About Us
The Confluence is a student-run journal with contributors from 66 countries, 41,000 readers across 98 countries, and 213,000 total impressions, and we have published 54 articles and 48 interviews across 5 issues on politics, economics, technology, climate, philosophy, history, society, law, and science. Our writers pick subjects they care about, from international conflicts and economic policy to questions of ethics and justice, and we also interview academics and public figures to hear directly from people working in these fields. The team is made up of students, but we're writing for anyone who wants to understand what's going on in the world.
Why We Started
We started this because we wanted somewhere students could write seriously about things outside their coursework. Students have plenty of opinions on current events but not many places to publish longer pieces or get read by anyone outside their own school, and we wanted to build one. Contributors pick their own topics and do their own research, and our editorial team helps them develop their arguments and get the writing into shape.
Our Editorial Approach
The Confluence is editorially independent. Our writers reach their own conclusions and back them up with evidence, without representing any party or pushing a particular ideology. Editors work with each contributor to sharpen the writing without flattening their voice or their argument.
We publish on topics people disagree about, on purpose.
Readers won't always agree with our writers, just as our writers won't always agree with each other.
Why “The Confluence”?
A confluence is where two or more rivers meet. We picked the name because our writers come from different countries, study different subjects, and often see the world in very different ways. A lot of our articles are interdisciplinary, like a climate change piece that also counts as economics and politics, or an AI piece that also counts as jobs and ethics, which is the whole point of The Confluence.
Join the Team
We're always looking for students who want to write, edit, do interviews, or illustrate for the journal. No publishing experience needed. If there's something you want to write about, or you'd like to help put the next issue together, get in touch.