David Sanger, chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times and author, spoke at the Woodrow Wilson School on February 25, 2013, as part of the Wilson School's "Leadership and Governance" Program. Sanger discussed his most recent book "Confront and Conceal: Obama's Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power" (Crown, June 2012). The book is described as “a revealing and news-breaking account of the Obama Administration’s aggressive use of innovative weapons (including drones and cyber warfare) and new tools of American power to manage a rapidly shifting world of global threats and challenges.” It is a follow-up to his first book on the Obama Administration – “The Inheritance: The World Obama Confronts and the Challenges to American Power.”

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson, the Woodrow Wilson School hosted a conversation between John Milton Cooper, Jr. '61, author of "Woodrow Wilson: A Biography" and Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs and noted presidential historian. The event was co-sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum.

“Privacy, Ethics, and Social Media: Understanding What You Think You See," was the topic of discussion with danah boyd, whose research examines the intersection of technology, society, and youth culture. Boyd's talk, was part of the Woodrow Wilson School's "Technology and Public Policy" thematic lecture series and was co-sponsored with the School's Center for Information Technology Policy. Dr. danah boyd is a senior researcher at Microsoft Research, a research assistant professor in media, culture, and communication at New York University, and a fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society. In 2009, she co-authored "Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media." She's currently working on a new book called "It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens."

Fawzia Koofi, Afghan presidential candidate and human rights activist, spoke at the Woodrow Wilson School on February 12, 2013. The talk was co-sponsored by the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination (LISD) and the Woodrow Wilson School. Fawzia Koofi currently serves as a member of Afghanistan's Parliament representing Badakhshan Province, and is the vice president of the National Assembly. She began her political career in 2001 after the fall of the Taliban, promoting the right to education of girls in her "back to school" campaign. She was re-elected in the parliamentary elections of 2010 and has announced her intention to run for the Afghan presidency in the 2014 elections. Koofi has made it a priority to defend women's rights in Afghanistan. Some of the key women’s initiatives she has championed during her tenure in parliament include the improvement of women’s living conditions in Afghan prisons, the establishment of a commission to combat the issue of violence (especially sexual violence) against children, and the amendment of the shia personal status law. She also promotes education for women and children by advocating for access to good schools and creating opportunities for non-formal education.

The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs opened its spring 2013 public policy lectures by welcoming Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, the Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany. The lecture was co-sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School, the Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance, and the European Union Program at Princeton. Since 2009 von der Leyen has been a member of the German Bundestag and Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. After her election as member of the CDU Executive Committee she was elected as party vice chairwoman in 2010.