Here is everything you need to know this month!
Community Updates
1. Youth Pulse 2026: Insights From the Next Generation for a Changing World
Youth Pulse 2026, the World Economic Forum's flagship report is out now! Drawing on insights from nearly 4,600 Global Shapers across 489 Hubs, it offers one of the most diverse datasets on how young people are navigating five foundational outlooks: political, economic, social, technological and environmental. A huge thank you to our Community Champions and every Global Shaper who contributed! Going forward, this report will be foundational in shaping the initiatives of the Global Shapers Community. We invite every Hub to use these insights to inform your next project, Meet The Leader event, or campaign. Help us disseminate the report and its findings! Share your biggest takeaway on LinkedIn (visuals)!
2. Curatorship Elections 2026-2027
All Hubs are required to elect a new Curator, Vice-Curator, and Impact Officer by 1 March 2026. Newly elected leaders will begin their mandates on 1 July 2026. To ensure your Hub runs a smooth and successful election process, please review the Curatorship Elections and watch the recording of the Elections Session hosted by HQ in December. Please note that Hubs that do not submit their election results by the deadline will be flagged for closure in 2026. We also strongly encourage all hubs to join one of the upcoming Election Open House Sessions to raise concerns and ask specific questions:
- Open House Session #01: Tuesday 27 January from 10:00-11:00 (CET)
- Open House Session #02: Tuesday 3 February from 18:00-19:00 (CET)
- Open House Session #03: Tuesday 10 February from 14:00-15:00 (CET)
3. Monthly Show: Live from Davos
Our January episode will stream live on 23 January at 08:45 CET on LinkedIn, straight from the Annual Meeting 2026. We'll be joined by an all-star panel including Al Gore (former Vice-President of the United States); Lutfey Siddiqi (Special Envoy of the Head of the Interim Government, Bangladesh); and Eden Tolesa (Global Shaper and Democracy Consultant, The Carter Center). The session will be moderated by Taylor Dee Hawkins (Global Shaper and Co-Founder of Foundations for Tomorrow). Register to make sure you don't miss this conversation!
World Economic Forum Events
4. World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026
In an era marked by accelerating complexity, rising fragmentation and exponential innovation, the need for a trusted, impartial platform for dialogue has never been greater. From 19-23 January, global leaders from government, business, civil society and academia will convene in Davos under the theme A Spirit of Dialogue for the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2026. Follow the live programme of AM26 on Forum Spaces.
5. Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting 2026
The World Economic Forum’s Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting, taking place from 22–23 April 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will convene over 1,000 leaders from government, business, civil society, and academia with a focus on building common ground, reviving growth, and transforming industry through innovation. Apply by Sunday, 15 February at 23:59 CET to bring youth perspectives to this high-level global dialogue.
Impact Opportunities
6. Project Showcase and Innovation Prize
The Innovation Prize process has been redesigned to prioritize transparency, fairness, and deeper community involvement. The annual project showcase will now serve as the first step, after which the Community Champion will share up to three standout projects to the HQ team for consideration for next steps. Learn more about the Innovation Prize 2026.
7. Your Hub's 10 Priorities for the Intelligent Age
Professor Klaus Schwab’s new book, Thriving and Leading in the Intelligent Age is out! We invite you to read the book, convene a discussion or reflection, and identify 10 key policy priorities for this new era. Please share your Hub's 10 priorities and any reflections by tomorrow, 15 January 2026 by emailing GlobalShapers@weforum.org. Your contributions will be credited and will directly inform Professor Schwab’s forthcoming work.
Community Spotlight
8. Meet the Leader is Back in Focus
As meaningful dialogue becomes increasingly essential, particularly at the regional level, we encourage every Hub to deepen relationships with key local stakeholders and step into their role as facilitators of multistakeholder collaboration. Recently, the Chattogram Hub met with Dr. Shahadat Hossain, Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation to explore a potential collaboration to establish a Skill Hub in the city, with the goal of equipping young people with future-ready skills. Let us know if you've hosted a Meet The Leader event recently.
12. Forum Stories
- Why world leaders need to heed youth voices at Davos, Sebastian Buckup & Natalie Pierce
- How to rebuild the enterprise for the Age of Agentic AI, May Habib
- How water can unleash growth in the era of AI, Christophe Beck
Shapers, please connect with your Community Manager before submitting a pitch.
We believe in a world where young people are central to solution-building, policy-making and lasting change.
- Access all Global Shapers resources, guides and tools at wef.ch/gsc-guides
- Read our newsletter in your preferred language using a translation extension
- Pitch your ideas for Forum Stories (English)