28th May
15:00
CHECK-IN
VENUE: GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK, Bratislava
18:00 – 19:00
CULTURAL PROGRAMME
VENUE: SLOVAK NATIONAL GALLERY, please be ready to leave GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK at 17:45
19:00
INFORMAL PROGRAM IN THE CITY
29th May
10:00 – 11:45
GYLF 2023 WELCOME BRUNCH
VENUE: OLIVE YOU RESTAURANT
ROBERT IVANSCHITZ, Associate General Counsel – Central Europe, Middle East & Africa, Microsoft
OLIVIA STRAPEKOVÁ, Managing director, GLOBSEC
11:45
GLOBSEC YOUNG LEADERS 2023 FAMILY PHOTO
VENUE: LOBBY, GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK
12:00
GLOBSEC BRATISLAVA FORUM 2023 OFFICIAL WELCOME & SCENE SETTING
VENUE: DANUBE STAGE, GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK
17:30 – 18:00
GYLF CHAT: GLOBAL EUROPE TAKING ON GLOBAL CRISIS
VENUE: PRESIDENTIAL APARTMENT, GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK
The unprecedented crises of the last four years asserted Europe’s position as a global actor. From the Covid19 pandemic and the economic crisis to the war in Ukraine, the EU found itself both confronted and capable to counter the narrative of a somewhat inward-looking entity, too focused on internal issues and divisions to act externally. In what ways did the war in Ukraine unite Europe and which of them are likely to endure the conflict, given the lines of polarisation within the individual member states? What impact did it have on the key aspects of EU policy-making, including the Common Foreign and Security policy? What is Europe willing to do to further embrace the status of a global player and what are the strengths it can draw upon to remain so?
ROBERTA METSOLA, President, European parliament
LED BY: RICARDO FARINHA, Program Manager, Carnegie Europe, GYLF 2023 Participant
20:30 – 23:00
GLOBSEC BRATISLAVA FORUM COCTAIL
VENUE: GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK
30th May
08:15 – 09:00
GYLF SESSION: RUNNING UP THAT HILL: THE STRATEGY OF EUROPE’S DEMOCRACY
VENUE: PRESIDENTIAL APARTMENT, GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK
Energy prices, inflation, and other pressing issues are posing a challenge to democratic governments within the EU; in some countries, people are (continuously) turning to radical solutions, offered by radical leaders, riding the wave of the current crises to earn political points. What forces will prevail in the spring and autumn round of elections around the EU? Will Europe be able to upkeep its “timeless standards”, or will it plummet further into the wild? And how might the EU adjust its priorities according to what will need to be done?
ARANCHA GONZÁLEZ LAYA, Dean, Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences PO
CHARLES POWELL, Director, Elcano Royal Institute
LED BY: RIKARD JOZWIAK, Europe Editor, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
09:30 – 10:30
GYLF DISCUSSION: NATO – CHALLENGES OLD AND NEW?
VENUE: OLIVE YOU RESTAURANT
The effect of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on NATO has, despite some complications, been celebrated by the Western world as a moment of strength for the Alliance, enlarging its membership and bringing more unity. This unexpected boost to its membership and cohesion notwithstanding, NATO still faces a range of threats that both precede and extend beyond the conflict on its Eastern flank. Can NATO maintain its cohesion when it comes to its political, as well as military strategies and public support? Will the new Secretary General maintain the commitments of its predecessor to enhance climate and energy security? And what about the wider arenas of conflict, including the Arctic, cyber, and space?
THOMAS GOFFUS, Assistant Secretary General for Operations, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
BENEDETTA BERTI, Head, Policy Planning, Office of the Secretary General, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
KATARÍNA KERTYSOVÁ, Policy Fellow, European Leadership Network, GYLF 2018 Alumnus
LED BY: TEODORA DELCHEVA, Policy Officer, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, GYLF 2023 Participant
12:45 – 13:30
GYLF DISCUSSION: WAIT-AND-SEE: IS CHINA SET TO PREVAIL IN THE BID FOR GLOBAL HEGEMONY
VENUE: GLOBSEC BOAT
From 17+1 to 5G, from Hong Kong to Taiwan, and from AI to surveillance balloons, China’s efforts to assert its economic and geopolitical influence over the last decade or so alone have put a strain on its relationship with the US, tested the limits of the global order and the values it has been based on since the end of the Cold War, and presented the countries outside the US sphere of influence with an alternative vision of ‘prosperous’ societies. What impact has this had on Russia, the EU, the US and other players hoping to hold on to or strengthen their position in global affairs? Has the conflict in Ukraine merely reaffirmed China’s determination to gain the upper hand, or has it finally changed the global power dynamic, directly or indirectly? Will the war in Ukraine finally tip the scales, or will it become yet another episode in this ongoing ‘clash of civilizations’?
LOBSANG SANGAY, Former President of the Central Tibetan Administration
VLADIMIR MILOV, Former Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation
FILIP ŠEBOK, Research Fellow, Association for International Affairs
LED BY: MARIE-ANNE BROUILLON, Project Manager, GLOBSEC Brussels
14:15 – 15:00
GYLF DISCUSSION: AI-POWERED DISINFORMATION: FROM FOE TO FRIEND?
