World Leaders Forum
The World Leaders Forum was initiated by President Bollinger in 2003 as part of his plan to make Columbia more "global." During the UN General Assembly meeting each fall, Columbia invites a number of major world figures onto campus to deliver speeches and take part in conferences. Forum events are held throughout the year as opportunities present themselves.
You know the forum's in town when there are snipers on the roofs of Columbia buildings.
Visiting leaders
2003
- Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
- Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan
2004
2005
2006
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran (CANCELLED)
- Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister and former Minister of Defense, Canada
- David Choquehuanca, Minister of Foreign Relations of Bolivia
- Yegor Gaidar, former Prime Minister of Russia
- Evo Morales, President of Bolivia
- Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Minister of Finance, Nigeria; former Vice President and Corporate Secretary, World Bank
- Sheikha Lubna al Qasimi, Minister of Economy, United Arab Emirates
- Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of Ireland
- Dr. Ivo Sanader, Prime Minister of Croatia
- Sir Michael Somare, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
- Ong Keng Yong, Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
2007
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran
- Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Advisor of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh
- Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile
- Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, President of Turkmenistan
- Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia
- Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of Tanzania (CANCELLED)
- Željko Komšić, Presidency Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, President of Malawi
- Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia
