Delegation trips
Study Trips
Our study trips enable our members to travel to high-growth countries – especially those in the B(R)ICS+ group – to expand their personal and professional network and to gain new perspectives.
We go there
Over the past 15 years, our delegations have had the opportunity to visit dozens of regions of geostrategic importance, including repeated visits to China, Russia (suspended since 2022), India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Iran, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and many more.
Programs
At these fascinating locations, our members engage in CEO lunches to discuss trade issues, exchange views with leading thinktank researchers, join interactive workshops, and debate current political topics with ministers. They also engage with religious representatives, explore art galleries, take guided tours of historical monuments, and visit culturally significant venues, whether Zoroastrian fire temples, Tibetan opera houses, Rwandan tea factories, or Russian monasteries.
3-4
Per year
Through the flexible selection of destinations, we create new momentum and get to know the key players on the ground who are shaping the global order of tomorrow.
Study Trips since 2010
Our delegation trips have taken our members to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Starting in 2026, we will add Latin America to our annual program.
Countries visited frequently
To build reliable bridges worldwide, we regularly visit the B(R)ICS countries, and China annually.
In Focus
Study Trips to China
Partner, competitor, systemic rival? China’s rise as a global power is reshaping the international order in profound ways. Amid growing geopolitical and economic tensions, our Study Trips help strengthen our members’ understanding of the People’s Republic. Each year, Global Bridges brings German and European decision-makers to China to gain first-hand insights into the country’s political system, its economic transformation, and its evolving social fabric.
The thematic focus of our discussions with Chinese counterparts from politics, business, academia, and civil society has changed over time. However, visits to ministries, roundtable discussions with long-standing partner organizations, and exchanges with German companies on the ground remain key elements of the program.
Study Trips to China since 2010
17
Visited Provinces
22
⌀ Delegation size
30
⌀ Cities per Study Trip
6
Discussion formats
Global Forums
Through our Global Forums, we foster constructive dialogue between our members and distinguished international speakers in three thematic series. These interdisciplinary formats take place monthly – partly virtually, partly on-site – in Germany and beyond.
Geopolitics
The “Geopolitical Monitors” series observes tectonic shifts on the global stage, analyzing the geostrategy of individual countries or specific regions and their impact on the global order.
Global Economy
Our “Global Econ Sessions” examine the forces shaping global flows of capital and goods, including shifts in trade routes, the implementation of infrastructure initiatives, and the ongoing move toward de-dollarization.
Society
The “Cosmopolitan Talks” address major contemporary trends, including the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence, the effects of climate change, and strategies for global health.
In Focus
Walther Leisler Kiep Symposium
The symposium was launched in 2016 to mark the 90th birthday of our founding chairman, Dr. h.c. Walther Leisler Kiep†, and has since become a recurring highlight in our event calendar. Every year in early summer, it brings together high-ranking personalities from politics, business and society to shed light on current global challenges from their respective perspectives. In speeches, panels and interviews, renowned experts link international issues with regional experiences – and reflect on the findings of the Study Trips together with our members.
Talent Development
Young Leaders Program
Our Young Leaders Program brings together emerging leaders from across the globe, providing a platform to discuss critical political, economic, and social issues.
Conferences
Each year, we organize three Young Leaders Conferences. Participation in these multi-day discussion forums, featuring high-level speakers and a cultural program, serves as the “entry ticket” for Young Leaders into our renowned alumni network.
Alumni network
Our Young Leaders Program offers a unique global, interdisciplinary, and intergenerational network of over 900 Young Leaders from more than 40 countries. Partners gain access to diverse expertise and an exclusive platform to showcase their work.
Engagement
Regular regional meetings and biennial reunions allow Young Leaders Alumni from the same regions to build lasting and trusted connections. As hosts, Alumni have the opportunity to present themselves and their companies, and to highlight topics of relevance.
Our Young Leaders
Young Leaders are between 27 and 40 years old and have already gained relevant professional experience. They are either nominated by our members and partners or apply through the public call for applications. In both cases, they go through a structured selection process.
