CD&D Alliance Partners With the Council on Foreign Relations

The College Debates & Discourse (CD&D) Alliance is pleased to announce a new pilot partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), aimed at expanding civil discourse and global affairs engagement on college and university campuses.

CFR Education, the educational arm of CFR, helps high school and higher education students understand and engage with today’s most pressing global issues. With over 800 free, nonpartisan, multimedia teaching and learning resources, including simulations, CFR Education’s supplemental materials help students gain the knowledge, skills, and perspective needed to navigate today’s interconnected world. 

This collaboration combines CFR Education’s world-class global affairs resources and simulations with CD&D’s immersive, participatory programming to help faculty foster informed, respectful debate and dialogue on important global and global-to-local issues. Beginning in Spring 2026, select campuses will host classroom and campuswide forums led by CFR Education Ambassadors and CD&D facilitators. The first joint event will launch on April 2 at Indiana University Southeast.

Program assessment will generate evidence-based best practices to guide national expansion and deeper curricular integration.

“This pilot reflects CFR Education’s commitment to innovative teaching approaches that strengthen critical thinking, viewpoint diversity, and globally informed citizenship,” says Caroline Netchvolodoff, Vice President, Education, Council on Foreign Relations. “Our partnership with the CD&D Alliance expands educators’ capacity to bring international relations to life through dialogue, debate, and real-world issue engagement.”

“Our partnership with the CD&D Alliance expands educators’ capacity to bring international relations to life through dialogue, debate, and real-world issue engagement.”

Caroline Netchvolodoff

“Our goal is to help campuses become places where students can grapple with the toughest questions of our time in a spirit of inquiry, intellectual humility, and respect,” says Doug Sprei, CD&D Alliance Co-founder and Director. “It’s an honor to join forces with CFR and blend their vast resources and expertise with proven forms of civil discourse on campus and in the classroom. I hope our joint efforts will inspire students to think globally, get fired up about solving problems together, embrace viewpoint diversity, and prepare for thoughtful engagement in a complex world.”

Faculty and institutions interested in bringing CD&D programming to their campuses are invited to connect with the Alliance to learn more about partnership and training opportunities. 

Read more about CFR Education here. Sign up for the CFR Education newsletter to receive free teaching and learning resources straight to your inbox.