From June 23 to 28, the “Eurasia Global” Forum was held in Orenburg, bringing together 160 delegates from 59 Russian regions and 24 countries. Convening in the heart of Eurasia, participants sought to advance the international youth community through the framework of the International Friendship Clubs (IFCs), exchange experience, acquire new professional competencies, and develop an action plan for the near term.

At the closing ceremony, held as part of Orenburg’s Youth Day celebrations, Sergey Molchanov, Director of the Youth Policy Department for the Orenburg Region, offered words of encouragement to the forum participants from all over the world.

“We are striving to explore our region, showcase its landmarks, so that people come here to study. Stay here to work. Stay here to live. Stay here to create. I congratulate everyone on Youth Day!” said Sergey Molchanov.

Over six days, young participants engaged in thematic labs, consulted with experts in management, team development, international relations, and soft skills, and held wide-ranging discussions on existing growth areas, participant motivation within IFC events, resource mobilisation, effective formats, performance metrics, and other key topics. Crucially, the outcomes proved to be eminently practical.

“Our objective was to move beyond the situation where forums leave behind only fine words. And we have succeeded. Participants are departing with tangible tools and frameworks—a roadmap board game, resource and deficit cards, a clear model for cultural patronage, and principles for cross-cultural communication and international cooperation. Most importantly, there is now an understanding that the IFC network can function as a system of mutual support, rather than a collection of isolated clubs. Foreign participants have become full-fledged partners, not merely guests. The forum may have ended, but the revitalised IFC network is just beginning its next chapter. The World Youth Festival Directorate will continue to support the clubs in the post-forum period, because the real transformation happens not in the conference hall, but in the regions, once participants return home,” said Anastasia Belomytseva, Programme Director of the “Eurasia Global” Forum.

Collaborative initiatives emerged directly from the forum floor, set to be implemented by young people from Russia and abroad in the immediate future. These include an Arabic-language club jointly launched by representatives from Egypt and the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, and educational visits by Spanish-speaking participants to schools in the Leningrad Region. Concrete mentoring agreements have also been established between clubs: the St. Petersburg and Moscow IFCs have declared their readiness to serve as resource hubs for newly formed teams.

The forum demonstrated that international participants can assume roles beyond that of guest—they can be leaders, co-organisers, and drivers of club activities. Many delegates experienced for the first time being active co-authors of the programme, rather than passive listeners. They engaged vigorously in discussions, proposed their own ideas, embraced responsibility, and expressed a strong desire to serve as future organisers. Participants noted that “Eurasia Global” cultivated a lively, human-centred environment in which borders and communication barriers dissolved.

“We wish to see the future leaders of Russia. Every participant at the forum—engineers, doctors, or professionals in other important fields—is committed to improving life in their country. Without face-to-face encounters, it is difficult to build genuine connections between peoples. Many people form opinions through social media and the internet, but they are full of stereotypes. To counter this, personal conversation and direct experience of culture, daily life, feelings, and thoughts are essential. This brings people from different nations closer together. One person who truly loves their culture can change the perceptions of millions,” said Nikol Shikan, a blogger born in Russia and now based in Canada, who attended the forum as a media representative.

While the forum’s programme focused on developing the international youth community through the activities of the IFCs, it extended well beyond expert discussions and roadmap creation. Participants undertook a media expedition across the Orenburg Region, visiting some 20 sites that showcased the area’s cultural, historical, natural, and industrial heritage. Among them are the V.S. Chernomyrdin Multimedia Museum, a drilling rig manufacturing plant, the open-air museum “Kazachiy Kuren,” the “Krasnogorsky” Dairy Plant, and the Orenburg Refrigeration Plant, and others. The young people sought symbols, stories, and formats that could be adapted to their own regions and applied in their IFC work. In addition, the agenda featured other prominent events, including an atmospheric programme, “Memory is Stronger than Time,” honouring the heroism of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War, and a musical performance, “Cradle of the Steppe Forest,” which immersed audiences in the vast landscapes of Eurasia’s heartland.

“Every year, ‘Eurasia’ surprises me not so much by its scale as by its depth and substance. There are more formats, more interactive elements, more people, and more opportunities for self-expression. You become fully involved in everything. I am grateful to the organisers for striking the balance between knowledge, discussion, and the chance to socialise and enjoy a meaningful cultural programme. I can sum up my forum experience in one word: ‘Wow!’” said Angelina Chibizova, a participant from the Orenburg Region.