Skip to content

Subscribe to Newsletters

Donate

Join YPFP

Summit Delegations

Click the delegates' picture to learn more about them! An asterisk (*) denotes the head delegate from each country.

Canada

Kirtbir Chahal is an advocacy and policy specialist based in London, UK, and is committed to meaningful engagement of children and young people. In her current role as a Policy Adviser at Unicef UK, she works to center and protect every child’s right to health in domestic and international policies, including on air pollution, immunisation, nutrition and climate change.

Kirtbir also serves as a Young Trustee on Girlguiding UK’s Board of Directors, and as a Governor for West Hill Primary School, London. Kirtbir holds BA degrees (with distinction) in English Literature and Law & Society from the University of Calgary, and more recently, graduated with a MSc (merit) in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Previously, Kirtbir has lived and worked in Geneva where she served as a Junior Policy Officer for the ermanent Mission of Canada to the UN, and engaged in high level negotiations at the UN, ILO and WHO. She has also spent time in Washington, DC, working at the NESA Center for Strategic Studies and lobbying on Capitol Hill with the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

In Calgary, Kirtbir served as Vice President on the Board of Directors for the United Nations Association Canada-Calgary, and campaigned for Unicef Canada for over 5 years. She also worked and volunteered for several non-profit organisations such as the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre and Prospect Human Services, to serve marginalised and under-represented groups including at- risk young people and immigrant women. As an immigrant and young woman of colour, Kirtbir works to promote diversity, inclusion and intersectional feminism in all her areas of her work.

Kirtbir Chahal*

Policy Adviser, UNICEF United Kingdom

Mojann Zibapour holds a Master of Global Affairs from the Munk School at the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Political Science in the bilingual program from the University of Ottawa. Currently, she is a National Program Officer at the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) working on matters of inclusion, diversity, and active citizenship. In partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, she works to host enhanced citizenship ceremonies across the country in every province and territory. Prior to joining the ICC, she held positions at Rideau Hall for the Office of the Secretary of the Governor General of Canada and the Ministry of Infrastructure on both west-coast operations and disaster mitigation projects. Additionally, she worked at swisspeace, a think-tank and NGO in Bern, focussing mainly on matters of peacekeeping and transitional justice. Finally, she is fluent in English, French, Farsi (Persian) and Spanish.

Mojann Zibapour

National Program Officer, Institute for Canadian Citizenship

Passionate about international politics, green diplomacy, and technology, Carla Guillaume is dedicated to making our global village a better place for future generations. She is currently working as an Executive Assistant and lobbyist for the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium where she contributes to making Canada a champion in the advancement of low-carbon and smart technology eco-systems across North America. Carla has completed an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Concordia University and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the École nationale d’administration publique du Québec (ENAP). She has received an Emerging Talent Award from the Bar of Montreal and through her leadership and community involvement, continues to be committed to social issues like human rights and gender equality. Alongside her academic and professional accomplishments, Carla is also the writer and editor of an online publication called SAYASPORA, a platform for young African women worldwide.

Carla-Anide Guillaume

Executive Assistant, Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium

Rahul is a master’s candidate in International Affairs and Global Cyber Security at King's College London. He earned his BA in International Relations and Political Economy from the University of Calgary, where he participated in several international education opportunities to Seoul and Washington, DC.
He has had the opportunity to engage diplomats and policymakers from around the world during his time at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In his role as delegation support to the OECD Secretary-General, he has served on several delegations to the World Bank & IMF, UNGA, among other multilateral institutions. His experience has also given him the opportunity to engage parliamentarians and governmental interlocutors in his efforts to assist in the promotion of inclusive international policy in Canada's Parliament, and on Capitol Hill in the United States. He understands the importance of inviting stakeholders across a number of policy areas to the table, in order to create a sustainable and inclusive road map for the future.
His current work with University of Calgary International allows him to engage youth from across the country in an academic setting where he can hear their perspectives and bring their concerns forward. He brings several years of stakeholder engagement and strategic planning to the table and is excited about advocating for Canadian Youth as a delegate with YDC.

