Global Enlightenment Forum
The Global Enlightenment Forum is an annual academic conference hosted in collaboration with the Adam Smith Institute and the University College of Bahrain. The conference brings together leading academics from across the globe to present and discuss Enlightenment and liberal values in their historical, philosophical and global contexts. Attendance of the conference is open to all members of the public.
This conference is operated in conjunction with our annual Global Enlightenment Essay Competition, which offers prizes for students to write essays assessing pertinent liberal themes and Enlightenment principles through the lens of comparative intellectual history. Winning students are invited to present alongside world-class academics at this conference.
Details for the next Global Enlightenment Forum can be found below.
For details of previous Global Enlightenment Forums, please see below.
The Global Enlightenment Forum is more than just a conference. It’s an opportunity for students to meet and engage with Enlightenment academia in life-changing ways. It constitutes a launchpad for young talent in the scholarship of liberalism and Enlightenment.
One such beneficiary is Noreen Salah, winner of the First Global Enlightenment Essay Competition. She writes:
‘My experience with the ASI has truly been transformative. Engaging first through the Enlightenment Essay Competition opened a door I never expected, it gave me the confidence to share my ideas more boldly and connected me with a community that genuinely values intellectual curiosity. Through meeting people at the conference, I was introduced to Professor Khalid Al Khalifa, the sponsor of the competition, who later connected me with Professor Nicholas Cronk. This connection ultimately led to the opportunity to work with him as a researcher at the Voltaire Foundation, which he directs. These opportunities have already changed my life in ways I’m deeply grateful for. Looking back, my journey with the ASI has been both professionally empowering and personally meaningful, shaping my path with a sense of purpose, encouragement, and joy.’