The Young Initiative invites foreign policy experts and guest speakers to campus to engage in discussions on international relations and the global political economy with students and faculty.
Annually: United Nations Week
With the William and Elizabeth Kahane United Nations Program, the Young Initiative supports the annual United Nations Week at Occidental College, each spring. We are passionate in maintaining students involvement and engagement in sustainable development. Our students choose topics that link Global Political Economy, Social Justice, and Sustainable Development.
One Day Conference - Data and the Feminist City Conference - September 30, 2025
The Young Initiative will host invited representatives from city governments from around the world for a one-day conference on the Oxy campus. Attendants will share experiences and best practices on reporting mechanisms to gather data, identify gaps in data collection, and help develop strategies for data-driven, actionable solutions.
Ongoing Young Speakers Events
Young Initiative speakers give students and faculty an opportunity to expand their understanding of global issues. The Young Initiative sponsors several speakers each academic year highlighting particular aspects of global affairs and the global political economy. The Young Speakers program is devoted to highlighting the work and success of eminent international affairs experts and Oxy alumni in public service and academia.
On Thursday, February 9, the Young Initiative hosted journalist and author Katie Stallard for Weaponizing History.
On Wednesday 9 November, David Goldblatt, a writer, journalist, academic and visiting Professor at Pitzer College came to Occidental to talk about the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the political controversies surrounding it.
Date: December 16, 2022
Location: Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
Organizers: Michael Dichio (University of Utah) and Igor Logvinenko (Occidental College), sponsored by the Young Fund for Global Political Economy
On Thursday October 20th Dr. Hilary Appel, Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College, visited Occidental to give a talk on the current global liberal world order and spoke specifically about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Join us for a conversation with Dr. Hilary Appel on Thursday, October 20th!
Professor Igor Logvinenko of Occidental College’s Diplomacy & World Affairs Department moderated this fascinating talk by Professor Juan Pablo Pardo-Guerra, an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California at San Diego.
Professor Igor Logvinenko of Occidental College’s Diplomacy & World Affairs Department moderated this engaging talk by Professor Julia Morse, based on her book The Bankers’ Blacklist: Unofficial Market Enforcement and the Global Fight Against Illicit Financing.
A panel discussion on Uyghur Muslim persecution featuring Critical Theory and Social Justice, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Diplomacy and World Affairs, and the Young Initiative