From November 3 to 6, the One Young World (OYW) 2025 Summit was held in Munich, Germany. Ms. Nazyra Tachiara Azla, a fourth-year student in the Global Discovery Program, and Ms. Manapo Ishikawa, a fifth-year student in the Faculty of Medicine, participated as members of the Japan delegation. In addition, Mr. Keita Katayama, a third-year student at Okayama Ichinomiya Senior High School, joined the summit as a representative high school student from Okayama Prefecture under the “Okayama Dream Education Initiative,” a collaborative program between the Okayama Prefectural Board of Education and Okayama University.

Okayama University has participated as an official partner since the Bangkok Summit in 2015 and dispatches two student delegates each year, along with Vice President Atsufumi Yokoi (Global Engagement) as an observer. With participation in summits held in Bangkok, Ottawa, Bogotá, The Hague, London, Munich, Manchester, Belfast, and Montreal, this year marks the University’s tenth consecutive participation.

The 2025 Summit brought together approximately 2,200 young leaders from more than 196 countries. Participants engaged in diverse sessions, dialogues, and discussions centered on five key themes: Circular Economy, Anti-Hate, Responsible Tech, Education, and Peace & Security.

The opening ceremony on November 3 was held at Munich’s iconic Olympia Halle. The program featured performances by local artists, speeches from partners and guests, and a flag ceremony representing participating countries, symbolizing global solidarity across diverse cultures and values. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of young generations taking steady action toward solving global challenges amid a complex international landscape.

On November 4, one of the main sessions at ICM Messe München, titled “80 Years since the End of the Second World War,” explored issues of peace and security at the 80th anniversary of the war’s conclusion. Mr. Shigemitsu Tanaka, Co-Chairperson of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) and recipient of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, delivered remarks based on his experience as an atomic bomb survivor, calling for nuclear disarmament and the construction of sustainable peace. His message provided profound insight for young leaders from around the world.

Throughout the summit, Ms. Azla and Ms. Ishikawa actively participated in sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities, engaging in dialogue with peers from diverse backgrounds on the five thematic pillars of the summit. The experience broadened their international perspectives and contributed to the development of global networks that will inform their future studies and careers.

The 2026 OYW Summit is scheduled to be held in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa, from November 3 to 6, 2026.

◯ One Young World (OYW)
One Young World was first announced at the World Economic Forum in 2009, and the inaugural summit was held in London in 2010. Since then, the summit has been convened annually, bringing together young leaders aged approximately 18 to 30 from more than 190 countries. Under the guidance of global leaders, participants collaborate to address pressing global challenges. The summit continues to expand as a worldwide initiative for next-generation leadership development through collaboration among government, industry, and academia.

Participants are designated as OYW Ambassadors and join a global network of approximately 21,000 young leaders. OYW Counsellors include Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus, along with heads of state, government officials, leaders of Fortune 500 companies, and prominent figures from culture, sports, media, NGOs, entrepreneurship, and the arts.