Rahul Pallan

Master's Student, King's College London

European Union

Born in the Czech Republic, Karolina is an MA student of International Public Management at Sciences Po Paris. She graduated from the French-Czech section at Jan Neruda High School in Prague and completed her Bachelor's degree at Sciences Po Paris and the University of Glasgow.

She acquired experience in domains of research, diplomacy and management at the Czech MFA and the Institute of International Relations in Prague. She was selected to represent the Czech Youth at the Lisboa+21 Conference on engagement of Youth in decision-making processes and the 2030 Agenda implementation.

Karolina's scope of interests is extensive but she is especially passionate about Politics, IR and Innovations, particularly related to Health. Her beliefs can by summarized by words of B. Vian: “I am not interested in the happiness of all men, but in the happiness of each.” She currently works as an Intern at the Czech Delegation to UNESCO. As a certified Tour Guide, Karolina enjoys Traveling, History and Cultural Exchange. Fond of jogging and other sport activities, she also loves coffee, chocolate and waffles "as every Brussels fan should".

Karolina Liskovcova*

Master's Student, Sciences Po Paris

Adel Ramdani studied Political Science, International Relations and Human Rights in seven universities across three continents. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Brussels (ULB), and spent one year as a visiting student at Uppsala University (Sweden). Adel then integrated the Global Studies Programme (MA of Arts in Globalization) and spent each semester studying abroad in Germany (University of Freiburg), South Africa (University of Cape Town) and Thailand (Chulalongkorn University).

Adel also interned in some of the biggest international organizations including the United Nations (UNCDF - Brussels), the African Union (Ethiopia), the League of Arab States (Egypt) and Save The Children UK as an EU Partnership Assistant. In 2019, he received a scholarship from the European Union to carry postgraduate research in Lebanon at Saint Joseph University and Morocco at the International University of Rabat where he decided to dedicate his work on sustainable food production.

Adel is an alumni of the Anna Lindh Foundation's Young Mediterranean Voices' Programme, funded by the EU and has been selected by the Council of Europe as the youth delegate for Belgium at the Congress for the year 2020.

Adel Ramdani

Global Campus of Human Rights

Enrico is a PhD candidate in Development Economics at the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID). Trained in impact evaluation, his research and policy interests span from human capital, education and jobs to trade, energy and sustainable finance. Enrico has been a research economist at the WTO, a consultant for the ILO and in the private sector, as well as a research assistant at the think-tank Bruegel and at the Center for Finance and Development. He also worked at the European Commission and at UniCredit Bank in Moscow. Enrico holds two Master’s degrees in Economics and is fluent in Italian, English and French. He loves traveling, drinking good beers, attending music festivals, skiing and sailing.

Enrico Nano

PhD Candidate, Geneva Graduate Institute

Magdalena has a bachelor’s degree in European Law from Maastricht University and is a final year law student at the University of Warsaw. During her studies in Maastricht, she participated in honours programmes such as the Maastricht University Law College - UMLC and European Corporate Finance Law Excellence Course. Moreover, she spent a semester abroad at the University of British Columbia. Magdalena gained her work experience as a legislative intern at the U.S. House of Representatives. Moreover, she worked as a researcher during the “InAbsentiEAW” research project, as a trainee at an international law firm, and as an editor at a legal publishing house. She is involved in contributing to the mission of the European Student Think Tank, in the past as an Ambassador, and currently as an International Officer. Recently, she has represented Young European Leadership and volunteered for Service Civil International (SCI). She speaks Polish, English, French, and Italian.

Magdalena Jacyna

Law Student, University of Warsaw

France

Currently working as an Intern at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Theo Bernini is about to complete a Master in Public and International Affairs at Sciences Po Lille. Twice Delegate then Faculty Advisor at Harvard National Model United Nations, Theo accomplishes himself in the heat of debates and negotiations, particularly when common good is at stake. During the golden age of his student years, he was an active member of Student Associations, both in France and in Moscow, where he studied one year as an exchange student. Awarded in various speech contest, he also wrote a master’s thesis on the Russian approaches to Sovereignty. European for the love of literature and gastronomy, Theo wishes to dedicate his life to public affairs, infinity and beyond.

