The World Young Leaders Forum of the BMW Stiftung Herbert Quandt brings together leaders from all over the world: It is addressed to all participants and speakers of one or several of the BMW Foundation’s annual Transatlantic, Europe Asia, Indo-German, Russian German, European Young Leaders Forums, the International Diplomats Programme, the German-Russian Dialogues Baden-Baden, as well as of the APK Young Leaders Forum and the Arab-European Young Leaders Forum. The first Young Leaders Forum – a Transatlantic Forum – took place in 1995; the other regional forums have gradually been added since 2001.

The World Young Leaders Forum aims to tie together the many threads that have been woven over the years in the context of the regional conferences and re-mobilize the resources, experiences and knowledge of this extraordinary network for use in a global context. Taking place every second year, the World Young Leaders Forums focus on socio-political and economic issues that are no longer just of national or regional importance, but have achieved global significance due to globalization.

The first World Young Leaders Forum took place in 2005 on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Entitled “Identity and Trust in International Relations,” it brought together some 50 participants who the BMW Foundation selected from its young leaders network.

Bringing together more than two hundred alumni of the Foundation, the 2nd World Young Leaders Forum took place in Mumbai in November 2009. The Forum sought to deepen the dialogue and relations among the Young Leaders from now 45 countries, a variety of disciplines, and 15 years of conferences, and strengthen their commitment as leaders.