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Cato University 2026: Summer Term I

Date and Time
August 2, 2026 — August 5, 2026
Location
Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC
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Cato University is the Cato Institute’s premier educational conference for college and graduate students. Each program will explore classical liberal philosophy as a foundation for considering current policy issues. While the topics for each conference will vary, the goal of Cato University is to foster an enduring community of outstanding faculty and participants who share a commitment to liberty and learning.

Cato University is for United States based students. Benefits include room and board, 20+ hours of academic programming, networking opportunities, resources for further study, and a $500 travel stipend upon completion of the program.

Applications for the 2026 summer terms will open in the last quarter of 2025. Applicants will be notified of their status on a rolling basis. If you have any questions or need assistance applying, please email our staff at events@​cato.​org.

Schedule

Sunday, August 2

6:00 - 7:00 PM

Registration and Welcome Reception

7:00 - 9:00 PM

Dinner

Keynote Address: Proclaiming Liberty

Timothy Sandefur, Vice President of Legal Affairs, Goldwater Institute

Monday, August 3

8:00 - 8:45 AM

Breakfast

9:00 - 10:00 AM

Cato’s Letters and the American Founding

Paul Meany, Intellectual History Editor, Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org
10:00 - 10:30 AM

Break

10:30 - 11:45 AM

The Grievances of the Declaration of Independence at 250

Clark Neily, Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs, Cato Institute

in conversation with

Thomas A. Berry, Director, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Lunch

12:45 - 2:00 PM

Policy Session

2:00 - 2:30 PM

Break

2:30 - 3:30 PM

Breakout Sessions

Session A: Data and Dollars

Jennifer Huddleston, Senior Fellow in Technology Policy, Cato Institute
Nicholas Anthony, Research Fellow, Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, Cato Institute

Session B: Reforming the U.S. Health Sector

Michael F. Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies, Cato Institute
3:30 - 4:00 PM

Refreshment Break

4:00 - 4:30 PM

Debrief and Discuss

4:30 - 6:00 PM

Free Time

6:00 - 6:30 PM

Reception

6:30 - 8:30 PM

Dinner

Dinner Program: To Be Announced

Tuesday, August 4

8:00 - 8:45 AM

Breakfast

9:00 - 10:00 AM

The International Impact of the Declaration of Independence

Gabriela Calderon de Burgos, Fellow in Latin American Studies, Cato Institute

in conversation with

Allan Carey, Director, Sphere Education Initiatives
10:00 - 10:30 AM

Break

10:30 - 11:45 AM

Policy Session

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Lunch

12:45 - 1:45 PM

Policy Session

1:45 - 2:00 PM

Break

2:00 - 3:00 PM

Breakout Sessions

3:00. - 3:30 PM

Refreshment Break

3:30 - 4:30 PM

Professional Development Workshops

4:30 - 6:00 PM

Free Time

6:00 - 6:30 PM

Reception

6:30 - 8:30 PM

Dinner

Dinner Program: To Be Announced

Wednesday, August 5

8:00 - 8:45 PM

Breakfast

9:00 - 11:00 AM

Workshop: Civil Discourse and Communicating Classical Liberalism on Campus

11:00 - 11:15 AM

Closing Remarks and Group Photo

11:15 - 11:30 AM

Stipend Distribution and Departures

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