TRT World Forum, a subsidiary of Turkish public broadcaster TRT World, has announced NEXT, a special youth event designed to tackle major issues facing the global community. The full-day, in-person event aims to unite around 750 curious minds from Turkey and abroad at the Zorlu Center, Istanbul, in May 14.

NEXT will host panel discussions and keynote talks addressing pressing current social, cultural and technological issues that will have significant impacts on the future. Items on the agenda include climate change, space tourism, the evolution of technology and sociopolitical unrest across the world. "NEXT aims to be a dynamic platform for young leaders, academics, activists, NGO workers, entrepreneurs and journalists to articulate their visions of the future and provide inspired solutions for a more inclusive world," said Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, Director General of TRT.

"Young people bring fresh eyes to complex problems. We’re excited to see what kinds of innovative solutions and strategies our attendees come up with when they’re in a room with each other," he added.

NEXT will feature keynotes from a range of industry leaders and influencers, as well as workshops and side events focusing on specific issues like non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the Metaverse and the future of digital content creation. The diverse range of speakers will include influencers Sana and Will Saleh, whose mission to dispel misconceptions about Islam has earned them an impressive 1.7 million followers on TikTok, world-renowned digital media expert and "futurist" Glen Gilmore and Pakistani youth disability activist Tanzila Khan. Also in attendance will be social impact leader Ece Çiftçi, motivational speaker Jamira Burley and Nisreen Elsaim, chair of the U.N. Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change.