Media Contact: Ciaran O'Connor, Constructive Dialogue Institute, ciaran@constructivedialogue.org

Washington, D.C. – 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 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 works 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," said Jonathan Haidt, Co-Founder and Chair of the Constructive Dialogue Institute.

Over two days, leaders shared successful models, grappled with common challenges, and designed high-leverage strategic initiatives that each 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. "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. Throughout the academic year, participating campuses will join CDI-led Learning Labs to incubate creative solutions to persistent challenges, such as 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," Brown University President Christina H. Paxson said. "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 structured opportunities for shared learning with 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."

In 2026, CDI will expand this work by convening a parallel cohort of leading public flagship universities, further growing this network of institutions committed to strengthening higher education's civic mission.

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About the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI)

Co-founded in 2017 by psychologist Jonathan Haidt and Caroline Mehl, the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a non-profit organization that builds educational tools to equip Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across differences. To accomplish this goal, CDI translates the latest behavioral science research into educational resources that are evidence-based, practical, and scalable for institutions, educators, and communities.