Samar Ali

“How to Heal a Divided America” will begin in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sept. 12 and culminate on Sept. 19–20, 2024, with a joint event with the Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project and Dialogue Vanderbilt. Read More

In August 2023, the university launched Dialogue Vanderbilt, its core initiative to bridge divides, reestablish a vibrant culture of civil discourse and free expression, and showcase experts from on campus and around the world, leading the charge to build more engaged citizens and communities.  Read More

In keeping with the Sesquicentennial spirit, we celebrate our past, present and future—from our important and long-standing function in the city of Nashville, to the holistic education and opportunities to innovate that our students receive from Immersion Vanderbilt, to our mastery of the cutting-edge technologies that will define our shared future. Read More

Al-Marayati and Samar Ali, Unity Project co-chair, will explore the shared experiences of Muslim and Arab Americans and the ongoing crisis in Gaza in a timely and insightful conversation at noon on Monday, April 22, at the John Seigenthaler Center. This in-person event is limited to Vanderbilt students, faculty and staff members; you must register using your Vanderbilt email address. Read More

Vanderbilt celebrated its “bedrock principle” of free speech through a series of panels and discussions Oct. 10–17 during the university’s inaugural celebration of national Free Speech Week. Read More

Hosted by Chancellor Daniel Diermeier as part of the his Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative and Vanderbilt’s first-ever Free Speech Week, well-known journalist, editor and columnist Bret Stephens will join Samar Ali, research professor of political science and law, for a debate centered around the value of free expression, open debate and civil discourse through the lens of some of the most pressing issues we face today. There will be an audience Q&A at the end of the discussion. Read More

Hosted by Vanderbilt Chancellor Diermeier, Bret Stephens, a well-known journalist, editor and columnist will join Samar Ali, research professor of political science and law, for a discussion centered around the value of free expression, open debate and civil discourse through the lens of some of the most pressing issues we face today. Read More

Vanderbilt will hold a series of high-profile events Oct. 10–17 in observance of the university’s first-ever campus-wide Free Speech Week, part of Chancellor Daniel Diermeier’s recently launched Dialogue Vanderbilt initiative. The event will bring high-profile guests to campus to discuss the current state of free expression and civil discourse. Read More

To cultivate transformational connections across campus, the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will launch the Vanderbilt Unity Lab this spring. The Unity Lab will equip VU community members with the tools necessary to strengthen the bonds of cultural affinity and promote civil discourse. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to apply for program training positions. Read More

Vanderbilt University and the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy hosted a live virtual discussion June 7 to discuss the nation's mass shootings and the continued divisiveness about gun violence and legislation. Read More

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy is launching a series of conversations and interviews this summer featuring experts on the important issues facing America today. Guests include New York Times national political correspondent Jonathan Martin, American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Yuval Levin, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and more. Read More

Vanderbilt University and the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host a live virtual panel discussion, “Facts and Evidence: Navigating the Gun Debate in America,” on Tuesday, June 7, at noon CT to discuss the issue of gun violence in America. Read More

As Russia unleashed an assault against Ukraine on Thursday, a panel of Vanderbilt experts brought context to the developments during a virtual event on the escalating conflict and its potential global implications. Read More

Vanderbilt’s Narrative 4 team is partnering with the Belcourt Theatre to present a film screening and panel discussion about the power of storytelling, empathy and reconciliation on Saturday, Nov. 13. Read More

In remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host a virtual discussion, “9/11: Two Decades Later,” on Friday, Sept. 10, at noon CT. The event will feature faculty historians and legal scholars Jon Meacham, Samar Ali and Ganesh Sitaraman. Read More

The humanitarian and military crisis in Afghanistan continues to erupt after the Taliban’s swift takeover of authority when the U.S. government began withdrawing troops earlier this month. In keeping with its mission to elevate facts and reasoned discourse, the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy promptly brought together military and political experts, including Lt. Gen. Scott Howell, a former commander of the Joint Special Operations Command in Afghanistan, for a live virtual discussion. Read More

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host a virtual panel Aug. 26 on the crisis in Afghanistan—a timely and exclusive discussion featuring Vanderbilt faculty historians and foreign policy experts and retired Lt. Gen. Scott A. Howell, former commander of U.S. Joint Special Operations Command.  Read More

Vanderbilt University joined Nashville community leaders to pay tribute to the life and Nashville legacy of U.S. Rep. John Lewis with the formal dedication of Rep. John Lewis Way and a public celebration at Ryman Auditorium. Read More

Vanderbilt University will join with many community partners to pay tribute to the life and Nashville legacy of Rep. John Lewis on July 16 and 17 with the formal dedication of Rep. John Lewis Way and a public celebration at Ryman Auditorium. Read More

The Aspen Institute’s Socrates Program will host a virtual conversation, “Is National Unity Possible?” on Thursday, April 1, at 1 p.m. CT featuring the co-chairs of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy: former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Vanderbilt faculty members Samar Ali and Jon Meacham. Read More