Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer

Munich Young Leaders 2025

From 13 to 16 February 2025, the 16th cohort of Munich Young Leaders participated in the Munich Security Conference (MSC).

During the 61st MSC, the group consisting of young experts from politics, media, civil society, the private sector and think tanks from over 20 countries (including Namibia, Mexico, Georgia, Jordania, Vietnam and many more) met with high-ranking participants of the Munich Security Conference.

The Participants

Previous cohorts at MSC

In 2024, the current group of Munich Young Leaders (MYL) had the chance to participate in the “anniversary edition” – the 60th MSC. With the beginning of the first conference day, they were received by Conference Chairman Christoph Heusgen, who stood ready to give insights into proceedings, challenges and goals of this year’s conference. After this, the MYL met with Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, for a wide-ranging discussion on the challenges of democratic systems, regional security issues in West Africa, and climate change. This session was followed by a talk with Wolfgang Schmidt, Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks of Germany, where the group inquired about the state of the German “Zeitenwende”, the war in Ukraine as well as green energy transition. On the same day, the MYL also met with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India, to discuss the “super election year” of 2024, consequences of emerging technologies such as AI and other imponderables of our time.

What is the agency of small states in the international system? How to build trust in governments? And what does good leadership look like today? On the second conference day, those and further questions were the topics of discussion with Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence of the Republic of Singapore. Good leadership as well as growing societal divisions were also key topics in the following conversation with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita, and Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives. For the last part of the MYL program, the group spoke about the current situation in the Middle East with Rym Momtaz, Alumna of the program, journalist and Research Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

  • MYL getting to know each other at their Welcome Dinner
    MYL getting to know each other at their Welcome Dinner Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL with Christoph Heusgen, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference
    MYL with Christoph Heusgen, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL Netsanet Alemu asking a question on Water Security
    MYL Netsanet Alemu asking a question on Water Security Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL with Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana
    MYL with Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL Sevgil Musaeieva asking a question on Ukraine
    MYL Sevgil Musaeieva asking a question on Ukraine Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL with Wolfgang Schmidt, Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks of the Federal Republic of Germany
    MYL with Wolfgang Schmidt, Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks of the Federal Republic of Germany Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL Daisuke Kawai asking a question on Economic Security
    MYL Daisuke Kawai asking a question on Economic Security Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of the Republic of India
    Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of the Republic of India Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL Hanna Notte asking a question on Nuclear Proliferation
    MYL Hanna Notte asking a question on Nuclear Proliferation Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL with Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence of the Republic of Singapore
    MYL with Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence of the Republic of Singapore Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives
    MYL with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL Sophie Guelff asking a question on European Partnerships
    MYL Sophie Guelff asking a question on European Partnerships Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL getting together with alumni of the program
    MYL getting together with alumni of the program Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL with alumna Rym Momtaz, Journalist and Research Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies
    MYL with alumna Rym Momtaz, Journalist and Research Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL Emma Louise Powell on an MSC panel on the future of Geopolitics
    MYL Emma Louise Powell on an MSC panel on the future of Geopolitics Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer
  • MYL looking back at the conference weekend
    MYL looking back at the conference weekend Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer

After the pandemic-related restrictions of the last years, in this year, the MYL were once again able to participate in the MYL programme and further sessions and panels of the MSC to the usual extent.

A broad spectrum of several exclusive background discussions offered the group a platform for exchanging ideas and gaining important insights: With Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2018 and founder of “Nadia’s Initiative”, the German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and the Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, the MYL discussed a range of topics in foreign and security policy and beyond. Furthermore, the group met the Ukrainian activists, former MPs and alumnae of the MYL programme Hanna Hopko and Svitlana Zalishchuk, who shared insights regarding the role of civil society in times of war and discussed international perspectives on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine with the current cohort.

MYL speak with Boris Pistorius, German Minister of Defence
MYL speak with Boris Pistorius, German Minister of Defence Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Saurer

The 13th cohort of Munich Young Leaders (MYL) was the first group to get to know each other in a digital kick-off session before the Munich Security Conference in September 2021.

After a short virtual get-together, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, drawing on her vast experience as former Nigerian Minister, former Vice President of the World Bank and co-founder of Transparency International, discussed the future of multilateralism with the MYL. The discussion revolved, among other things, around necessary reforms of the multilateral system and lessons learned – both positive and negative – from the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Ezekwesili stressed the importance of young, committed people and their visions in moving individual countries as well as the international dialogue forward.

Dr Oby Ezekwesili
Dr Oby Ezekwesili Photo: private

The 58th Munich Security Conference took place from 18 to 20 February under the pandemic conditions prevailing at the time. This meant fewer guests, fewer media representatives and smaller delegations, as well as additional digital and participatory formats that complemented all traditional activities. This also resulted in an adapted programme for the MYL.

The programme featured exclusive background discussions with high-level conference participants. Among them were Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Singapore, Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Pekka Haavisto, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Finland.

MYL with Pekka Haavisto, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Finland
MYL with Pekka Haavisto, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Finland Photo: MSC/Simon

The twelfth cohort of Munich Young Leaders came together at the 56th Munich Security Conference. On the agenda were meetings with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Foreign Minister of the Republic of India, Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, the German Minister of Defence, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Fu Ying, Vice Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.

The MYL with Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
The MYL with Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer Photo: Körber-Stiftung/Gabsch

In February 2019, the eleventh cohort of Munich Young Leaders met with Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Republic of Estonia, and Ivanka Trump, Advisor to the President of the United States of America, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and Rosemary DiCarlo, Undersecretary General for Political Affairs and Peace Operations at the United Nations, among others, at the Munich Security Conference.

MYL speak with Christine Lagarde
MYL speak with Christine Lagarde Photo: Marc Darchinger

For the tenth time, young foreign and security policy makers met at the Munich Security Conference from 15 to 18 February 2018. Among others, the MYL discussed with H. R. McMaster, National Security Advisor to the U.S. President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Emirate of Qatar, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former NATO Secretary General and Tzipi Livni, former Deputy Prime Minister and former Foreign Minister of Israel.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen Photo: Marc Darchinger

The MYL were welcomed at the 53rd Munich Security Conference and had meetings with German Federal Minister of Defence, Ursula von der Leyen, Dr Fatou Bensouda, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Ine Eriksen Søreide, Minister of Defence of Norway, and Alexander Grushko, Ambassador of Russia to NATO.

Fatou Bensouda
Fatou Bensouda Photo: Marc Darchinger

Tweets about the Munich Young Leaders #msc_myl