Message from The Secretary General 2020

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to the 2020 World Youth Economic Forum! Together, ladies and gentlemen, you form the vanguard of the next generation of global economic leaders. It is incumbent upon you to solve some of the world’s most intricate and exciting challenges, so let the world be your canvas, your playground, and WYEF your marketplace of ideas. I can’t wait to see what you come up with this August - bring diplomacy and audacity in equal measure.

The theme of this year’s conference is ​Networks: Uniting People, Resources and Ideas Toward Global Economic Revolution​. I find networks to be fascinating and topical, but what excites me most about them are the manifold contexts into which they manifest. Consider social networks. Our social interactions are both dominated and mediated by the networks that connect us with our loved ones - these range from explicitly communicative mediums like WhatsApp or WeChat (which in turn have expanded to include all kinds of new functionalities - payment, encryption, you name it) to more illustrative mediums like Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Consider, too, networks of politics. Ponder the sobering reality that today’s economies are highly dependent on the political messages that people’s connectivity allows them to spread. Now, consider networks of technology. The transmission of all data (including this message!) relies on the interaction of people, devices and public infrastructures within larger networks - both wired and wireless. Let this notion intermingle with some of the more entrepreneurial and technical ideas that you will undoubtedly have.

Consider networks of friendship. Networks and the act of ‘networking’ are of paramount importance to people’s careers and social lives alike, and one of the best parts of WYEF is the opportunity to meet and network with peers, friends, friends, mentors and professionals, both inside and outside committees. This is an unparalleled opportunity. Finally, consider networks of synergy. WYEF is full of diverse committees, topics, approaches and viewpoints, and I think that the idea of connectivity within a larger, cohesive network gives a thesis to our discussion of so many seemingly disparate topics - it gives us an opportunity to speak about how the various topics interact with each other, and ultimately, can’t exist without each other. Innovation is impossible without a well-educated populace housed in affordable homes, aided by advanced, well-funded healthcare, informed by good journalism, and behaviourally aware of how their actions reflect their intentions. The combinations are endless - think, collaborate, and apply your favourite ones toward the problems that you care the most about, both at home and abroad.

Ultimately, I hope that you are challenged, enriched, informed, and entertained by your experience at WYEF. Never stop chasing stories. Never stop making friends. And most importantly, never - not at this conference nor in life - stop learning from everyone around you.

I look forward to meeting you all. This will be an unforgettable experience - I hope you are as excited as I am. Happy preparation.

Counting down the days,
Arinjay Singhai