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The Berkeley Forum, referred to simply as the Forum, is a prominent, non-partisan student organization at the University of California, Berkeley. Founded in 2012 by Pierre Bourbonnais, the Forum hosts debates, panels, and talks with distinguished speakers on various topics; it is modeled after similar organizations at other prestigious universities, like the Oxford Union, Cambridge Union, and Yale Political Union.

The mission of the Berkeley Forum is to provide the Berkeley community a non-partisan, accessible forum for the presentation and debate of a wide range of ideas; to reaffirm the value of a liberal arts education; and to regularly organize, promote, and broadcast debates, panels, and talks by distinguished persons, and any such events, activities, or conversations as shall engage and challenge the faculties of the mind.

The Forum's events typically feature speeches by the speakers, followed by question and answer sessions with the audience. Tickets for Berkeley students, faculty, staff, and the general public are always free.

History of Free Speech at Berkeley DeCal

Founded in 2018, The Berkeley Forum expanded its educational outreach by offering a DeCal course known as the Free Speech DeCal. This unique 1-unit class delves into UC Berkeley's rich history of discourse, activism, and political movements, all of which hold particular relevance to the campus's contemporary context. The curriculum encompasses various pivotal topics intrinsic to Berkeley culture, including the historic Free Speech Movement, the 2022 UC-UAW Strike, the origins of the ASUC, People’s Park, and more.

This discussion-based course encourages students to not only explore the university's vibrant history but also actively engage with it. Students enrolled in the Free Speech DeCal have the opportunity to attend a diverse array of Berkeley Forum events throughout the semester, providing them with real-time exposure to a broad spectrum of speakers and ideas. Through reflective dialogues and thoughtful engagement with these speakers, the Free Speech DeCal offers students a unique perspective on UC Berkeley's past, present, and the possibilities for its future. Participation in this DeCal is ideal for students who are enthusiastic, thoughtful, and eager to explore the dynamic history and ongoing discourse of UC Berkeley.

Notable Past Events

The Berkeley Forum's first event was a panel debate on the federal fiscal crisis, held in March 2013. The panel featured former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, policy director of the 2012 Romney presidential campaign Lanhee Chen, and the Dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy Henry Brady.

In November 2013, the Forum hosted Creative Commons co-founder and American academic and political activist, Lawrence Lessig. Lessig discussed the role of money in politics, in a speech entitled "Corrupting the Vote." The Forum's largest and most noteworthy event to date was a speech given by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul on March 19, 2014. Senator Paul talked about the issue of government surveillance programs, like that of the NSA. The event was held at Chevron Auditorium at Berkeley's International House with approximately 400 people in attendance. Notable attendees include former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and Lieutenant Governor of California Gavin Newsom. The next day, the event was featured on the front page of The New York Times. In March 2014, the Berkeley Forum also hosted former US Secretary of Energy and Nobel Laureate Steven Chu. Chu spoke about sustainable energy options.

On November 14, 2014, the Berkeley Forum hosted Oakland mayor Jean Quan. Quan spoke about local government and inequality in American cities. Then, on December 10, the Forum hosted American entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Peter Thiel. The event was interrupted by protesters.

During the spring of 2015 the Forum hosted a number of events with such speakers as Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Dean Vali Nasr, graphic designer John Maeda, Berkeley mayor Tom Bates, Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs Miroslav Lajčák, American legal scholar Akhil Amar, Khan Academy founder Salman Khan, Russian State Duma member Ilya Ponomarev, American Civil Liberties Union president Susan Herman, University of California, Berkeley chancellor Nicholas Dirks, UC Berkeley Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Claude Steele, and congressmen John Sarbanes, Jerry McNerney, Jared Huffman, and Mark DeSaulnier. The panel with Dirks and Steele was interrupted by protesters. During the session the organization also hosted a screening of Killswitch.

Later in 2015, the Berkeley Forum also hosted events with US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, Kabam co-founder and CEO Kevin Chou, Nonhuman Rights Project founder Steven M. Wise, virtual reality journalist Nonny de la Peña, LGBT rights activist Cecilia Chung, immigration policy analyst Alex Nowrasteh, political activist and writer Ron Unz, American journalist and editor-in-chief of the tech hub for Medium Steven Levy, former United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Pixar Research Group Lead Tony DeRose, and American political satirist P. J. O'Rourke.

In 2016, the Forum hosted the 16th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Julian Castro; the 17th Director of Central Intelligence, John M. Deutch; the Director of the Center for Bits and Atoms at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Neil Gershenfeld; the 28th Chief Justice of California, Tani Cantil-Sakauye; CEO of Liberty in North Korea, Hannah Song; prominent Norwegian politician Åslaug Haga; United States Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius; United States senator from Maine, Angus King; comedian Sammy Obeid; Director of Columbia University's Data Science Institute, Jeannette Wing; and Turkish journalist Mustafa Akyol.

Later in 2016 and in early 2017, the Forum hosted the CFO of Tesla, Deepak Ahuja; the Berkeley Maryoral Forum; the co-host of RadioLab, Robert Krulwich; and the Journalism and the Internet Panel.

