For Youth, By Youth International Conference 2025 

The For Youth, By Youth International Conference was held from November 16-19, 2025, at the Radisson Blu Pera in Istanbul, in collaboration with Civic Involvement Projects, the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities, Next Generation Alumni Leaders, paNhari, and the Mastercard Foundation. 

Held under the theme “Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity,” the conference brought together 90 young leaders from 19 countries. As part of the conference, the first Talloires Network Declaration on the future of higher education, authored by young people, was developed and launched. Throughout the conference, inclusion, co-creation, well-being, youth empowerment, solidarity, and justice were explored as key elements of a global youth-led movement. Through roundtable discussions, interactive workshops, and storytelling sessions, participants had the opportunity to listen to diverse experiences and connect new ideas with their own lived experiences.

CIP Supervisors also played an active role in the conference by organizing interactive activities that fostered cultural exchange among participants, encouraged reflection on self-care and community care, and deepened a sense of global solidarity. 

The conference concluded with a closing ceremony held at Sabancı University’s Karaköy Campus. The ceremony celebrated Sabancı University’s 25th anniversary and the Talloires Network’s 20-year history of civic engagement and global collaboration. 

At the closing ceremony, Sabancı University Vice President Cem Güneri and CIP Manager Zeynep Bahar emphasized that youth-led movements and civic engagement are at the heart of Sabancı University’s values. They highlighted the conference as a powerful example of how these values can be put into practice through collective action, leadership, and solidarity. 

Following the speeches, Lorlene Hoyt, Director of the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities, delivered the closing remarks online. Hoyt emphasized the courage of young leaders to dream big and turn those dreams into reality, and described the conference as more than a program, highlighting it as the beginning of a growing global movement led by young people.