Masterclasses in Leadership: NXT Fellowship 2026 Cohort Engages with Global Architects of Policy and Innovation

The NXT Fellowship’s academic program was anchored by an extraordinary series of masterclass conversations, offering scholars direct access to the minds shaping the 21st century. These sessions provided a rare platform for 65 of the world’s most promising young leaders to challenge assumptions and gain insights into the complexities of global governance and innovation.

This year’s cohort brought together a powerful assembly of young minds nominated by their universities for their leadership potential. Representing 37 institutions across 21 nations, the cohort of 65 fellows included Anush Zakoian, Lia Ohanyan, and Benik Balayan from Armenia, Prathyusha Sharvani Sreeramagiri and Robert Michael Meade from Melbourne Business School, Sita Rai, Sonam Choki, and Kinley Peldon from Royal University Bhutan, Ding Ding and Le Shiying from Tsinghua University, Shambhavi Agrawal and Nishi Shah from India, IIT Gandhinagar, Maiwand Safi, Vidya Laxmi Jaishi, and Ackshay Ambekar from South Asian University, amongst others. Each fellow was selected to experience India’s progress firsthand and engage in high-level intellectual exchange with global icons.

The sessions were headlined by a profound dialogue with Scott Morrison, former Prime Minister of Australia, who explored the intricacies of contemporary geopolitics with the group. Kartikeya Sharma, Member of Parliament and founder of the NXT Fellowship, held a dedicated session to hear the fellows’ perspectives on India, fostering a two-way exchange of ideas. The scholars also engaged with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on urban leadership and met with Gaganyaan astronauts Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Group Captain Ajith Krishnan, and retired NASA Astronaut Captain Scott Kelly, to discuss the future of space exploration.

Beyond politics and space, the sessions tackled the “big ideas” of the decade. India’s former CEC Dr. K. V. Subramanian discussed the roadmap for India becoming a $55 trillion economy by 2047, while Ambassador Ajay Bisaria and Harsh Vardhan Shringla provided a masterclass in strategic autonomy and diplomacy. 

The fellows debated national security with Lt. Gen. P. J. S. Pannu (Retd.), civilizational soft power with Ambassador Bhaswati Mukherjee, and analyzed the future of the energy sector with Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi. The fellows were further exposed to specialized sessions with Tejasvi Surya (MP) on youth leadership, Mitali Nikore on economic inclusion, Hindol Sengupta on civilizational identity, Ridhi Setty on AI-driven media, and Sherub Dorji on the Gelephu Mindfulness City provided a 360-degree education. 

From the “Mindfulness City” concepts of Bhutanese leader Sherub Dorji to the role of AI in journalism with Ridhi Setty, the one-on-one sessions ensured that the 65 fellows left with a comprehensive, multi-dimensional view of the global future.