The Young Transatlantic Network (YTN) is a flagship initiative of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) specifically geared towards young policy professionals. At a time of a changing and increasingly complex global order, the network aims to strengthen transatlantic relations by offering the next generation the opportunity to engage and exchange ideas with senior leaders and opinion makers. YTN seeks to actively foster a future-oriented and intergenerational dialogue through three pillars: (1) convening; (2) networking; and (3) leadership development. The network currently has three chapters based in Brussels, Berlin and Warsaw.

 Convening and Networking

• YTN’s convening consists of regular lunch and evening debatesfeaturing high level speakers from politics, business or the think tank community engaged in transatlantic relations. It provides a unique opportunity to young professionals from different professional fields to engage in an intimate sphere with senior leaders on topics of transatlantic concern.
   
• YTN hosts the annual Young Professionals Summit, a parallel conference to GMF’s prestigious Brussels Forum which gathers head of states and government, senior officials of international organizations, business leaders, academics and journalists. This year’s summit convened nearly 100 young professionals from the United States, Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia for a weekend of discussions with high-level speakers from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.
   
• YTN organizes a variety of networking events to create space for informal discussions and opportunities to establish professional contacts. Members of all three YTN chapters in Brussels, Berlin, and Warsaw are also connected through social media such as facebook and twitter. 

Leadership Development

• “YTN Leadership Conversations”:  YTN offers the opportunity for young professionals to converse with current leaders of the transatlantic community. In informal settings, YTN invites these leaders to reflect about their own career and crucial steps in their professional development and share these insights with the YTN group. 
   
• In line with GMF’s Transatlantic Leadership Initiative, YTN also plans to offer trainings in leadership and other skills such as negotiation or rhetoric seminars to adequately equip the next generation of transatlantic leaders. 

Snapshot of YTN Speakers

• Colleen Graffy, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy
• Robert Zoellick, President, World Bank
• Farah Pandith, Special Representative to Muslim Communities, U.S. Department of State
• Jamie Shea, Director Policy Planning, Private Office of the Secretary General, NATO
• David Ignatius, Columnist, The Washington Post
• Geir Westgaard, Vice President EU Affairs, Statoil Hydro
• Sigmar Gabriel, Chairman, Social Democratic Party Germany
• Michael Turner, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Fawzia Koofi, Member of Parliament and Vice President of the National Assembly of Afghanistan
• Lyse Doucet, Presenter and Special Correspondent, BBC
• Gordon Brown,  former Prime Minister, United Kingdom 

For more information please contact ytn@gmfus.org