On October 17, 2016, the Berkeley Mayoral Forum marked a collaborative effort between the ASUC, Graduate Assembly, The Daily Californian, and the Berkeley Forum. The event had a pivotal objective: to empower students by encouraging their registration and participation in the city of Berkeley mayoral election, a right they had not exercised for a significant 15-year period. The forum featured six mayoral candidates who took part in a moderated debate, providing a platform for them to articulate their visions for the future of Berkeley and its residents. Furthermore, the ASUC Vote Coalition actively engaged in the event, assisting students in registering to vote, amplifying their voices and promoting civic engagement within the Berkeley community.

On March 1, 2017, MIT CRISPR scientist Feng Zhang, a key figure in CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, caused a planned protest during the event. The protest, organized by UC Berkeley students, aimed to express anger over a patent dispute. However, faculty involvement and discussions with Zhang and the Broad Institute led to the protest's cancellation. The event focused on the technical aspects of CRISPR, and the controversy over patent rights and ethics took a back seat.

Also in 2017, the planned event with controversial speaker Milo Yiannopoulos was canceled due to violent protests and property destruction. The event was organized by the Berkeley College Republicans, but a group of about 150 masked agitators initiated the violence, leading to the cancellation of the event. The protesters set fires, threw Molotov cocktails, and engaged in violent acts. UC Berkeley officials regretted that the actions of a few overshadowed the legitimate and lawful protests against Yiannopoulos, emphasizing the importance of upholding First Amendment rights while ensuring safety and security. As a result of the event, the campus passed the "Major Events Policy."

In late 2018 and early 2019, the Forum hosted 88Rising founder (ft. Rich Brian, NIKI), Sean Miyashiro; Director of SNL, Don Roy King; founder of Boba Guys, Andrew Chau; 12-time Olympic medalist swimmer, Natalie Coughlin; and the Dean of Stanford Medical School, Lloyd Minor.

In 2020, the Forum hosted the creative director of Jubilee Media, Ien Chi; the chief medical advisor to the President, Dr. Anthony Fauci, American actor Dylan O'Brien; voice actor for Ash Ketchum, Sarah Natochenny; and the VP of the World Bank, Jingdong Hua.

On April 23, 2020 amidst the Hong Kong protests, the Berkeley Forum hosted a virtual panel discussion on the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, featuring experts and activist Joshua Wong. Originally planning to include pro-democracy politician Au Nok-hin, his arrest by Hong Kong police generated even more interest in the event. The discussion focused on the impact of the coronavirus on the pro-democracy movement, with panelists discussing China's tightening control of Hong Kong, the movement's leaderless nature, and the potential for unity among Hong Kong citizens in response to recent arrests of pro-democracy politicians.

In 2021, the Forum hosted Olympic gymnast, Nastia Liukin; Olympic figure skater, Adam Rippon; author Viet Thanh Nguyen; former Presidential candidate, Marianne Williamson; Boston Celtics basketball player, Jaylen Brown; Korean-American actor, Ki Hong Lee; co-founder of Venmo, Andrew Kortina; and manager of 2Pac & Earl Sweatshirt, Leila Steinberg.

In 2022, the Forum hosted real-estate agent from Selling Sunset, Brett Oppenheim; founder of Snackpass, Kevin Tan; spoken word poet, Amal Kassir; CEO & Co-Founder and Head Barista of 1951 Coffee, Doug Hewitt and Emily Solis; Godfather of Dad Shoes, Steven Smith; and author of 'A Series of Unfortunate Events,' Lemony Snicket.

In 2023, the Forum hosted American chef/food writer, Andy Baraghani; American competitive swimmer and gold medalist, Ryan Murphy; CMO of Rare Beauty, Katie Welch; founder of Blue Bottle, James Freeman; Grammy award winning producer, ThankGod4Cody; makeup artist and beauty influencer, Ashley Strong; professor and researcher on equity and diversity issues, Veronica Baldwin; and 2x Latin Grammy Award-winning guitarist and singer, Carla Morrison.

References

Barber, R. (2020, April 27). Berkeley forum panelists discuss pandemic’s impact on Hong Kong protests. The Daily Californian. https://www.dailycal.org/berkeley-forum-panelists-discuss-pandemics-impact-on-hong-kong-protests

Decal. The Berkeley Forum. (n.d.). https://www.berkeleyforum.org/decal

Doug Hewitt and Evelyn Solis at the Berkeley Forum: By The Berkeley Forum. Facebook. (n.d.). https://www.facebook.com/berkeleyforum/videos/826961911679141

Milo Yiannopoulos event canceled after violence erupts. Berkeley. (n.d.). https://news.berkeley.edu/2017/02/01/yiannopoulos-event-canceled

Vlasits, A. (2017, March 2). Students at Berkeley planned a protest against CRISPR rival Feng Zhang, then cancelled. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2017/03/mits-crispr-guy-braves-enemy-territory-uc-berkeley/

Zuzuarregui, M. D. (2017, March 2). MIT professor and co-discoverer of CRISPR Feng Zhang Speaks at Berkeley Forum Event. The Daily Californian. https://dailycal.org/2017/03/02/mit-professor-co-discoverer-crispr-feng-zhang-speaks-berkeley-forum-event