A new initiative between the Mastercard Foundation and the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities will create a first-of-its-kind virtual community of university student leaders who are committed to civic engagement and social responsibility.

This two-year initiative called Next Generation Leaders (NGL) will provide a forum for young people enrolled in universities around the world to reflect on their engagement experiences, learn from each other and present recommendations for future action to a global audience.

Students representing all regions of the globe will meet virtually each month to exchange ideas and strategies for addressing social issues such as disease, famine and economic inequality,” said Anthony P. Monaco, Tufts University president and chair of the Network steering committee. “These conversations will deepen students’ capacity for leadership and strengthen the impact of their work with communities.

The Network is accepting applications from student leaders at its member institutions who have demonstrated a commitment to making a difference in the lives of others by practicing such values as good citizenship and social responsibility through civic engagement in their communities.

NGL will organize a cohort of 40 students who will share their experiences with community-based research, service-learning, political activism and social entrepreneurship with one another.

Comprised of both undergraduate and graduate students, NGL students will focus their discussions on themes such as: Pandemic Recovery and Resilience, Innovations in Gender Equity, Structured Listening Methods and Civic Engagement Futures. They will present reflections on these topics and propose avenues for collaboration at the next Talloires Network Leaders Conference, to be co-hosted by Tufts University and Harvard University from Sept. 30 – Oct. 3, 2021.

Young people globally are confronting some of the most pressing and complex issues of our time: bringing them to the foreground, calling for change, and offering practical solutions,” said Reeta Roy, president and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation. “They represent a stronger future for our world and it is exciting to imagine what they’ll achieve as they come together, trace the symmetries in their stories, and share tools, strategies, and lessons to support one another.

By sharing knowledge on these themes among the Network’s full membership, as well as national and regional Network associates, NGL participants will encourage their peers around the world to take local action by way of university civic engagement.

I believe in the power of global perspectives when tackling social issues,” said Doreeen Agyiriwaa Marfo, an electrical engineering student at Ashesi University in Ghana. “By engaging with leaders across countries and cultures, participants will gain competencies such as intercultural communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

The application process is currently open for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Network member institutions. The final date for application submissions is Jan. 22, 2021.

More information is available at talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/ngl.

The Talloires Network of Engaged Universities is a growing global coalition of 406 university presidents, vice-chancellors, and rectors in 78 countries who have publicly committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of their institutions. The Network mobilizes its members to collaborate with communities to confront societal challenges while also educating students to be leaders for change. The Network grew out of a 2005 conference convened by Tufts University at its center in Talloires, France. It is housed in the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University and chaired by Tufts President Anthony P. Monaco.

The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. It is one of the largest, private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. The Foundation was created by Mastercard in 2006 as an independent organization with its own Board of Directors and management.

For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org