The Lauder Institute will host the inaugural Global Futures Symposium (GFS): National Security Meets the Global Marketplace on February 19-20, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA. Join us for conversations about the intersection of national security and global business with practitioners, scholars, policymakers, and industry leaders.
Registration is free and open to the public, although seats are limited. Sign up for updates here.
We are also delighted to announce a new partnership we are launching with Cultivate Labs in concert with GFS. Continue reading for details on how you can participate in our first forecasting activity.
Symposium Agenda
DAY 1: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH (UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA)
We will kick off on Thursday afternoon at the University of Pennsylvania. We will begin with keynote and roundtable discussions, followed by a cocktail reception.
Information about our distinguished speakers is forthcoming.
DAY 2: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH (SOFITEL RITTENHOUSE SQUARE)
We will facilitate candid dialogue across four thematic panel discussions with a limited number of attendees.* Topics will center on the drivers of national security innovation, resource nationalism, overseas investment controls, critical resources, AI, and other emerging challenges and opportunities in the national security space for businesses in the U.S. and around the globe. Information about our distinguished speakers is forthcoming.
*Attendance on Friday, February 20th is limited. We encourage early registration to secure your spot. GFS will be fully in person and conducted under Chatham House Rule.
Introducing Cultivate Labs
Cultivate Labs is a crowdcasting platform that invites participants to submit geopolitical forecasts and benchmarks them against other users on an anonymous leaderboard. This partnership supports the Lauder Institute’s commitment to constructive disagreement, analytical rigor, and critical decision-making in response to today’s most pressing—and complex—geopolitical issues.
Participants can complete optional training before submitting forecasts tied to the Lauder Institute’s core geopolitical themes. Forecasts may be updated in the lead-up to GFS through Lauder’s dedicated leaderboard. When registering for GFS, you will be asked if you are interested in the activity. We strongly encourage all attendees, especially Lauder students and alumni, to join us in forecasting the future!*
*Participation in our forecasting activity with Cultivate Labs is not contingent on attending GFS. Interested in attending GFS? Click the red button. Interested in only the activity with Cultivate Labs? Click the blue button.
