local events and convenings
Make sense of the world, in good company.
Our public and invitation-based programs are where Bostonians come to think out loud about global affairs — with experts, with each other, and over the occasional bowl of chowder.
Last season
4200+ area residents engaged in WorldBoston programs
Voices on our stage
RecognitionPulitzer
Pulitzer
Winners
DistinctionNobel
Nobel
Laureates
DiplomacyInternational
International
Ambassadors
ExcellenceProfessional Athletes
Professional Athletes
and Olympians
What our events are for
We intentionally curate our programs to help Boston-area residents:
/ 01
Make sense of the world
Briefings and discussions that turn the news cycle into context — with the people who actually study it.
/ 02
Meet across difference
Each event puts diplomats, scholars, practitioners, and curious neighbors in the same room.
/ 03
Practice citizen diplomacy
Conversations are unscripted to create honest exchange, not talking points.
our recurring programs
Three series, one mission.
Most of what we host falls into one of three recurring programs — plus the occasional special event or private roundtable discussion.
Chat &
Chowder
Author talks on international affairs over actual chowder, with Q&A and networking.
See eventsGreat
Decisions
Eight expert-led sessions a year on the Foreign Policy Association's annual briefing-book topics.
See eventsDiplomacy
Now
Our annual flagship — a high-level conversation about America's place on the global stage with a leading diplomat.
See events"I came for one Great Decisions session in 2014. Twelve years later I'm still here — same chairs, sharper questions."
— worldboston event participant
current calendar
All events →Our next three public events:
Securing, planning, and scheduling in progress.
Stay tuned for our Summer and Fall 2026 programming, coming soon.
From the archive
What you missed — and why it mattered.
Watch clips and full recordings from past programs live on YouTube and the GBH Forum Network.
Great Decisions · WorldBoston × GBH
Great Decisions with Kelly Sims Gallagher: International Cooperation on Climate Change
Get involved
Want to make your mark on our influential city?
Sponsorship
Help fund an event series, or cohost a WorldBoston council program in your office or venue.
Partnership
Co-design public or private programs with your institution or department.
Individual support
Pitch-in to keep Boston and Eastern MA at the forefront of global conversations.
Save your seat
Get the next program in your inbox.
We'll send you a heads-up before registration opens for each series.