divided and the issues before us are complex, universities have a responsibility to lead with openness and dialogue,” said �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “Our campus is committed to being a space where difficult conversations can happen thoughtfully and respectfully.”

The debate is part of the��Steamboat Institute’s Campus Liberty Tour, which since 2018 has brought ideologically diverse discussions to universities nationwide. The tour focuses on strengthening critical thinking and encouraging civil discourse at a time of deep political polarization.

“Our goal is to teach students—and all who attend—how to think, not what to think,” said Steamboat Institute co-founder and CEO Jennifer Schubert-Akin. “Civil, fact-based debate is essential to a functioning democratic republic, especially when national and international stakes are high.”

Audience members will have the opportunity to participate in pre- and post-debate polling and submit questions to the speakers using their mobile devices.

����If you go

Who: Open to the public
What: Debate—“Is the United States in the process of committing superpower suicide?”
When: Monday, April 13; doors open 6 p.m., debate 7–8:30 p.m.
Where: University Memorial Center, Glenn Miller Ballroom
Tickets: Free; registration required