The School extends its sincere gratitude to Prof. Djordjija Petkoski, Lecturer at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, whose dedication and vision played a pivotal role in building the bridge between the Zicklin Center’s Global Social Impact initiative and the School for Young Leaders.
The collaboration was inaugurated during the Global Social Impact: Actionable Cross Generational Knowledge Exchange: The Role of Young People in the Age of AIability conference, held on October 17, 2025, at Wharton (University of Pennsylvania) and online. Organized by Wharton students (LGST 4010 and LGST 2300) in cooperation with the Wharton Tanoto ASEAN Initiative, the Zicklin Center, and the Netter Center, the event brought together over 160 students, young professionals, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from around the world.
This initiative centers on multi-generational collaboration to address some of the most pressing global challenges of our time, from sustainable development and AI-driven transformation to governance, ethics, and youth engagement in shaping the future.
The conference featured high-level discussions and student-led research presentations on topics such as AI and employment for Gen Z, AI governance and institutional frameworks, data center sustainability, AI in agriculture, responsible investment and ESG, urban infrastructure development, and AI in sports. Students and experts presented innovative research through “AIability” (AI and Sustainability) papers, which explored the ethical, environmental, and socio-economic implications of AI deployment across sectors.
