Ford School events | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Events @ the Ford School

The Ford School makes Ann Arbor a destination for distinguished policymakers from around the world.
Upcoming events
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In the past few years, we've hosted Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Secretary Hillary Clinton, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Secretary Condoleezza Rice, Secretary Jeh Johnson, Secretary Antony Blinken, Ambassador Susan Rice, Secretary Lawrence H. Summers, Secretary Denis McDonough; U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Coons; Michigan U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell, Fred Upton, Peter Meijer, Andy Levin, Rashida Tlaib, and Elissa Slotkin; and many more.

The Ford School hosts dozens of events every year with the goal of providing students, faculty, alumni and the public with insight into key policy discussion on a range of topics.

In addition to public events, visiting policymakers typically meet in small groups with students and faculty, going in depth on critical policy and political issues, or exploring and coaching for career development and leadership lessons.

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Students are active participants in our public events, and they often lead the question and answer sessions that close each event.  

Our public events are presented with generous support from partners and friends of the Ford School. Learn more about our named lecture series.

 

Events

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May 29 2025

Industries of Ideas: Preparing People & Policy for Work in an AI Economy

6:00-7:30 pm
Photo collage of Katrina Wheelan, an example budget, and screen shots from the conversion tool
Jun 4 2025

Digitizing municipal financial reporting: A new open source tool for Excel - XBRL conversion

3:00-4:30 pm
A group of fans at a University of Michigan event gather for a group selfie, with a person in the foreground holding out a phone. Everyone is wearing casual clothing, many sporting school colors and logos. A "Go Blue" banner is visible in the scene.
Jul 10 2025

15th annual Worldwide Ford School Spirit Day

All Day
Speakers

Secretary Hillary Clinton

"We've got to get back to listening to each other and working with each other. We've got to start showing that democracy can work again. We've got to have debates that actually lead to decisions being made and action being taken. It's the next generation of leaders who are going to have to model the best way to do that."

October 11, 2019
Watch the event
Hillary Clinton and Ford School Dean Michael S. Barr
Learning from Leaders

Governor Gretchen Whitmer event: Ford School students perspective

Mar 24, 2023| 00:44
Prior to the March 8 public event alongside CNN anchor Chris Wallace, Governor Gretchen Whitmer spoke with a small group of Ford School students...
Watch the video
Featured video from Governor Gretchen Whitmer event: Ford School students perspective
Speakers

Secretary Jeh Johnson

“The reality is that Dr. King was a man of action. He did more than dream. He was divisive. To many he was a troublemaker - or as John Lewis would put it, “good trouble” - to force the social change we now all celebrate. He challenged the social order of things and pushed people out of their comfort zones.”

2023 Martin Luther King, Jr. symposium event
Watch the full event
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