Théo Bernini*

Master's Student, Sciences Po Lille

My name is Khadija-El-Kalila Ben Romdhane, I am a 23 years old master student at Sciences Po Paris specialized in Public Affairs (social politics and social innovation stream). Committed to the reduction of social inequalities, I have founded in 2018 an association dedicated to disadvantaged young people. I consider education as a priority and citizen commitment as the most effective way to reduce local inequalities. Hence, I am also a philosophy and history teacher within disadvantaged high-schools associations.

Khadija Ben Romdhane

Master's Student, Sciences Po Paris

Audrey is a globally-minded resident doctor. Originally from Reunion island, she completed medical school at the Catholic University of Lille in France, followed by residency training in psychiatry at the University of Lille. She currently works at the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, in Paris, France.
Audrey has been involved in medical education & junior doctor representation since the beginning of her specialist training, at a local then national and international level.
Fascinated by international affairs & gender equity, she currently serves as chair of the Junior Doctors Network of the World Medical Association, and as representative of the European Junior Doctors in the psychiatry section of the Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes. She is also a member of Women in Global Health, focal point for Beijing+25/Forum Equality.
Leveraging on her academic and non-profit experiences, Audrey hopes to support the building of a future where every voice can be heard equally. She is looking forward to represent the youth of France as part of the Y7 2020 Delegation.

Audrey Chloe Fontaine

Resident Doctor, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris

Thomas Gasselin is a French student in business and trade at emlyon business school.

Back in 2016 Thomas discovers diplomacy during classes of geography at high school. He decided to continue down this path in going to an international business school in order to be competent both in geopolitics and business. Currently he is studying international business and social sciences. He is also involved in many associations. For example, in school he is in an association that invites personalities such as former presidents. In this association, they also organize debates on a wide variety of topics for emlyon students. This commitment is close to his heart because it allows him to gain other skills .
By the way, he is handicap since he is born. His hands shake, and sometimes it can be a little hard to understand his speech. Now this handicap in more a strength than a weakness because he knows how to master it and to take advantage of it.

Thomas Gasselin

Student, Emlyon Business School

Germany

I grew up in a small village in southern Germany. After graduating from high school, I did a European Voluntary Service at Fairtrade Lëtzebuerg, the Luxembourgish NGO advocating for fair trade. Being passionate about international politics and development due to my voluntary service, I started studying International Relations and Economics with a focus on development cooperation, feminism and peace and security at the University of Erfurt. I am convinced that multilateralism and international cooperation lead the way to a better world in fields such as climate change or women’s rights, which is why I also interned at the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in New York. Besides, I am a pro-European activist, being both vice-president of the Young European Federalists Thuringia and an active member of the Young European Professionals where I conduct workshops about Europe and the European Union in schools.

Laura Gaißmaier*

Student, University of Erfurt

After growing up in Frankfurt, I have studied the Law and Economics in Munich and in Berlin. Alongside my studies, I have been involved in international and domestic politics for several years now. In 2015 I participated in the National Model United Nations in New York City. Also, since 2015 I have been a member of the Green Party of Germany and have taken over responsibility within the party in different capacities: among those as member of the federal Executive Board of its youth organization. In my spare time I enjoy a good cup of coffee, playing Badminton and climbing mountain tops.

Anne Steuernagel

Master's Student, Free University of Berlin

I´m Michael Leyendecker, 32 years old, from Cologne, Germany. I´m working as a teacher for higher education for Sports and Biology and completed additionally a master studies in Public Health. In my leisure time I´m engaged as head of the German Gymnastics Youth Federation and as part of the board of the European Sports NGO ENGSO. Besides that, I love doing sports and being active outside.

Michael Leyendecker

Head, German Gymnastics Youth Federation

I am 24 years old and currently studying for a master's degree in political science. Here I am focusing on international relations, sustainability and human rights.
Next to university, I am working in different volunteer organisations such as refugee support, sport youth organisation and Amnesty International, where I am also dealing with this topics
As employee for social media at the universities career service and and because of internships, I have good knowledge in public relation and social media managment.

