Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder
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2025 Socrates España Seminar

Note: This is a past event, additional resources may be available below.

May 29 – 31 2025
Cardona, Barcelona

Date

May 29 – 31 2025
12:00am

Location

Cardona, Barcelona, España
El Vilar de la Duquessa
Camí de Lourdes, s/n, 08261

Contact

    [email protected]
    202-736-3843

Hosts

  1. Socrates Program

In three sessions, our seminar “From AI to Co-Creation: Democracy Now” explores the connection between evolving digital technologies and the political culture that we experience today.

Held in partnership with the Aspen Institute España, the Socrates España Seminar will take place from May 29-31, 2025. Socrates international seminars include three seminar sessions, program meals, and local excursions/tours. Seminar tuition is $3,000, which includes lodging, materials, and meals. Tuition does not include travel. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in participating  

Rising Generations
Imagining the Human Future

We’re living through a time of dramatic change. Thanks largely to technology and its manifold effects on society, human existence is being transformed in ways we’ve barely begun to understand. Is AI a gift to civilization or a potential threat? How will climate change alter life on Earth? Will humans eventually live on other planets? Might we help shape the future by imagining the various ways it could unfold? Which scenarios hold the most promise and what can we do now to increase the chances that these outcomes prevail? Voices from different generations will help us navigate these questions, drawing on the insights of great thinkers who have tried over the centuries to glimpse the future, including some who are working on this puzzle today. There’s much to learn from their philosophical, political, scientific, spiritual and artistic visions. Join us for a stimulating dialogue about where humanity might be headed long-term and how rising generations can help make it a positive, flourishing future.

Moderator: William Powers is a writer and technologist. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Hamlet’s BlackBerry: Building a Good Life in the Digital Age. 

 

Socrates Montenegro Seminar

Organized in partnership with Aspen Institute Germany and Aspen Institute Romania, the first-ever Socrates seminar in Montenegro will bring together leaders to explore the challenges of democratic backsliding, the importance of rule of law, and the essence of values-based leadership.

Socrates 2025 New Zealand Seminar

Join us for this exclusive Critical Conversation, moderated by Vivian Schiller, internationally renowned former media executive, current Aspen Institute Vice President and Executive Director of Aspen Digital. ‘Will We Ever Trust the News Again’ will examine the challenges facing the industry – and crucially, the promising paths towards a solution.

Aspen Ideas Festival 2025

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Sarah Frey

2025 Socrates Romania Transatlantic Seminar

This Transatlantic Socrates Seminar will discuss ways to advance the development of a comprehensive and dynamic yet operational approach to resilience. As the current security crisis has driven historic developments in Europe and beyond, it is now increasing pressure to demonstrate that liberal democracy delivers, including security and defense.