18 February 2026, New Delhi

On 18 February 2026, following the formal launch of the GPAI India Student Community on 16 February at the Bharat Mandapam, The Commonwealth educational media centre for Asia (CEMCA) In collaboration with the GPAI experts centres- CEIMIA (France) and NICT (Japan) and the Council of Europe) organised a workshop with the theme ‘Empowering youth in AI Global Governance’ as an Official Satellite Event of the AI Impact Summit 2026.

Bringing together over 60 students from India, France, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Kenya and Lebanon, the workshop was designed as a structured working session to examine how locally grounded AI solutions can inform and contribute to global governance frameworks.

The day opened with remarks from Professor Peter Scott, President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning, who underscored the importance of institutionalising youth participation within international AI cooperation.

An international student roundtable followed, featuring student representatives from France, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Kenya, and India. The discussion reflected on existing GPAI-associated student initiatives and explored pathways for sustained cross-national collaboration.

A thematic dialogue with Professor Bertrand Monthubert along with B. Lakshmi Priya (Jawaharlal Nehru University, India) and Masafumi Nakano (Japan) examined the translation of local AI realities into mechanisms that strengthen global governance, particularly in contexts marked by inequality and asymmetry.

The core of the workshop consisted of a structured three-phase innovation process — Discover, Define, Develop — across five thematic areas: AI & Education; Training and Empowerment; Multiculturalism & Multilingualism; Access to Resources; and Mechanisms for Sharing Best Practices.

A Directors’ Panel convened Dr. Yuko Harayama (NICT, Japan), Sophie Fallaha (CEIMIA, Canada), Dr. Aurélie Simard (Inria, France), and Dr. B Shadrach (COL-CEMCA, India), examined the evolving role of youth within global AI governance, highlighting how the student communities can complement one another structurally and methodologically, and outlining how the Indian student community will contribute distinct strengths to this growing international framework.

Followed by a public policy reactions, including reflections from Daniel Pap, Legal Advisor, Digital Development Unit, Council of Europe, Prof. Peter Scott, President and CEO, Commonwealth of Learning and Axel Froissart, Advisor for Digital and Emerging Technologies (Permanent Representation of France to the OECD), bridging student insights with governance practice.

This Official Satellite Event strengthened coordination across GPAI-associated Centres and reinforced the integration of the Indian student community within the existing GPAI Framework.