Sister city students join inspirational Birmingham summit for young leaders
Young women from around the world joined an online summit that connected them with inspirational female leaders – boosting their confidence and leadership skills.
Organised by the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council, Young Women into Leadership (YouWIL) is a six-day online summit for more than 70 girls aged 14-16 from Birmingham’s sister cities such as Chicago, Changchun, Milan, Lyon, Frankfurt, Johannesburg and Zaporizhzhia. This year, the summit welcomed participants from India for the first time.
Over the first five days, participants took part in two-hour interactive online sessions – each with a distinct theme: Politics and Public Service, Business, Sport and Wellbeing, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and Creative Industries, Culture and Media.
Each session featured inspiring leaders sharing insights on leadership, career paths, and overcoming challenges. Throughout the week, the teenagers worked in small international teams with guidance from University of Birmingham mentors to develop a presentation on a given theme.
A student from Birmingham commented: “This summit has inspired me to be different and be me at all times and being different is more like a superpower as I can see all my unique talents and ideas.”
Another participant from India said: “I feel truly privileged to be a part of the You WIL Summit, as it has left a lasting positive impact on me. It has strengthened my self-belief, boosted my confidence, and motivated me to dream bigger. The inspiring sessions have encouraged me to embrace my passion for painting and sketching as a serious career path. Overall, it has shaped my outlook towards the future, guiding me to pursue creativity with willingness and with heart.”
Each group then presented online on the final day to a panel comprising YouWIL Academic Lead: Dr Meng Tian, from the University of Birmingham; Dr Sammer Saleh Jones, Director for Global Relations, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Andrea Edwards, Director of Global Relations and Research, University of Birmingham, Heather Law, International Affairs Manager, Birmingham City Council and YouWIL Lead Mentor, Dr Frances Seabridge, University of Birmingham.
Dr Meng Tian, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Birmingham, commented: “As the University of Birmingham celebrates its 125 anniversary, we remain committed to supporting young people around the world in our ongoing role as a global civic university.
“You WIL provided an excellent opportunity for our female academic experts to mentor and support girls from around the globe, as they gained inspiration from the wonderful range of female leaders who gave up their time to share their experiences with the next generation.”
Among more than 30 female leaders taking part in the programme were:
Sandie Okoro OBE, Chancellor of the University of Birmingham
Fouzia Younis MBE, British Counsul General to Toronto
Shellya Rogers-Webster, Minister of Education, Social Development, Youth & Culture
Di Xiao, Classical piano soloist and cultural ambassador
Laura Howell, Comic artist for The Beano, world's longest running comic
Kay Wright, Head of BBC Midlands
Lara Shekerdemian, Chair of Pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital
Lamyea Ahmed - PhD student in Aerospace Engineering
Vicky Gosling, Chair of the Board for the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 event
Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal from Birmingham City Council commented: “The programme exemplifies the City of Birmingham’s commitment to investing in future generations and embracing cultural diversity, fostering meaningful connections between like-minded young leaders in Birmingham and cities worldwide, establishing a global outlook for future change makers.”
By working in international teams, participants engaged in cultural exchange, broadening their global perspectives by learning from one another’s diverse backgrounds. The programme promotes student mobility and connects students from Birmingham with their peers from across the world.
By working in international teams, participants engaged in cultural exchange, broadening their global perspectives by learning from one another’s diverse backgrounds. The programme promotes student mobility and connects students from Birmingham with their peers from across the world.