AVERAGE AGE
31
Female Participants
40%
⌀ Years of Professional Experience
5
Business Experience
50%
Our conferences
The global networking of the next generation is close to our hearts: in bilateral formats with China, India, and Türkiye, we facilitate exchange with the most dynamic economic powers of our time. The participants at our three conferences discuss key topics of the future – with the aim of creating a resilient global network that thinks and acts across borders.
German-Chinese Young Leaders Conference
The German-Chinese Young Leaders Conference was launched in 2012 by Global Bridges and the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and China. With the exception of a pandemic-related hiatus, the conference has been held annually, alternating between China and Germany. German participants are nominated by members, sponsors, and partners of Global Bridges, while Chinese participants are selected by CPIFA.
Indo-German Young Leaders Conference
The Indo-German Young Leaders Conference was launched in 2016 as the Indo-German Young Leaders Forum (IGYLF) by the association of the same name. In 2024, Global Bridges and IGYLF signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-host annual conferences alternating between Germany and India, focusing on current topics of bilateral relevance. Members, sponsors, and partners of Global Bridges can nominate Young Leaders, or interested individuals may apply directly via the IGYLF website.
German-Turkish Young Leaders Conference
The German-Turkish Young Leaders Conference will be launched in the fall of 2026. It builds on the success of the existing bilateral Young Leaders programs with China and India and strengthens one of Europe’s most important relationships. The goal is to bring together emerging leaders from both countries in an open dialogue on shared global and regional challenges. In the future, the conference will take place annually, alternating between Turkey and Germany. Members, sponsors, and partners of Global Bridges can nominate young leaders to participate.
Apply Now
Global Bridges und die Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit Türkiye Office laden zur Bewerbung für die erste Turkish-German Young Leaders Conference ein. Sie findet vom 5. bis 9. Oktober 2026 in Istanbul, Türkiye, statt. Die Konferenz bringt 30 aufstrebende Führungspersönlichkeiten aus Deutschland und der Türkei zusammen, um über die Zukunft der deutsch-türkischen Beziehungen zu diskutieren, darunter Wirtschaft, Politik, Gesellschaft, Sicherheit, Migration, Technologie und Klima.
Bewerben können sich Personen zwischen 27 und 40 Jahren mit nachweisbarem Führungspotenzial, verhandlungssicheren Englischkenntnissen sowie deutscher oder türkischer Staatsangehörigkeit. Bewerbungsschluss ist der 17. Juli 2026. Ein symbolischer Teilnahmebeitrag von 250 EUR wird fällig. Die Reisekosten nach und von Istanbul tragen die Teilnehmenden selbst.
European-American Young Leaders Conference (discontinued)
The format was originally launched in 1973 as the German-American Conference by Atlantik-Brücke and has been continued by Global Bridges since 2010 as the European-American Young Leaders Conference. Participants represent not only countries of the European Union or the United States, but the entirety of Europe and North America. The conferences have taken place in regions of geostrategic importance – from Central Asia and the Caucasus to the Balkans and Northern Iraq. Members, sponsors, and partners of Global Bridges can nominate Young Leaders.
Young Leaders Conferences since 2010
We build on half a century of experiences in bringing together Young Leaders.
Countries represented
Our Young Leaders come not only from Germany, but from across Europe, as well as from China, India, the United States, and parts of the Middle East and Central Asia.
Reunions
Since 2012, we have hosted regular multi-day gatherings to strengthen cohesion and dialogue between cohorts and program formats.
Our Events
Our schedule of activities features delegation trips to geostrategic locations, conferences held at key flashpoints of world history, and high-level discussions on pressing global issues. Unless otherwise stated, participation in these events is by invitation only.
Our feed
On LinkedIn, we share what drives us: reflections on past activities, inspiring encounters, and announcements of upcoming events and initiatives.
Interested?
We create exiting opportunities for our members, Young Leaders, partners, and participants.
