Global Youth Leadership Academy (GYLA) was founded in 2016, in close collaboration with academic institutions and the UN agencies. GYLA benefits from Dr. Liangrong Zu’s thirty years’ expertise and experience in education and training in the central government and United Nations. GYLA is a unique platform for young people to have the opportunity of learning and exchanging information and knowledge with global successful leaders. GYLA intends to empower the next generation of leaders to combine creativity, innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship to tackle major social and environmental issues. GYLA organizes winter and summer academy, and offline and online courses. GYLA also organizes an annual International Youth Leadership Forum in collaboration with governments, UN agencies, academic institutions, and youth organizations.
PURPOSE
To inspire and empower youth as future leaders for engagement in achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
VALUE
Commitment to high quality of products and services, mutual support and team work, positive emotion, creative and initiatives, trust and respect, cultural diversity, growth mindset, professionalism.
VISION
Be the champion in youth leadership development and empowerment program in the world.
GOALS
To create a unique platform for youth to dialogue with and learn from successful leaders; to develop a cradle for youth to grow and develop into future leaders; to unleash youth’s inner sources of new growth potential and achieve new levels of personal fulfilment.
Young people may be called the ‘torchbearers’ of the 2030 Agenda, since they have a pivotal role to play not just as beneficiaries of actions and policies under the Agenda, but rather as partners and participants in its implementation. Young people have been architects in the development of the 2030 Agenda, and remain engaged in the frameworks and processes that support its implementation, follow-up and review.
Since she was founded, GYLA shares the purpose and vision of the United Nations on youth development and youth engagement, which are cross-cutting issues in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. GYLA finds herself an intrinsic link to United Nations. GYLA was launched at a historical juncture as the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted in 2015, and the UN 2030 Youth Strategy was developed in 2017.
GYLA was born for empowering young people as future leaders to engage in movement of social change, because she is aware that the active engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is central to achieving sustainable, inclusive and stable societies by the target date, and to averting the worst threats and challenges to sustainable development. As the United Nations turned 75 in 2020, and with only 10 years remaining to make the 2030 Agenda a reality for all, it is every important for institutions at the local, national and global levels to engage young people in global actions for SDGs.
