Istanbul 2025
Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity
The Talloires Network of Engaged Universities hosted the inaugural For Youth, By Youth International Conference in Istanbul from 16–19 November, in collaboration with Sabancı University—Civic Involvement Projects, Next Generation Leaders Alumni, paNhari, and the Mastercard Foundation. Grounded in the theme, Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity, the conference brought together 90 youth leaders from 19 countries who strengthened their shared commitment to building a youth-led movement. Together they created the movement’s charter and celebrated the Talloires Network’s 20th anniversary with the enactment of the first youth-written Talloires Network Declaration.
The event’s Opening Plenary featured remarks from Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, and a long-time partner of the Talloires Network. She encouraged youth leaders to seek the defining question of their generation, to listen to understand—especially to the people who are most affected, to trust local solutions, and to take bold action.
Over two-days, conference participants engaged in sessions on topics including: justice and peace in conflict-affected regions, youth-led participatory action research on climate justice, responsible artificial intelligence, and the future of higher education. Through roundtable discussions, interactive workshops, and storytelling, youth leaders listened generously and integrated new ideas with their own lived experiences. Together they examined radical inclusion, co-creation, well-being, and youth empowerment as foundational to a global, youth-led movement rooted in solidarity, purpose, and justice.
At the closing ceremony on the beautiful Karaköy Campus, Sabancı’s Vice Rector Cem Güneri and Civic Involvement Projects Manager Zeynep Bahar highlighted the central role of youth leadership, social movements, and civic engagement within university values. Lorlene Hoyt, Executive Director of the Talloires Network, thanked the Next Generation Leaders for daring to dream big, and for having the courage to pitch their dream to the Mastercard Foundation.
Addressing the inaugural For Youth, By Youth cohort, she said: “We chose you, we believe in you, and you are the evidence that big dreams can come true.” Inviting the audience to imagine a future without limits, she concluded: “If we can conceive of transcending boundaries, then this is not a program it is a movement. Look out 2045, we are just getting started!”
