FUTURE LEADERS SERIES
The Future Leaders Series is our annual flagship program designed to engage Australia's future leaders in the critical issues affecting Australia, the Indo-Pacific region and the international system.
Each year, the Future Leaders Series adopts a central theme based on one such critical issue. It equips them with the knowledge, skills and networks to respond to these challenges and shape future policy decisions.
The Future Leaders Series takes place over a six-week period in June and July. During this time, participants will take part in 5 modules, each focusing on a particular issue or challenge within the broader theme of the year’s program, as well as a policy workshop and a policy pitch competition.
During these sessions, participants explore the different issues, opportunities and challenges associated with the topic; as well as how it is being considered by Australian policy makers.
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IMPACT OF THE SERIES
We officially concluded the last stage of our 2026 Future Leaders Series by hearing our attendees policy pitches in October. The series consisted of three weeks in which our attendees have heard from leading experts about the changing nature of digital policy and diplomacy. To conclude our attendees in teams showed what they had learned by pitching their innovative policies to our esteemed panel of judges.
The topic for 2026 was Digital Policy and Diplomacy.
As our world is rapidly becoming increasingly digital, digital diplomacy is now a crucial part of how nations address global challenges and influence one another. This program explored the foundations of digital diplomacy, digital economics, and the use of technology and growth in AI in shaping the global digital environment.
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WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Priya Virdee-Hero, FLS 2024 Participant
“The 2024 Future Leaders Series was an outstanding program that broadened my perspectives and allowed me to make positive connections across the Young Australians in International Affairs network. The varying speakers provided evidence-based, and thought provoking concepts and ideas to the Future Leaders, exposing the challenges and solutions surrounding gender in the Indo-Pacific. I could not recommend the FLS enough to anyone interested in international affairs and making our world a better place!“
Saxon Alec Williams, FLS 2024 Participant
“Having already undertaken work and research across Asia and SE Asia, I was excited to use my knowledge base towards making positive changes around gender issues in the Indo Pacific and South East Asia in a theoretical setting. Working around, and discussing gender inequality as a man is incredibly important as its quite often hetero cis men that are at the forefront of perpetuating these issues. The program itself was incredibly insightful and has had been of great benefit to improving my skillsets around policy making, effective teamwork, professional networking and gaining deeper insights on gender issues in foreign policy from industry professionals.”
Sophie Chambers, FLS 2024 Participant
“The Future Leaders Series was the perfect program to develop and deepen my understanding about issues which are so important to our region. Having the opportunity to hear from leading experts across Australia, Asia and the Pacific was a true privilege - being in the same space, and asking questions to those already creating change was an incredible experience, and the eye-opening and insightful modules have left me inspired.”
For program inquiries please contact events@youngausint.org.au