About the Forum on Global Engagement

"I have been very greatly privileged to be part of one of the most exciting projects I have ever been involved with and I want to say a very big thank you for inviting Leah and me to join up with this extraordinary community."

—Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Past Forum on Global Engagement Keynote Speaker
SAS Alumnus and ISE/SAS Board of Trustees Member

The Forum on Global Engagement is an invitation-only event sponsored by the educational nonprofit Institute for Shipboard Education, which administers the Semester at Sea global education program.

Forums on Global Engagement take place on a yearly or bi-yearly basis aboard the Semester at Sea floating campus, the MV Explorer, a 25,000-ton state-of-the-art master vessel. The first Forum (previously called the Global Leadership Forum) was held June 3-6, 2008 and included a keynote address from Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu among other distinguished lecturers.

The purpose of the Forum on Global Engagement is to create a Semester at Sea-like experience that that inspires dialogue and understanding through substantive programming. Participants engage in the global issues of today across various areas of expertise, including finance, health, sustainability, diplomacy, medicine, religion, gender studies, and the arts.

Participants, who are invited to attend by the ISE/SAS President and Board of Trustees, include Semester at Sea alumni and friends spanning all levels of professional, academic, and international backgrounds. Forum on Global Engagement participants are selected for their potential discussion contributions, diversity of perspectives, and previous level of support and participation in Semester at Sea programs.