Munich Young Leaders

From September 1 to 3, 2022, the Annual Meeting for Alumni of the Munich Young Leaders (MYL), a program of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and Körber-Stiftung, took place in Tallinn. After three years of pandemic break, the Alumni reconvened to foster the exchange within the network and with distinguished experts as well as high-ranking decision-makers on current challenges in foreign and security policy.

Summary

On November 17, 2020, more than 60 alumni of the Munich Young Leaders (MYL), a joint program of the Munich Security Conference and the Körber-Stiftung, gathered for a virtual discussion event. Under the headline "MYL Around the World: Zoom in on the United States", the MYL alumni discussed with guest speaker Chris Murphy, US Senator from Connecticut and Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The talk revolved around the political situation in the US post-election and the foreign policy challenges facing the incoming Biden administration. A focal point was the involvement of the United States in multilateral cooperation – a central themeof the MYL program.

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More than 60 MYL alumni came together on October 26, 2020 for a virtual discussion event, titled “MYL Around the World: Zoom in on Europe”. Together with guest speaker Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, they discussed the role of Europe in the current, drastically changing world. Margrethe Vestager started off the event with a keynote speech focusing on the digital future of Europe.

Summary

On September 17, 2020, around 50 alumni of the Munich Young Leaders (MYL), a joint program of the Munich Security Conference and the Körber-Stiftung, gathered for a virtual discussion event. This first digital meeting of the MYL alumni was kicked off with a keynote address by Australian Minister of Defence Linda Reynolds. She explained from her country's perspective the changing security situation in the Indo-Pacific and the prospects for regional cooperation in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, rising US-Chinese tensions and technological advances, and then answered questions from participants.

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From September 19 to 21, 2019, alumni of the Munich Young Leaders program gathered in New York City for its 10th anniversary. In high-level meetings just ahead of the UN General Assembly, the alumni discussed challenges to multilateral cooperation, highlighted by the launch of a new report on the future of multilateralism. Among the topics discussed during the meetings were the impact of the intensifying US-China power struggle on multilateral cooperation, best practices of security collaboration in Asia, the role of the United Nations in a shifting world order, and the extent to which initiatives by cities and non-state actors can compensate for states’ growing reluctance to engage in multilateral problem-solving.

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From September 27 to 29, 2018, alumni of the Munich Young Leaders program gathered in the Spanish capital Madrid. The Alumni, current and future leaders in the field of foreign and security policy, met with local decision-makers and experts to discuss Spanish perspectives on current global challenges. A conversation with King Felipe at the Royal Palace “La Zarzuela” about the role of Spain in Europe as well as the Kingdom’s challenges in domestic and foreign politics constituted the highlight of the two-day meeting.

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From September 7 to 9, 2017, the Munich Young Leaders Alumni held their 7th Annual Meeting in Moscow. More than 50 Alumni from all over the world travelled to Moscow for this year’s reunion. Over the course of the three-day program, the participants met and discussed with a number of senior experts, journalists and high-ranking political figures. At the meetings, topics such as Russia's relationship with the West, the state of Russian civil society, and Russia's information warfare strategy were at the top of the agenda.

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From June 30 to July 2, 2016, alumni of the Munich Young Leaders Network met in Warsaw in the run-up to the NATO summit. For two days, established and future leaders from governments, parliaments, think tanks, media and companies discussed current foreign and security policy challenges with high-ranking Polish decision-makers and experts. Former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski kicked off the event by discussing options for action in the EU's foreign and neighborhood policy with the participants.

From April 30 to May 2, 2015, more than 70 Munich Young Leaders met in Washington with representatives of the U.S. government, think tank analysts, journalists, business representatives and other experts. The reunion focused on issues such as the state of transatlantic relations.

Summary

At the fourth Annual Meeting, almost 50 Munich Young Leaders gathered in Wildbad Kreuth from January 29 to 31, 2014. The topics discussed ranged from the rise of China and its consequences for the global order, the U.S. policy towards Russia and the prospects for the Eastern Partnership against the backdrop of the current crisis in Ukraine, to security policy challenges in the Middle East.

From November 16 to 19, 2012, the Munich Young Leaders met in the Moroccan capital Rabat. In a meeting with leaders, they discussed Morocco's response to the upheavals in the Arab world. Also among the most important topics in Rabat were the progresses made in implementing the announced national reforms and the current regional challenges the state is facing. Moroccan Deputy Foreign Minister Youssef Amrani opened the event by sharing his views on Morocco's role at the interface between Europe, Africa and the Arab world.

The second Annual Meeting between Juny 24 and 26, 2011, brought together established and future leaders in the field of foreign and security policy in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The topics discussed ranged from Ukraine's place in Europe and the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement, which is nearing completion, to China's involvement as a lender and investor in Ukraine.

From June 11 to 13, 2010, selected Munich Young Leaders met in the German capital Berlin. The program kicked off with a panel discussion titled "Decline of the West and Rise of the Rest? Towards a New Global Order". In addition to various meetings with both national and international experts in foreign and security policy, the Munich Young Leaders discussed the perspectives for the future role of the Munich Security Conference in the foreign and security policy discourse.