The
Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the
Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies. The organization is dedicated to "fostering enlightened leadership, the appreciation of timeless ideas and values, and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues". The institute and its international partners promote the pursuit of common ground and deeper understanding in a
nonpartisan and nonideological setting through regular seminars, policy programs, conferences, and leadership development initiatives. The institute is headquartered in
Washington, D.C.,
USA, and has campuses in
Aspen, Colorado (its original home) and near the shores of the
Chesapeake Bay at the
Wye River in
Maryland. It has partner Aspen Institutes in
Berlin,
Rome,
Madrid,
Paris,
Lyon,
Tokyo,
New Delhi,
Prague and
Bucharest, as well as leadership initiatives in the United States and on the
African continent,
India, and
Central America.