Conceived as an annual global gathering, the Forum will bring together leaders from public life, universities, business, science, technology, the arts and civil society to exchange ideas and explore responses to the defining challenges of our time.
Established on 1 November 1966, Haryana enters its seventh decade with an opportunity to build upon its achievements and imagine new possibilities for its future. The World Ideas Forum represents JGU’s commitment to contributing to that next chapter: strengthening Haryana’s emergence as a destination for knowledge, creativity, international dialogue and intellectual exchange. At the heart of this initiative is an ambitious vision for Sonipat—a city that welcomes the world and helps shape its conversations.
The announcement connects a significant milestone in Haryana’s history with an investment in its future. As the state celebrates 60 years, JGU seeks to demonstrate how a university can contribute beyond its classrooms: by convening diverse perspectives, encouraging collaboration and creating a public platform through which ideas can inform institutions, policy and society.
Mr. Naveen Jindal, Founding Chancellor and Benefactor of O.P. Jindal Global University, said: “Haryana’s 60th anniversary is an occasion to celebrate the enterprise, determination and aspirations of its people, and to look ahead with renewed ambition. The state’s leadership in agriculture, industry and sport offers a strong foundation for its next chapter as a centre of education, innovation and knowledge. We established O.P. Jindal Global University with the conviction that a world-class university in Haryana could create opportunities for India while engaging deeply with the world. The World Ideas Forum carries that conviction forward. By bringing global voices to Sonipat, we hope to contribute to Haryana’s future and enable its young people to participate in conversations that will shape the decades ahead.”
A Global Gathering Rooted in a University
Under the tagline “Where the World’s Ideas Meet,” the World Ideas Forum will provide a multidisciplinary, non-partisan platform for dialogue across countries, cultures, professions and generations. Its university setting will place intellectual inquiry, evidence, respectful disagreement and openness to new perspectives at the centre of the gathering.
The inaugural edition will explore questions at the intersection of governance, economic development, education, science, technology, sustainability, culture and human well-being. It will create opportunities to examine how societies can respond to technological change, strengthen public institutions, expand opportunity and prepare future generations for an increasingly interconnected world.The programme is envisaged to include keynote addresses, leadership dialogues, fireside conversations, public lectures, literary discussions, book launches and cultural performances. Innovation and start-up showcases, student debates, policy simulations and exhibitions spanning art, music, theatre and design will connect intellectual exchange with creativity and practical experimentation.
This breadth reflects the Forum’s central premise: the challenges confronting the world require conversations across disciplines and experiences. Scientists and artists, policymakers and entrepreneurs, scholars and students each bring insights that can deepen understanding and open new possibilities for action.
Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, said: “The World Ideas Forum is founded on a simple but powerful belief: a world of ideas can help us imagine and build a better world. Universities have a responsibility to create spaces where people can think freely, listen carefully, question assumptions and learn across differences. Our vision is to bring the world to Sonipat and connect the ideas emerging here with conversations everywhere. As Haryana marks 60 years of its formation, we want to contribute an institution of dialogue that looks beyond the immediate moment and engages with the possibilities of the coming decades. The Forum will place young people at the heart of this endeavour, enabling them to encounter diverse perspectives and develop the imagination, judgment and sense of responsibility needed to shape our shared future.”
Building an Enduring Platform for Ideas
The World Ideas Forum is conceived as a continuing institution, with successive editions building relationships and sustaining conversations beyond the annual gathering.
Its proposed signature initiatives include the World Ideas Lecture, World Ideas Award, World Ideas Book Prize and Global Young Ideas Fellowship. Platforms such as the India Ideas Lecture, Future Leaders Dialogue and Global Universities Roundtable will connect public leadership, higher education and emerging talent. The envisaged World Ideas Declaration, JGU Global Futures Report and World Ideas Index will provide further avenues for carrying the Forum’s intellectual engagement into public debate and future collaboration.
Students and young leaders will be central to this vision. By bringing them into direct engagement with experienced leaders and practitioners, the Forum will connect education with the questions and responsibilities of public life.
Haryana at 60: Welcoming the World to Sonipat
For Sonipat, the Forum represents an opportunity to develop a distinctive international identity through education and the exchange of ideas. Bringing participants from India and abroad to a university campus in Haryana can strengthen academic and cultural connections, encourage partnerships and draw wider attention to the region’s potential. The timing also connects Haryana’s 60th anniversary in November 2026 with the year in which India marks 80 years of independence. The inaugural Forum in January 2027 will provide a setting to reflect on the country’s achievements and consider the aspirations, institutions and capabilities needed for the journey towards 2047.
Through the World Ideas Forum, JGU seeks to make a lasting contribution to that journey—bringing the world to Haryana, opening new horizons for its young people, and establishing Sonipat as a meeting place for ideas with global relevance.
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