Jonas Bickmann

Master's Student

Italy

I am graduated in international relations at Luiss University in Rome. I had the possibility to work in the international institutions in Italy as the Embassy of Afghanistan, where I was an intern. After that experience I stared working for a local NGO called Global Action, that offers to young people free education programs in the field of diplomacy. At Global Action I had the possibility to manage the relations between the organization and Embassies in Rome and the UN agencies and now I am President of the organization leading a team of young people and supervising the project Diplomacy Education. I also work at Luiss University managing double degree programs with partner Universities. Thanks to my work I have the possibility to share informed knowledge with young generations using diplomacy. One day I would like to work for the World Food Programme of the UN, matching education with youth and women's empowerment to reach, one day, SDG 2, Zero Hunger.

Vanessa Boi*

Luiss University

Young Energy engineer passionate about engineering and committed to the challenges that issues like population growth, industrialization on the rise, and climate change have brought about in the energy sector, among my interests stand out power production, renewable energies, energy policies, and electricity markets; fields in which I seek to excel for a chance in becoming one of tomorrow’s sustainable energy professionals.

Sergio Nova

Energy Engineer

Passionate about security and international relations, Francesca currently works as a cybersecurity Consultant in Government and Public Sector at Deloitte Risk Advisory (Italy). Her focus areas are National Cybersecurity Strategies and cyber capacity building. During her University career, she has worked in the staff of a former Italian Ambassador and Minister of Foreign Affairs, supporting him in the research and drafting of documents and speeches for public interventions on topics related to cybersecurity, European security and defence, and Human Rights. Moreover, she has done an Internship in the Task Force of the Italian OSCE Chairmanship 2018, and previously at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), a well known Italian think thank. Graduated at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa and the University of Trento in International Security Studies, Francesca specialised in cybersecurity from a governance and policy perspective. She hold a bachelor degree in International Relations and Diplomacy, with a specialisation in International Law thanks to the one-year exchange at the Pantheon Sorbonne University (Paris).

Francesca Voce

Cybersecurity Consultant, Deloitte

Nicola Bilotta is currently researcher at IAI where he works on international political economy, digital economy and geo-finance. Prior to this he worked as a research analyst at the Banker Research Team (Financial Times), with which he still collaborates as consultant analyst. In addition, he was Institute Fellow at the Seven Pillar Institute of Finance & Ethics and researcher at the Istituto di Alti Studi di Geopolitica e Scienze Ausiliarie (IsAG). He co-authored the book “The Rise of Tech Giants. A Game Changer in Global Finance and Politics” published by Peter Lang in 2019. Nicola holds a MSC in Economic History from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Nicola Bilotta

Research Fellow, IAI

Japan

Takahisa Ogawa is a master’s candidate in public health at Harvard T.H. Chan school of public health. He has been working as a family doctor then an orthopedic surgeon for ten years. He worked in from the countryside where the life expectancy was longest with lower medical cost to the urban city in Japan before studying public health. Through his experience in orthopedic surgery, he witnessed people suffering from age-related pain and indefinite complaints of daily living, which led him to believe that this problem should be tackled from a different perspective than the surgical approach.

An aging society with declining walking and physical abilities is a serious problem facing our modern society. With an aging society and its economic impact, he has begun to look for solutions for society from a public health perspective.

He believes that the key to success is a multifaceted approach that leverages the power of the community to stabilize the economy and deliver healthy outcomes for society. His experience in both urban and rural areas allows him to bring diversity and insights to the delegate team on the current challenging of an aging society. He is excited to unite with young professionals across the world to make a scrum and present the youth of Japan in solving contemporary problems together.

Takahisa Ogawa*

Medical Doctor, Master's Student, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Shinri is a member of the Japan delegation and a passionate advocate for STEM education and diversity. Shinri was previously a management consultant with McKinsey & Co., where she advised clients in both the US and Japan on a variety of strategic topics. She loves talking about wild start-up ideas and potential sci-fi versions of the future. She has a Bachelor in Engineering from Dartmouth College and is currently an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School.