VENUE: OLIVE YOU RESTAURANT
The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence poses various questions, from privacy concerns to possibly replacing part of the workforce. One of the biggest challenges, however, is its ability to change the perception of information and its potential when it comes to disinformation. From Pope in a puffer jacket, to fake media stories and politicians saying unimaginable things, there are several instances of AI being used for deep fakes, creating fake and harmful narratives, not to mention, at a rapid rate. What should cohabitation with AI look like? And what are the possible strengths of AI that can be harnessed to enhance rather than endanger democracy?
DAVE LEICHTMAN, Director of Corporate Civic Responsibility, Microsoft
NAĎA KOVALČIKOVÁ, Senior Analyst and Co-Director of the CFI project, EU Institute for Security Studies, GYLF 2015 Alumnus
LED BY: SIMON VAN HOEVE, Policy Coordinator for European Government Affairs, Microsoft, GYLF 2023 Participant
15:15 – 16:00
GYLF DISCUSSION: NON-ALIGNMENT DEJA VU – GLOBAL SOUTH IN THE NEWLY DIVIDED WORLD
VENUE: OLIVE YOU RESTAURANT
While the West mobilized to support Ukraine, the stance and support for either side on the African continent and among some Asian countries are somewhat more complex. Russia’s and China’s influence in these countries is strong and the West is losing ground, but there is more to it than that. Are we witnessing a resurrection or a mere continuation of the non-alignment movement, or growing importance of some of these countries and regions in their own right? What impact will this have on the global standing of the West, Russia, and China, and indeed the future global order?
NATHALIE LOISEAU, Chair, Subcommittee on Security and Defence, European Parliament
BRYCE WAKEFIELD, National Executive Director, Australian Institute of International Affairs
SHAFIAH MUHIBAT, Deputy Executive Director, Centre for Strategic and International Studies
ROLAND FREUDENSTEIN, Vice President, GLOBSEC
LED BY: SHRUTI JAIN, Associate Fellow and Coordinator, Observer Research Foundation, GYLF 2023 Participant
16:30 – 17:30
#PREBUNKERS WORKSHOP BY ATLANTIC FORUM ACADEMY
VENUE: EXECUTIVE LIVING ROOM, GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK
#PreBunkers is a workshop designed by the Atlantic Forum Academy based on the ‘Bad News Game’, an educational browser game designed by ‘DROG’ and Cambridge University, and uses declassified material on resilience from NATO’s CIMIC Centre of Excellence and NATO doctrine on Information Operations. The game is classified as a serious game and a newsgame aimed at improving media literacy and social impact and has been described by the media as a “fake news vaccine”.
LED BY: JOHN G.L.J JACOBS, Director, Atlantic Forum, GYLF 2018 Alumnus
19:30 – 21:45
GLOBSEC SUNSET CRUISE TO DEVIN CASTLE
VENUE: GLOBSEC BOAT
PLEASE BE PRESENT AT THE BOAT BY 19:15
31th May
8:00 – 8:45
GYLF DISCUSSION: UKRAINE, EU, AND THE DEMOCRATIC WEST: UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES?
VENUE: GLOBSEC BOAT
The way the world, led by Europe, came together to deliver political as well as material support for Ukraine, has matched the country’s heroic efforts to fight for its integrity and place in the EU and the democratic West. A year on, however, an array of all too familiar cracks has begun to appear. There is a discrepancy between the promise and the delivery – and at times addressability – of the supplies including ammunition, a growing pro-Russian stance creeping (back) into CEE societies especially, and a sense of fatigue fuelled by no apparent end in sight. Is the West working at the limits of its possibilities, and what are the limiting factors? What of the plans for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine? And what does all this mean for the shifting sands of the current global system?
IVAN KORČOK, Former Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic
MATTHEW RHODES, Professor of National Security Studies, George C. Marshall Center
LED BY: LUKÁŠ ONDERČANIN, Reporter, SME Daily
09:30 – 10:00
GYLF DISCUSSION: REGULATING THE DIGITAL SPACE: WHOSE LOAD TO CARRY?
VENUE: EXECUTIVE LIVING ROOM, GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK
Rapid technological advancements and digital transformation are profoundly reforming our societies. From disinformation efforts during the pandemic and war in Ukraine to the emergence of AI and its implications for reshaping the workforce. Is it time for digital regulation? How to prevent the creation of different standards across different countries moving forward? Is the private sector able to regulate itself properly, or is there a golden mean where the public and private can embrace cooperation and boost transformation and innovation?
10:45 – 11:30
GYLF DISCUSSION: IN SEARCH OF SUPPLY INDEPENDANCE – ENERGY SECURITY POST-RUSSIAN INVASION
VENUE: EXECUTIVE LIVING ROOM, GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK
Mere months following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe was, with few exemptions, able to limit energy source intake from Russia, to not only stop funding their war effort but to also diversify and embrace its energy security. Will the impact of this be short-lived, or will it act as a much-needed accelerator of Europe’s much-proclaimed ‘green’ turn? What are the human, financial, and political costs of such a turn? Where does that leave Russia as an energy supplier and what impact will this have on global affairs and security?
JULIE DOMAC, Special Advisor on Energy and Climate, Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia
LED BY: DINAND DRANKIER, Deputy Head of Unit, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy of the Netherlands, GYLF 2023 Participant
15:50
GLOBSEC BRATISLAVA FORUM 2023 CLOSING REMARKS
VENUE: DANUBE STAGE, GRAND HOTEL RIVER PARK