College of William and Mary
05/06/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/06/2024 08:31
William & Mary selected as institutional partner for 2024 NATO Youth Summit
William & Mary selected as institutional partner for 2024 NATO Youth Summit
William & Mary has been selected as an institutional partner for the 2024 NATO Youth Summit, taking place on May 13, 2024, in Stockholm, Sweden, and Miami, Florida.
Published May 6, 2024
For students on campus, the Reves Center for International Studies and the Democracy Initiative will host an official 2024 NATO Youth Summit Watch Party on Monday, May 13.
William & Mary has been selected as an institutional partner for the 2024 NATO Youth Summit, taking place on May 13, 2024, in Stockholm, Sweden, and Miami, Florida.
"William & Mary has a longstanding commitment to leadership and collaboration on the global scale," said W&M Provost Peggy Agouris. "William & Mary's relationship with NATO, especially after co-hosting last year's NATO Youth Summit, offers passionate students the opportunity to work with other accomplished young people from around the world. Together, they will make important connections and push past limits to generate novel solutions."
As an institutional partner, William & Mary will send four delegates to represent the university. Lydia Urban, public relations and event manager for the Whole of Government Center of Excellence (WGC), and Elizabeth Marcus '26, events co-director of William & Mary Global Innovation Challenge (WMGIC), will participate at the Swedish Defence University in Stockholm, Sweden. Gabe Cancio-Bello '20, director of marketing and communications at W&M Washington Center, and Eileen Ackley '26, Global Research Institute (GRI) Global Scholar, will represent W&M at Superblue in Miami.
For students on campus, the Reves Center for International Studies and the Democracy Initiative will host an official 2024 NATO Youth Summit Watch Party on Monday, May 13. The event will be held in Swem Library, where there will be discussions about the NATO Youth Summit panels along with insights on the Aspen Institute's "Better Arguments" framework.
"William & Mary has a deep and long-established relationship with NATO. We are honored to be a partner in advancing democratic values and strengthening security alliances through the education of the next generation," said Kathryn H. Floyd, director of the Whole of Government Center of Excellence at William & Mary. "Together, we will empower young minds to be ready to counter aggression, protect the vulnerable and cultivate a safe and prosperous world."
University collaborations with NATO Headquarters in Brussels go back several decades, encompassing partnerships, internships and more. From 2020 to 2022, the Whole of Government Center of Excellence collaborated with NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence on several cybersecurity workshops and publications. WMGIC has partnered with NATO Headquarters for three years with their fall WMGIC x NATO Countering Disinformation Challenge, which will be held on Nov. 1, 2024.
"At William & Mary, we are building scholarly and professional relationships in countries across the world, including members of the NATO alliance. As we do this work, we keep our students front and center," said Teresa Longo, associate provost for international affairs and executive director of the Reves Center for International Studies. "Our students' participation at the 2024 summit in Stockholm, Miami and on campus is an excellent example of the scholarly real-world education William & Mary students have embraced and a hint of the impact they are already making in the world."
Considered a NATO flagship event, the Youth Summit, now in its fourth year, is designed to engage young audiences from Allied nations, partner countries and beyond. The summit will delve into topics as varied as NATO's role in preserving peace, the need for diverse perspectives in the security arena, efforts to combat disinformation, the impact of emerging technologies, human rights, the security implications of climate change and the importance of integrating gender perspectives into the security agenda.
To follow along with William & Mary's involvement during the 2024 NATO Youth Summit, follow W&M Washington Center, WMGIC, WGC, Reves and GRI's social media.