Shinri Kamei

Master's Student, Harvard Business School

I am currently in my final year at Keio University in Tokyo, majoring in International Relations. Since middle school, I have been passionate about promoting cultural exchange between Japan and other countries, which has led me to participate in more than 10 international programs/student conferences. I have spent three semesters of my college life in the U.S.: two semesters in Boston participating in an exchange program at Boston University and working as a committee member of the Boston Japan Festival, and one semester in Denver, Colorado, working for a U.S. Congresswoman as part of a program hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. I hope to have more international experiences in the future and am beyond excited to have fruitful discussions and build lifelong friendships with all of the delegates at the Summit.

Kanako Yamagami

Student, Keio University

Shikoh Hirabayashi is a youth activist campaigning for youth empowerment in Japan. He has founded a bipartisan political organization devoted to raising political awareness amongst Japanese youth and has achieved in getting student-made policies incorporated into actual party manifests. He has interned under both politicians in the rural and urban areas of Japan to learn about education policy and has helped companies develop CSR programs devoted to fostering future science and technology personnel. Outside of his interest in youth empowerment, Shikoh has succeeded in getting 20,202 visitors to come to his school festival and is currently working with government officials to realize the Continued Care Retirement Community model for seniors in the Japanese countryside. Shikoh hopes to share his experience with the Y7 community to help it achieve its goals and work together with the other delegates to carve a brighter future for youth.

Shikoh Hirabayashi

Activist

United Kingdom

Virginia is an EU Negotiations Advisor in the UK Civil Service, a Digital Ambassador for global children’s charity Plan International, and an Ambassador from two One Young World summits in Johannesburg and Dublin. She currently lives and works in London, but has lived in 6 other countries across Europe, South America and Asia, has visited over 65 countries, and writes the award-winning travel blog www.TheWell-TravelledPostcard.com.

Now in the public sector, she's worked on UK Government foreign policy, trade policy, UK-EU negotiations and diplomatic engagement, and she recently completed a Double Masters in European Politics, Society and Culture at universities in the Netherlands and Sweden. Prior to this she worked in the private sector, in management, strategy and global partnerships roles on O2/Telefonica's European Graduate Scheme in London and Madrid. She also led a team of volunteers on a UK Aid funded sustainable development project in rural Nepal following the 2015 earthquake, for the charity Raleigh International.

She's passionate about tackling gender inequality in the UK and abroad, empowering young women to reach their potential through mentoring, organising Women in Leadership events, fundraising for Plan International and raising awareness of their campaigns to advance girls' rights and education in developing countries.

Virginia Stuart-Taylor*

EU Negotiations Advisor, United Kingdom Civil Service

James is an adaptable and technically capable consultant with a varied background in detailed engineering design, consultancy and project economics experience. Vast experience in the Infrastructure sector, trained Civil Engineer with proven technical ability in design and analysis of systems, led on many major Infrastructure developments in the UK and in overseas. Additional experience in development engineering, strategic advisory on infrastructure projects, infrastructure economics, project management and engineering analysis. James is passionate about implementing the principles of the circular economy in the world economy, particularly with a focus on construction, this has formed most of his work and research in his current role in Africa (Kenya and Uganda primarily).

James is passionate about promoting youth leadership and pushing young leaders into positions of power so that they can take ownership of the decisions that will affect their generations and future ones. Through his mentourship roles and other youth networks he is implementing this change but looks forward to using the Y7 to further this even more. In his free time he enjoys road cycling, running, travel, snowboarding and socialising with friends. 

James Forsey

Civil Engineer

Zoe is a first year apprentice economist in the Government Economic Service, currently working in the Ministry of Justice. She works within Youth Justice and is driven to provide young people across the country with the best opportunities, regardless of their background. She is a technically capable and adaptable young person, who is always striving to go above and beyond to meet her goals. Previously playing football full time, along side her studies, showed her determination and resilience when overcoming knee reconstruction surgery to brought this opportunity to an end. Now on a mission to make a difference to society and create opportunities to become a future leader, Zoe's passion lies with making sure no young person's voice is overlooked.

