As part of its mission to transform education worldwide, the FWE Education Diplomacy Panel Event on September 28, 2024, at the Penn Club of New York will bring together leaders in government, education, and business. The panel will highlight how international education initiatives can address global challenges and empower the next generation of leaders.
Event Host:
Angel Wei, FWE Young Leader, Founder of Sustainability Communications Advisory
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund
5-minute speech on the transformative impact of women’s and girls’ education on global health and development.
Panel I:
- Ethan Jiayi Yu, Host and Lead Panelist, Class of 2024 President, NYU Stern
- Andre Sebastian Fraga, American student with international business connections in China
- Holley Coulter, American student, native Chinese speaker, dual degree holder (Russia & LSE)
- Ahmed Bharoocha, NYU Stern Breakthrough Scholar, Manager at American Express
- Anchor Ebanks, Founder and CEO of Crates Health
Panel II:
- Ani Kharajian, Host of this Panel, FWE Vice President & Steering Committee member; Senior Portfolio Director, Executive Education, Harvard Business School
- Rossana Hu, Founding Partner, Neri&Hu Design; Chair, Department of Architecture, University of Pennsylvania
- Bentley Zhao, CEO, New Empire Group
- Yin Luo, Vice Chairman, Wolfe Research
- Noel Ginsburg, Founder, Chairman & CEO, CareerWise USA
- Sandhya Espitia, Chief Operating Officer at Real Estate Board of New York
Conclude speaker:
Dr. Susan Sclafani, Vice President, FWE
Event Recap:
On September 28, 2024, the Forum for World Education (FWE) successfully hosted a major forum at the Penn Club in New York, themed “Educational Diplomacy: How International Perspectives Shape the Next Generation.”
The event brought together global leaders, policymakers, and education experts to explore the critical role of education in cultivating future global leaders. Curated by FWE Chairman Dr. Cheng Davis, the forum aligned closely with FWE’s mission: “to advocate for educational transformation in response to the evolving global demand for skills and knowledge, and to support economic growth, social progress, and sustainable development.”
All speakers were invited by Dr. Davis and contributed diverse international perspectives on how education can address global challenges, drive sustainable development, and elevate youth voices.
The forum opened with a keynote video address by Dr. Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA. She emphasized the essential role of education—particularly for women and girls—in advancing global health and development. She called for stronger secondary education systems to protect and empower youth, especially in developing countries, stressing that education is a cornerstone of global peace and sustainability.
The first panel discussion, titled “The Power of Educational Diplomacy: Shaping Future Global Leaders through International Education,” was moderated by Ethan Jiayi Yu, President of the NYU Stern Undergraduate Student Government. Panelists included Andre Sebastian Fraga (a U.S. student engaged with China-related business), Holley Coulter (a Russian-American fluent in Chinese), Ahmed Bharoocha (Breakthrough Scholar at NYU Stern and Manager at American Express), and Anchor Ebanks (Founder & CEO of Crates Health). They shared personal stories of living and studying across cultures, and how international education shaped their leadership, cross-cultural communication skills, and global outlook.
Holley recounted her upbringing in China, highlighting how international education helped her break cultural stereotypes and develop deeper intercultural understanding. Ahmed reflected on his NYU experience and emphasized how a global perspective supports business diplomacy and enhances decision-making in multicultural contexts. All panelists agreed that international education plays a pivotal role in developing empathy, cultural awareness, and adaptive leadership—essential traits for future global leaders.
The second panel, moderated by Ani Kharajian, Senior Program Director for Executive Education at Harvard Business School, focused on “The Role of Business in Global Education and Workforce Readiness.” Panelists included Rossana Hu (Founding Partner of Neri&Hu and Chair of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania), Bentley Zhao (CEO of New Empire Corp and FWE Steering Committee Member), Yin Luo (Vice Chairman of Wolfe Research and FWE Steering Committee Member), Noel Ginsburg (Founder & CEO of CareerWise USA), and Dr. Lynette N. Tannis (Lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education and expert in juvenile justice education). Together, they explored how businesses can help shape the next-generation workforce and bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Noel Ginsburg highlighted Switzerland’s apprenticeship model as a successful example of integrating classroom learning with real-world experience and emphasized that quality education and employment are universal aspirations. Rossana Hu stressed the value of incorporating practical experience into architectural education to enhance students’ readiness. Dr. Tannis advocated for early collaboration between academia and industry and reiterated that education is a lifelong journey. Yin Luo underscored the need for interdisciplinary skills, global awareness, and human-centric capabilities to navigate today’s complex international environment. Bentley Zhao emphasized bringing real-world projects into classrooms to better prepare students for competitive, employment-oriented outcomes. Panelists collectively agreed that deep collaboration between education and industry is critical for advancing leadership and workforce development.
The forum concluded with closing remarks by Dr. Susan Sclafani, Vice Chair of FWE and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education. She reaffirmed the importance of education–industry partnerships in preparing future leaders and called for equitable access to educational opportunities for all children to help reduce social inequality. She also stressed the importance of vocational and adult education and encouraged young leaders to drive change toward a more just and prosperous world.
This forum provided a vital platform for discussions on international education, educational diplomacy, and global leadership development. Participants agreed that transnational collaboration, business engagement, and multicultural exchange are essential to building broader growth pathways and diverse solutions for the next generation of leaders—fostering a more inclusive and sustainable global future.
