26 Sept 2023
Press Release: Second Annual Global Flourishing Conference to be Held Virtually November 29-30

Templeton World Charity Foundation will gather leading experts in the field of flourishing to showcase the latest research on how humans and our world thrive. Conference registration is free for all and relevant for any professional whose work contributes to the creation and sharing of knowledge and innovations to foster flourishing.

September 26, 2023 – On November 29-30, leaders in the field of global flourishing will meet to showcase the latest and most meaningful advances in scientific research into how and when humans and communities flourish, as well as evidence-based innovations that promote flourishing. Hosted by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, the second annual Global Flourishing Conference will build on the success of last year’s conference to spur a new dialogue under the theme “Advancing Science and Solutions for a Flourishing World.” 

Amid overlapping global crises - climate change, war, polarization, health and economic disparities - humans face serious and complex challenges. This exciting new field continues to expand, uncovering solutions to not only face these challenges but flourish through them, as individuals and communities.

Speakers at the conference will unpack insights from recent research - examining the role of character and virtue, close social relationships, and financial and material stability, for example - and identifying the strategies needed to overcome modern challenges. The conference, which is free to attend, will create a space for scientists and decision-makers to come together to engage in critical dialogue, knowledge sharing, and networking, helping to translate research into practical tools.

“Decisionmakers around the world have much to learn from the science behind human flourishing,” said Robert A. Emmons, Professor Emeritus, University of California, and chair of the 2023 Program Advisory Committee. “When applied to complex issues like social and environmental crises, we can transform our approach. The Global Flourishing Conference will be an opportunity to have these conversations to explore ethics, compassion and intention toward flourishing for people and the planet.” 

The two-day conference will include plenary presentations showcasing interdisciplinary science as well as a virtual exhibit of scientific abstracts submitted via open call and judged by a global scientific jury. To support the translation of research and data into practical tools, the conference will explore two interconnected tracks:

• Understanding and measuring flourishing across cultures;

• Innovations for flourishing amid modern challenges.

“The Global Flourishing Conference is becoming the nexus for a burgeoning community of researchers and practitioners across disciplines who have historically worked in silos. At Templeton World Charity Foundation, we invest in cutting-edge research and innovation to promote our individual and collective flourishing” said Andrew Serazin, president of the foundation. “We are thrilled to have many other partners join us in designing our second conference. It’s proof to us that we are meeting a global need and building a broad platform where many voices can be heard.”

At the inaugural conference in 2022, speakers tackled questions around flourishing amid modern challenges by exploring topics including adversity at different life stages and across cultures, and the relationships between beauty, transcendence, art, and the human mind, among many other topics. Highlights included a presentation from Arthur Brooks, Professor and Bestselling Author, Frank Wilczek, Nobel Laureate and theoretical physicist, and a dynamic conversation with Cheryl Strayed, Bestselling Author of Wild, with a musical performance by MILCK.

In the coming months, the Global Flourishing Conference’s Program Advisory Council, which includes experts from leading institutions around the world including Universidad Catolica de Chile, the Arab Center for Scientific Research and Humane Studies, Harvard University and more, will finalize the conference program.

The Science of Global Flourishing

Flourishing encompasses physical and mental well-being, as well as fulfillment through meaningful relationships and living with purpose. As members of an interdependent ecosystem, humans impact and are impacted by the world, meaning that when the planet flourishes, humans do too. 

By improving the understanding of what drives flourishing, we can help to create a better world for all its inhabitants. While this field of science has traditionally been a scholarly niche, through this conference, the Templeton World Charity Foundation aims to bring forward scientific findings from around the world to develop an understanding of what contributes to flourishing in communities globally and how to translate the science into solutions to support a more prosperous world.

“This conference will provide a platform for scientists, innovators, philosophers, and other scholars to push the boundaries of how we understand the various factors for flourishing, and how we can tailor our approach to achieve the greatest impact,” Serazin said. “These factors contribute to our collective capacity to flourish and are key to thriving in this challenging world.”  

The Templeton World Charity Foundation is pleased to welcome speakers from across disciplines, spanning researchers from the physical, biological, social, and computational sciences as well as scholars in philosophy, history, art, and theology.

About Templeton World Charity Foundation

Templeton World Charity Foundation has committed $100 million to support bold research, practices and policies to discover new knowledge, develop efficient tools and launch innovations that make a lasting impact on human flourishing around the world. For more than 20 years, the foundation, based in Nassau, The Bahamas, has invested in diverse, rigorous, and openly accessible scientific research embodying the dynamic and forward-looking vision of its founder, Sir John Templeton. For more information on TWCF, go to www.templetonworldcharityfoundation.org.