Browse Past Themed Common Rooms

Hosted by Gavin Bingham

Tribalism Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: how does our need to belong shape our relations both within our tribes and with those who are beyond the pale. Drawing on our experience and observations as well as a set of sporadic readings, we shall explore how our need to belong has changed over time, what it means today and what it may mean tomorrow.

Hosted by Edna R.S. Alvarez

We will discuss together how we, Yale alums aged 80 and older who had active, self-centric careers, take action steps during this time of being a ’senior-senior’™ as we transition to late-life roles of fulfillment. Topical readings will be provided and guided/moderated participatory civil and engaged conversations will be had on topics such as: ageism; joy; loss; legacy; time; uncertainty; disintegration and, perhaps, death. The focus is on pro-action steps. Consistent participation in all 6 sessions is important for creating the necessary rapport.

Note: The group will be capped at 17 participants, based on first sign-ups.

Hosted by Apoorva Patel

Corporate strategy is an intense exercise done with the CEO & CXO giving you access to the entire organization’s growth trajectory. There are multiple elements defined within Corporate strategy role from Market, Finance to GTM. Corporate strategy is both science & art of navigating complex organizational dynamic & making growth charter realistic.

Hosted by Jia Min

We will read memoirs and do generative writing exercises together. Join if there’s something you want to explore from your past!

Hosted by Manouchehr Shamsrizi

As The Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology outlines, in Zoroastrianism’s cosmology humans are the “champions of the good cosmic forces”, and thus Zoroastrianism is “offering a strongly optimistic view regarding the capacity of humans to make a tangible change in this world.” In our Common Room, we are exploring the Zoroastrian tradition and philosophy from its roots in ancient Persia to contemporary communities across Iran, India (Parsis of Mumbai), North America, and Europe. We’ll discuss belief and practice (such as the emphasis on moral wisdom and intellectual engagement with the divine), diaspora identities, ethics (“good thoughts, good words, good deeds”), cultural heritage, and emerging civic initiatives, including (social) entrepreneurship. Open to all disciplines; no prior knowledge required—just curiosity.

Hosted by Angela Choi

Welcome to Yalies Off the Beaten Path, a community for Yalies who defy the notion of embarking on one path. In a culture that often rewards specialized expertise, certainty, and five-year plans, forging your own path can feel isolating and scary—yet it’s also how we grow into who we’re meant to become. Whether you’re redefining success on your own terms, finding yourself, or questioning your conditioning, you’re not alone.

Hosted by Stacey Davis

What should be the goals of higher education in today’s world of social, technological, and political change? This group welcomes all viewpoints as we ponder both the challenges and the possibilities ahead. We particularly welcome participants from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences!

Hosted by Ali Van

Herein a resonant core; proffered to greet day in particle form. A place to attribute breathing, to value ours within. Limits of Compassion is a focus on bridging time; looking gently at how we strive, defend, release, and enrich what arrives – to move, sublimate, and integrate our living spirits, loving commitments, and incorporate selves. Naoizear. Weharoui?

Note: This CR is not currently accepting new participants.

Hosted by Joan Huiqiong Wang

As AI continues to rewrite the rules of how we learn and discover, I’d love to get our group together to swap insights, stories, and “aha!” moments. (An example generated by AI :))

Hosted by Vittoria Tagliabue

Are you a foodie? Do you love cooking, baking, or just enjoying a great meal? Come join us to share your passion… and your recipes! Food is essential to life—and to every culture. It’s how we nourish ourselves, but it’s also at the heart of celebrations (think of birthday cakes, holiday feasts) and even the tough moments (hello, ice cream therapy!). Every region and culture has its own unique flavours, stories, and kitchen secrets. This CR is all about bringing Yale food lovers together to swap stories, tips, and recipes from around the world.

Notes: There is also a WhatsApp group to share recommendations, recipes and stay in touch off-line (optional).

Hosted by Stacy Randel & Kyle Kegang Wang

We are witnessing the erosion of post–World War II assumptions about power, restraint, legitimacy, and economic order. Join us in exploring what replaces them when those assumptions no longer hold. What happens to global order when power is no longer justified by rules, but rules are justified by power? Are the U.S. and China converging in methods while diverging in narratives? How do American and Chinese worldviews shape what leaders see as necessary or legitimate? Can economic systems remain open when security logic dominates trade, finance, and technology? If free markets depend on the rule of law, predictability, and institutional trust, what happens when those conditions weaken? And what does all of this mean for us as world citizens? This CR uses the U.S. and China as primary reference points for making sense of today’s shifting geopolitical landscape. Through open conversation, participants are encouraged to bring multiple sources, perspectives, and lived experiences into dialogue with one another. The goal is not consensus or advocacy, but deeper understanding. All alumni, fellows and faculty who are interested in this theme are welcome. Bring your curiosity to this casual and welcoming forum.

Hosted by Kyle Kegang Wang

Do we truly believe we are free without questioning if our mind is free or if our mind is conditioned to see the world as we are, not as the reality is? Is the conditioning of our mind received during our growing up helping our mind to be free or restricting it from being free? With the awareness that we are all conditioned by our native cultures and beliefs, how is freedom of expressions defined and impacted by our mind under conditioning? Further, how do our “free mind” and “free expressions” function in an age of deception and falsehood as it is today? How do we know what we hear or read is for common good, therefore worth passing? This CR attempts to investigate these questions via sharing perspectives, personal experiences and interpreting societal norms and legal codes in the U.S. and selected countries.

Come to explore these questions. This is a safe and open space where minds meet minds. It intends to be self-reflective and let each of our biases meet others’ biases through which we explore reality and define truth.

Hosted by Richard Ward

Foreign Affairs magazine is a very readable, somewhat scholarly journal that delves into matters of international concern. It is published bi-monthly; its website publishes articles daily. The Common Room seeks members who are curious to more deeply understand matters of international concern. We will read about and delve into subjects covered by particular Foreign Affairs magazine articles. We will probe underlying causes and aim to develop greater understanding of the subjects of particular articles. During each meeting two magazine articles will be discussed. Participants will be expected to take turns leading 30 minute discussions of an article the participant has chosen from the most recent edition of the magazine. Each participant would endeavor to read the two selected articles in advance of the meeting. Members will be expected to bring a curious mind to discussions rather than to argue vehemently in support of some particular point of view.

Hosted by Elkanah Babatunde

The idea is to talk through the recent wave (resurgence) of military coups in Africa. We’ll look at which coups ‘succeed’ or ‘fail’, how people on the ground respond to them, and what all this means for democracy and governance. Each session explores why some takeovers consolidate power while others fall apart, how public support or resistance matters, and what these patterns say about legitimacy, accountability, and the state. Rather than treating coups as isolated shocks, we’ll place them in political, economic, and historical context, aiming for open, evidence-based conversation beyond simple good-or-bad takes.