Up Close: Professor Klaus Schwab

KATE ROBERTS: You have brought some of the most influential people together through the World Economic Forum, and about seven years ago you formed the Young Global Leaders. Why did you decide to start the Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers programs?

Prof. KLAUS SCHWAB: Fifty percent of the global population is less than 27 years old. It was very interesting that when I created the Young Global Leaders, it was difficult to find people who were already in very responsible positions below the age of 40. That has changed dramatically, which shows the age of leaders is coming down. Our Young Global Leaders are usually between 30 and 40, and we have to capture the energy and the spirit of those who are between 20 and 30. That was the reason for the creation of the Global Shapers.

KR: Much of your work in philanthropy focuses on social entrepreneurship. How can the Global Shapers become social entrepreneurs within your definition of the term?

KS: Social entrepreneurship has to be seen in a much wider way today. What we need to do is engineer society to move from a basis of self-interest toward a basis of serving society. What we want to do with the Global Shapers is to stimulate young leaders to be much more engaged into society on the local level, but through the Forum also on a global level.

KR: Where do the opportunities lie to connect the Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers closer to the Forum and perhaps some of the leaders attending the Forum who are not in either group?

KS: I see one of the main objectives in what I would call ‘mutual mentorship’. I think the older leaders, even the Young Global Leaders, can learn a lot from this upcoming generation, and vice versa. So I feel that the Forum should not be an isolated community, but be integrated into a framework which allows permanent interaction with other representatives from other communities.

KR: Many of the Global Shapers have identified AIDS as a priority issue. They see it as a youth issue. Over the last 40 years of the Forum, what progress have you seen in the global fight against HIV/AIDS?

KS: I feel we are now in a situation where there is general awareness, but there are two dangers. The first one is a certain fatigue. People have been aware that it is a very serious, life-threatening illness for many of our human neighbors in the world, but on the other hand, they have heard a lot about the issue and, as usual, when you are confronted with negative news, you have a tendency to try to shut your ears. We also see, particularly in the political community during a crisis, it’s even more apparent. It becomes more difficult to mobilize funds. Our role has been, over 40 years, to keep the fire alive, which means to make sure that this very important issue on the global agenda is not fading away, and that the necessary attention is given to it.

KR: You started the Forum to bring powerful people together. Do you feel that the state of the economy right now might affect the gathering of power and action?

KS: No, to the contrary, because of course it’s a gathering of power, it’s a gathering of action, but it’s also a gathering of learning. And in a turbulent time as we are experiencing just now, everybody wants to learn what the causes of the problems and challenges are. And we never had such a demand related to our activities, so we increased staff this year by about 15 percent to cope with the interest, not just participating in our meetings interest, but also an interest to be part of our many initiatives all over the world.

KR: Reflecting back on the last 40 years, what do you think has been the Forum’s greatest achievement?

KS: I think it would be wrong to measure the Forum in terms of big achievements. It’s a multitude of small achievements that count. My biggest satisfaction is to know that we have contributed to understanding where we are, and more importantly, what we should do. In terms of commonality, we are together; we are interconnected.

KR: It is worth highlighting that the Forum gave birth to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund has enabled PSI to save lives around the world, and I don’t think it’s highlighted enough.

KS: We are very proud of the Global Fund, of [the Global AIDS Vaccine Initiative], and many other initiatives where we have been the birthplace for incubation mechanisms. Those organizations just express the best of public-private partnership. And we deeply feel that the big challenges in the world can only be solved through public-private partnership.

Watch the interview below: