This panel brought together distinguished speakers from academia, engineering, business, technology, and the liberal arts for a moderated conversation led by youth leaders from Emergent Minds Lab (EML), a youth initiative founded under the Turkish-American Association of New Jersey Youth Branch, in collaboration with Bridge to Türkiye Fund.

Rather than focusing solely on predictions or technological trends, the discussion centered on practical insight, adaptability, ethics, creativity, and the evolving relationship between human-centered skills and intelligent technologies. Panelists shared their real-world experiences while youth moderators guided thoughtful conversations surrounding education, leadership, communication, and the future of professions in the digital age.

A defining aspect of the event was its youth-led structure. Student organizers and moderators were directly involved in developing the vision, coordinating discussions, guiding conversations, and creating a space for open dialogue between generations. Rather than positioning young people as passive attendees, the event emphasized youth leadership, inquiry, and active participation in shaping conversations about the future.

The second half of the event opened the floor to questions from students, creating direct dialogue between generations through an extended audience Q&A session. Young attendees were encouraged to ask meaningful questions about career preparation, future-ready skills, higher education, innovation, and how to navigate rapidly changing industries with confidence and purpose.

The goal of the event was not simply to provide answers, but to encourage critical thinking, curiosity, and informed discussion around the opportunities and responsibilities that come with emerging technologies and artificial intelligence. 

Core Topics Included 

• The future of professions in the age of AI and digital transformation
• The balance between technical expertise and human-centered skills
• Education, adaptability, and lifelong learning
• Ethics and responsibility in AI-driven industries
• Creativity, leadership, communication, and innovation
• Practical advice for students preparing for future careers

Impact & Vision

This event reflected EML’s broader mission of helping young people responsibly navigate the future shaped by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Through youth-led conversations, professional panels, and community partnerships, EML aims to create accessible educational experiences that encourage curiosity, critical thinking, leadership, and informed decision-making.

This panel marked the beginning of a broader initiative focused on helping students responsibly navigate the future shaped by artificial intelligence, digitalization, and emerging technologies. Through future panels, nonprofit collaborations, educational programming, and youth engagement initiatives, EML aims to continue building platforms that encourage informed leadership, critical thinking, humanitarian awareness, and meaningful community impact.

The event also demonstrated the ability of youth-led initiatives to successfully organize high-level discussions involving educators, nonprofit leaders, researchers, industry professionals, and community stakeholders within internationally recognized venues such as the Turkish House (Türkevi) in New York City.

Event Date: January 31, 2026
Location: Turkish House (Türkevi), New York City

Featured Speakers & Panelists

• Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D. – Dean, Gabelli School of Business
• Aysun Sarikardasoglu – JP Morgan, Managing Director and NYU Tandon School of Engineering
• Ebru A. Gencer, Ph.D. – Columbia University, Center for Urban Disaster Risk Reduction
• Canturk Isci, Ph.D. – META. Engineering Leader 
• Kadir Oguz Turkan – Binghamton University, Graduate Student