As the world rapidly changes, so do the challenges and opportunities facing young people. Over the past year, the Youth Research Institute and our academic partners have explored the latest social, political, and technological trends shaping the next generation. Drawing from our recent publication, Youth '24: Report on Youth Affairs, we have identified the key developments affecting Hungarian and global youth in 2024, including political engagement in a ‘Super Election’ year, the regulation of artificial intelligence, and demographic trends.
As we progress through 2025, these issues continue to evolve, prompting our institute to broaden its focus on youth and their global contexts. To foster constructive dialogue on these topics, the Youth Research Institute is organizing the second annual "Emerging Voices: Perspectives from the Next Generation of Scholars in Youth Research" conference in Budapest on May 14, 2025. This year, we have invited aspiring PhD candidates and young professionals from around the world to share their research, findings, and perspectives on the state of youth and generational dynamics, focusing on the following themes:
- The characteristics of today’s youth social relationships – exploring family, friendship, and community dynamics.
- The dark side of being young in the 21st century – examining new dependencies, fetishes, and fears.
- The plans and future visions of young people in an era of uncertainty – analyzing aspirations and future trajectories amidst global challenges.
Schedule:
10:00 – 10:05: Opening speech
- Dr. Zoltán Szalai, Director General, MCC
10:05 – 11:05: Keynote Presentations
- Dr. Isabel Rodríguez de Dios, University of Salamanca
- Dr. Georgina Kiss-Kozma, Youth Research Institute
- Dr. Milson Veloso, Corvinus University of Budapest
11:05 – 11:25: Coffee Break
11:25 – 12:25: The characteristics of today’s youth social relationships – Exploring family, friendship, and community.
- Ilona Dabney-Fekete and Ágnes Réka Dusa, University of Debrecen
- Fatemeh Faroughi, University of Debrecen
- Miklós Gyorgyovich, Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church
12:25 – 13:25: Lunch Break
13:25 – 14:25: The dark side of being young in the 21st century – exploring new dependencies, fetishes, and fears.
- Amanda Fortuna-Sobczak, Adam Mickiewicz University
- Dr. Nomatter Sande, University of Glasgow
- Ignacia Sierra, University of Sussex
14:25 – 14:45: Coffee Break
14:45 – 15:45: The plans and future visions of young people in an era of uncertainty – Analyzing aspirations and future trajectories amidst global challenges
- Meyly Kheng, University of Debrecen
- Liam Miles, University of Northampton
- Epsilandri Septyarini, Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University
15:45 – 15:50: Closing remarks
- Dr. Levente Székely, Director, Youth Research Institute
The event is free of charge, but registration is required:
Facebook page of the event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1015879503775123
