The Future of Free Speech

OCTOBER 3-4, 2025

NASHVILLE, TN

Day 1: October 3

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Keynotes, Panels and Sessions

Reception hosted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and Freedom Forum

Day 2: October 4

9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Keynotes, Panels and Sessions

Closing Reception

On 2025 October 3rd and 4th, The Future of Free Speech and Vanderbilt University will host the second annual Global Free Speech Summit, an event to discuss the most pressing challenges threatening freedom of expression worldwide and identify impactful solutions to reinvigorate this fundamental freedom.

JOIN US OCTOBER 3-4, 2025
IN NASHVILLE, TN

OUR SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS

Tyler Cowen

Professor of economics, columnist and blogger

Rikki Schlott

Journalist, co-author, and podcast host on Bill Maher’s network.

Greg Lukianoff

FIRE CEO and co-author of The Coddling and Canceling of the American Mind.

Chemi Lhamo

Tibetan-Canadian activist and the Canadian representative for the International Tibet Network's Steering Committee

Jacob Mchangama

Founder and Executive Director, The Future of Free Speech

Daniel Diermeier

Chancellor, Vanderbilt University

Michael Moynihan

Michael Moynihan is an American journalist, former National Correspondent for Vice News.

Thomas Chatterton Williams

Atlantic writer, author, and Bard visiting professor.

Nathasha Edirisooriya

Sri Lankan stand‑up comedian and human rights advocate

Renée DiResta

Professor, writer and former research manager at Stanford Internet Observatory.

Jonathan Rauch

Jonathan Rauch, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, is the author of The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth.

Sarah Isgur

Senior editor at The Dispatch, legal analyst, and former DOJ spokesperson.

Faisal Saeed Al Mutar

Founder, Ideas Beyond Borders; social entrepreneur in Middle East development.

Alsu Kurmasheva

Journalist and editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Dr. Nita Farahany

Professor of law and philosophy at Duke University and the author of The Battle for Your Brain

David French

NYT columnist and co-host of a leading legal podcast.

Prof. Randall Kennedy

Prof Randall Kennedy

Professor at Harvard Law School , author, and public intellectual

Yascha Mounk

Persuasion founder, podcast host, and author of The Identity Trap.

Peter Boghossian

Socratic method expert, educator, and founder at University of Austin.

Prof. Ge Chen

Associate professor at Durham Law School and 2025 award winner of the Franklyn S. Haiman Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Freedom of Expression

Bay Fang

President of Radio Free Asia; former journalist and U.S. diplomat

Peter Greste

Journalism professor and press freedom advocate at Macquarie University.

Dr. William B Irvine

Philosophy professor and author of The Guide to the Good Life.

John Tomasi

President of Heterodox Academy, and for many years the Romeo Elton 1844 Professor at Brown University.

John Wood Jr.

National leader for Braver Angels, Columnist for USA TODAY

Jonathan Turley

American attorney, legal scholar, writer and legal analyst

Glen Weyl

Founder, Plural Technology at Microsoft and tech liberty initiatives.

Kevin Goldberg

Vice president and first amendment expert at Freedom Forum

Matthew Johnson-Roberson

Dean of Vanderbilt University's College of Connected Computing

Ashkhen Kazaryan

A Senior Legal Fellow at The Future of Free Speech.

Rod Smolla

Professor of Law at Vermont Law and Graduate School, and Senior Counsel at Meier Watkins Phillips Pusch in Washington, DC

Mariam Southwell

Co-founder of Diatove and Georgian activist.

Dr. Alice Siu

Political communication expert at Stanford’s Deliberative Democracy Lab.

Samantha Barbas

Samantha Barbas is a professor of law and Aliber Family Chair in Law at the University of Iowa College of Law.

Francesca Procaccini

Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University Law School.

Jordi Calvet-Bademunt

Senior Research Fellow at The Future of Free Speech and a Visiting Scholar at Vanderbilt University.

Carlos Affonso Souza

Carlos Affonso Souza is a professor at UERJ and Director of ITS Rio, known for his work on Brazil’s Internet Bill of Rights and current leadership in tech policy, data protection, and AI regulation.

Usama Khilji

Digital rights activist and Bolo Bhi co-founder in Pakistan

Agustina Del Campo

Agustina Del Campo is a law professor and directs the CELE at Universidad de Palermo, specializing in freedom of expression and international human rights law.

Tarik Beyhan

Human rights and digital rights advocate; ex-Amnesty campaign director.

Nikola Ilic

Leadership professor, social entrepreneur, and life-long democracy activist.

Ben Brooks

Affiliate at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center and Head of Public Policy at Black Forest Labs

Jodie Ginsberg

CEO, Committee to Protect Journalists; media freedom advocate.

Mary Kate Cary

Mary Kate Cary is Director of Think Again at UVA and a former White House speechwriter.

Jacob N. Shapiro

Jacob Shapiro is a John Foster Dulles Professor of International Affairs at Princeton University.

Shikha Dalmia

Founder and President of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism and editor of The UnPopulist

Kyung Sin Park

Professor, Korea University Law School; Director, Open Net Korea

OCTOBER 3-4, 2025

NASHVILLE, TN

Day 1: October 3

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Keynotes, Panels and Sessions

Reception hosted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and Freedom Forum

Day 2: October 4

9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.