**Presidents and Senior Leaders Commit to Bold Action to Model Healthy Civic Life and Intellectual Exchange at Two-Day Summit in Washington, D.C.**
*WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/* — Against the backdrop of rising political violence and deepening national divides, the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) convened presidents and senior leaders from Brown University, Dartmouth, Duke University, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Tufts University, Vanderbilt University, and Yale University. The goal: to launch a shared effort to develop innovative models for strengthening constructive dialogue, open inquiry, and free expression in higher education.
The **CDI Leadership Institute**, held October 7-8, 2025 in Washington, D.C., was organized by the Constructive Dialogue Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit that partners with colleges and universities to foster cultures of inquiry and dialogue.
“We brought these particular campuses together because respectful discourse has long been integral to academic excellence at these institutions, and each has already developed a track record of implementing cutting-edge strategies to strengthen dialogue and open inquiry,” said Caroline Mehl, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Constructive Dialogue Institute.
“At a time when polarization threatens both democracy and higher education, these leading institutions have come together to chart a new path forward for our country,” added Jonathan Haidt, Co-Founder and Chair of the Constructive Dialogue Institute.
### Sharing Models, Tackling Challenges, and Designing Strategic Initiatives
Over two days, leaders exchanged successful models, grappled with common challenges, and designed high-leverage strategic initiatives that each university will implement to accelerate long-term culture change on their campuses.
“Dartmouth is committed to helping our students learn to engage in dialogue across difference—an essential skill for training future leaders,” said Sian Leah Beilock, President of Dartmouth University. “Partners like the Constructive Dialogue Institute facilitate that work, and we returned from the Leadership Institute with strategies that will support the continued growth of Dartmouth Dialogues.”
The Institute represents more than a convening—it marks the start of an ongoing collaboration among leading universities committed to strengthening constructive dialogue and free expression.
### Ongoing Collaboration and Learning Labs
Throughout the academic year, participating campuses will join CDI-led Learning Labs to incubate creative solutions to persistent challenges. These include measuring the impact of dialogue initiatives and mobilizing faculty as champions of this work.
“For generations, Brown has been a community that most successfully addresses challenges through dialogue, debate, and a commitment to listening to each other,” said Brown University President Christina H. Paxson. “In a moment where there is an acute need to sustain environments where everyone is treated with dignity—even and especially as they vigorously advance and contest opposing points of view—we look forward to sharing lessons from our campus and learning from others.”
CDI will also facilitate an eight-month professional learning community, providing campuses with structured opportunities for shared learning among peers as they implement their strategic initiatives.
By joining forces, these institutions aim not only to strengthen their own campus cultures but to reshape the national conversation on higher education’s role in a polarized society.
“CDI’s Leadership Institute marked another invigorating step on NYU’s journey of bridging divides and creating a campus where all can flourish,” said Linda G. Mills, President of New York University. “With the tools and perspectives exchanged across nine leading universities, I and my colleagues left the conference committed as ever to empowering our students to engage across differences—with thoughtfulness, openness, and civility.”
### Looking Ahead: Expansion to Public Flagship Universities
In 2026, CDI will expand this work by convening a parallel cohort of leading public flagship universities, further growing this growing network of institutions committed to strengthening higher education’s civic mission.
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### About the Constructive Dialogue Institute
The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps colleges and universities create campus cultures of inquiry and dialogue. CDI believes a thriving democracy depends on people’s ability to engage with diverse perspectives, evaluate information critically, and collaborate on shared challenges.
Since its founding in 2017, CDI has partnered with more than 150 colleges and universities nationwide, offering an evidence-based suite of programs designed to reach stakeholders at every level of a campus—from presidents to incoming students—and drive meaningful culture change.
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**Media Contact:**
Ciaran O’Connor
Constructive Dialogue Institute
Phone: 1-917-609-6798
Email: [email protected]
**SOURCE:** Constructive Dialogue Institute
https://www.prweb.com/releases/leading-universities-pursue-innovative-models-to-strengthen-constructive-dialogue-and-open-inquiry-302593588.html
