Youth Impact Summit 2026 held at Jagannath University

The Youth Impact Summit 2026 was held at Jagannath University (JnU) on August 25, 2026, to mark International Youth Day 2026, focusing on developing young people's skills, voice and leadership and their role in

The event was jointly organised by the university's Office of External Affairs, Children Watch Foundation (CWF), and the Marketing Club of Jagannath University. 45 students of the university participated in the summit.

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Member of Parliament from Madaripur-3, Anisur Rahman Talukdar, attended the event as the chief guest. JnU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Rais Uddin was present as the keynote speaker, while Prof Dr Imranul Haque, chairman of the university's Department of Marketing, attended as a special guest. Growth Editor of The Daily Star, Azad Baig, and Head of Programme and Activation at Bdjobs, Mohammad Ali Firoz, were also present as experts. Shah Israt Azmery, chairman of Children Watch Foundation, chaired the programme.

Addressing the event, chief guest Anisur Rahman Talukdar said, “From my real-life experience, I have found skills, voice, and leadership to be complementary to one another. Leadership begins in the classroom. When I enrolled at Jagannath University, that was where my journey of leadership began.”

“Many of us think leadership means holding a political position. But in professional and real life, we have to take responsibility for leadership in every sphere,” he added.

Speaking as the keynote speaker, JnU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Rais Uddin said, “Young people are the greatest strength of a country. If we can develop their skills, confidence and leadership abilities, they will not only build their own future but also play an important role in bringing positive changes to society and the country. The combination of skills, voice and leadership creates the capacity young people need to move forward.”

He said, “The world is changing rapidly. To keep pace with these changes, young people need more than academic knowledge. They also need communication skills, critical thinking, decision-making abilities and leadership qualities. They should come forward to address various social problems by using their voices for positive purposes.”

Addressing the event as chair, Shah Israt Azmery said, “Whether it is the political sector or the grassroots level, skills, voice and leadership are extremely important for young people in every field. If we can develop ourselves by combining these three, no one will be able to hold us back. We will be able to lead our country and make meaningful contributions to the economic, social, development and voluntary sectors.”

“We need to move forward with a global perspective. Many countries are far ahead of us in developing the skills and leadership of young people. Therefore, we must now come forward with confidence. If the young people of Bangladesh use their talent, culture, peaceful mindset and positive actions, we can not only make our country successful but also make an impact globally,” she added.

Highlighting the importance of leadership development among young people, she said, “If we work with patience and perseverance, our skills will develop, while our voice and confidence will also become stronger. Along with the growth of skills and confidence, our leadership capacity will also develop.”

The summit featured discussions on youth skills, voice and leadership development, as well as their role in bringing about social change. A competitions were also organised for the participating students, with the top five participants receiving awards.

In addition, The Daily Star's Jagannath University correspondent, Rakib Madbar, received the Youth Impact Award 2026 from Children Watch Foundation.