With artificial intelligence, robotics, and environmental action on the agenda, this year’s Young Thinkers Forum (YTF) Summer School at Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, saw record participation from high school students across India. Over 110 students from 50 schools across 15 states attended the week-long residential program, which concluded this week on the university’s Greater Noida campus. Designed to introduce young minds to university-style learning, the program offered students from Grades 9 to 12 to explore multidisciplinary subjects through hands-on workshops, field visits, and project-based learning.
The 2025 edition featured more than 30 sessions across diverse subjects including mathematics, science, astronomy, entrepreneurship, robotics, botany, and design. A key highlight this year was the newly launched Robotics Tech Tinkers Program, which saw enthusiastic participation from students in grades 7 to 12. They gained practical experience by building robots and rovers, and also had the opportunity to interact with Alpha Mini Robots and humanoids.
Complementing the university’s own faculty-led academic workshops, the program brought in industry experts to deliver hands-on sessions. External workshops were led by organisations such as Sony India, WWF India, Milagrow Humantech, HCL Guvi, and Jitin Chawla’s Centre for Learning, offering students an insider’s view into emerging trends and real-world applications.
Vinnie Mathur, Chair of the Young Thinkers Forum, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, remarked, “The YTF Summer Program continues to inspire students across the nation with its sole aim to expand the boundaries of human knowledge through education. This year, we have once again successfully delivered a university experience to high schoolers by subjecting them to well-rounded and multidisciplinary hands-on skill building. We continue to work towards our vision and will return with even greater opportunities to unlock the immense potential of our country’s students.”
The internationally award-winning summer school program offered a rich mix of indoor and outdoor activities, hands-on engagements, and case studies. Students not only attended academic lectures but also focused on personality development and received career guidance. This year’s excursion to the Amarpur Harit Upvan, a reforested green space developed by SayTrees in collaboration with the HCL Foundation, allowed students to witness community-led environmental action firsthand.
Students left the program with new friendships, fresh perspectives, and meaningful experiences. This year, the program welcomed international participants as well. Launched as an early academic exposure platform, the Young Thinkers Forum Summer School has grown steadily over the years, attracting students from across India and beyond. With its unique blend of experiential learning, industry engagement, and academic mentorship, the program aims to inspire the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and changemakers.