Zoe Martin

Apprentice Economist, United Kingdom Ministry of Justice

Mohamed Abdelrhman has a keen interest in the economic development of third world countries, poverty alleviation and inequality reduction. He is a Management Consultant for a boutique consultancy, specialising in Digital Transformation, moving companies forward parallel to technological advancements. Prior to this, he has experience at the Ministry of Justice, the Bank of England, Lloyds of London and the Institute of Economic Affairs.
Additionally, he holds a position as a mentor to both college and university students, providing advice and expertise on academia, CVs and professional careers, helping to guide the next generation of talent. He has sat on campaign committees for numerous charitable efforts on behalf of Human Appeal, Muslim Aid, Human Aid and Islamic Relief, amounting to in excess of £100,000. Holding a First-Class degree in Economics from SOAS, University of London, Mohamed focused on development issues within Asia and Africa. This led him to launch a blog entitled Afconomics which focuses on the state of the African economy from the perspective of young, African economists.

Mohamed Hashim Abdelrhman

Management Consultant

United States of America

Samantha van de Ven is a current Master’s student at Harvard University studying International Relations and International Security. Samantha received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience. As Communications and Engagement Chair of the Behavioral Insights Group at Harvard Kennedy School, she increases awareness and engagement with behavioral science as a body of evidence and tools to increase impact. Samantha is passionate about evidence based designs that drive behavioral change solutions and is committed to addressing global challenges in relation to social change, innovation, and development. She was selected as an American Delegate for the Young Diplomats Forum in Brussels, Belgium 2019 and presented on The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Diplomacy. With Action for Education Inc., a nonprofit organization providing sustainable education and healthcare to underserved populations in Honduras, Samantha assisted in developing research protocols for a global health project in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Samantha van de Ven*

Master's Student, Harvard Kennedy School

A daughter of Taipei and Los Angeles, Diane comes to Y7 from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, where she works in research management. She is fluent in Mandarin, English and French, and wishes she had time to learn more languages. Her interests include international conflicts, immigration, and education reform, and she is learning how to better incorporate data analysis into the social sciences. Before graduating as a Regents Scholar of UCLA, she studied at the University of Geneva and Sciences Po Paris majoring in Political Science and French. After a long day, she will happily put everything aside to dance tango. She looks forward to welcoming her fellow delegates to her favorite haunts in DC.

Dai Wei "Diane" Tsang

Research Program Assistant, Elliott School of International Affairs

Giovanni Bruna is a Program Associate for the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, tasked with developing and managing National and Regional SDSNs with a focus on Latin America.

Giovanni holds a Master’s degree in Global Governance, with a concentration in Globalization and Human Security, and a B.A. in International Relations, both from Florida International University in Miami. He is a member of the Young Professionals in Foreign Policy NY chapter and a Youth Ambassador for Peace and Dialogue among Cultures (The Aladdin Project) for having graduated from The International Summer University for Intercultural Leadership under the patronage of the European Parliament and UNESCO. Giovanni recently completed a post-graduate certificate in Cultural Management and Communications.

Giovanni Bruna

Program Associate, Sustainable Development Solutions Network

Josh Goldstein is a PhD candidate in International Relations at the University of Oxford. His doctoral dissertation aims to better conceptualize the challenges posed by influence operations through survey experiments, historical case studies, and legal analysis. More broadly, his interests lie in international security, political psychology, and great-power competition.

Before beginning his PhD, Josh completed an MPhil in International Relations at Oxford with Distinction. Josh earned a BA in Government from Harvard College, where he graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He has pursued research and writing related to foreign affairs through a variety of research assistant and internship roles, including with the Belfer Center, Brookings Institution, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Department of Defense. He enjoys searching for the best local pizza and playing basketball, particularly against his two brothers.

Josh Goldstein

PhD Candidate, University of Oxford