At Acton we strive to curate a community of leaders from different spheres of society. To achieve this goal, it is crucial that we engage and form young leaders. Traditional values and morals seem to be increasingly shunned in our culture, and more so in our universities. But at Acton we find future leaders who will become champions of freedom and change the world as they rise to lead businesses, communities, and houses of worship. Much like our strategy with Acton University, each year Acton recruits college students from top universities around the world who have proven to be exemplary leaders on their campuses and in their personal lives. While we have many outstanding candidates, we hand-select the top 20 to go through our yearlong leadership-formation internship: the Emerging Leaders Program.
Countries represented since 2017
Participants receiving scholarships since 2017
Funds raised to host Emerging Leaders since 2019
For several years now, the Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, compiled by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania, has listed Acton University as the No. 1 free market conference in the world. Each year Acton University attracts nearly 1,000 attendees from around the world, including scholars, clergy, business professionals, and nonprofit leaders. Acton University is where they engage in unmatched educational programming and discussions aimed at developing a cohesive understanding of individual liberty, free markets, and personal moral responsibility. But Acton University is more than a conference: It’s a life-changing event for many of the attendees.
Participants since 2010
Countries represented
International participants
Participants receiving scholarships
Funds raised to host AU since 2010
In 2022, the Acton Institute launched the Collins Center for Abrahamic Heritage to explore Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives on the foundations of a free and virtuous society. The center holds conferences around the world, publishes books and articles, and creates other resources to lead a global conversation and advance understanding of contributions from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on questions of liberty, economics, and human flourishing.
Jews, Christians, and Muslims comprise over half the world’s population and look to their faiths for guidance above all other sources. The Collins Center acknowledges both the commonalities and differences between these faiths. Despite many commonalities, discord and animosity often divide Jews, Christians, and Muslims, sometimes leading to prejudice, violence, legal inequalities, and other injustices.
Virtuous values and sources of inspiration are under attack all across the globe, and there is virtually no space for respectful and honest dialogue. The Collins Center is a fulfillment of the vital role that the Acton Institute plays in a world in dire need of civil discussions.
Countries represented
International participants
Participants receiving scholarships
Endowment
Acton employs a lean staff of academic researchers, conference professionals, writers, and communications experts. Your gift helps keep the lights on for our team and enables us to focus on what we do best: promote a free and virtuous society.
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