Screenshot of the World Knowledge Forum website.

SEOUL — The World Knowledge Forum (WKF) 2025 will bring together some of the world’s most influential thinkers and innovators this September, offering the public free access to a series of open sessions.

The 26th edition of Asia’s leading knowledge festival, hosted by Maekyung Media Group, will take place on 9–10 September at Jangchung Arena in central Seoul.

Chairman of Maekyung Media Group Founder of the World Knowledge Forum, Chang Dae-Whan, said the 26th World Knowledge Forum is being held at a critical juncture, as the established order and systems that have driven global economic growth are collapsing and an intense arms race is accelerating. The era of strongmen is undermining globalisation and free trade, prioritising national interests and strengthening protectionism, while economically and militarily threatening neighbouring countries.

Centred on the theme “New Odyssey: Navigating the Great Transition”, the open sessions will explore how humanity can adapt to upheaval driven by shifting power dynamics, climate stress, demographic change and disruptive technologies. Five knowledge pillars - New Order, Invest the Future, AI Transition, Industrial Odyssey and Culture & Human - will frame discussions that range from cryptocurrency to quantum computing and digital addiction.

Among the headline speakers are former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, political scientist John Mearsheimer, Chatham House’s Robin Niblett, UCLA Emeritus Professor Jared Diamond and Nobel laureate James Robinson.

The audience will also hear from Richard Teng, CEO of Binance, on “The Future of Assets: The Power of Cryptocurrency”; Subodh Kulkarni, CEO of Rigetti Computing, and Jungsang Kim of Duke University on quantum computing; Sanford Panitch of Sony Pictures on the future of filmmaking; and Dr Anna Lembke of Stanford University on digital addiction. Other speakers include K-beauty entrepreneur Cheun Ju-hyuk, chef Edward Lee, and Cody Keenan, former speechwriter to President Barack Obama.

World leaders and scholars at APEC special sessions

Alongside the open sessions, the WKF will also host a set of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) special sessions on 9 September at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, ahead of next month’s APEC Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

The first session, “Inclusive Growth Led by APEC”, will feature former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in dialogue with North Gyeongsang Governor Lee Chul-woo on how mid-sized economies can pursue fair and sustainable prosperity.

In the second, University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer and Chatham House distinguished fellow Robin Niblett will tackle “World Economic Order and the APEC Development Plan.” Mearsheimer will address current geopolitical flashpoints such as Ukraine and US-China rivalry, while Niblett will draw on his book New Cold War to highlight how emerging economies like India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia could reshape global balances.

The final session will pair UCLA emeritus professor Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, with University of Chicago’s Nobel Prize-winning economist James Robinson to discuss “New Odyssey: Maps and Rules Required for the Great Transition”, focusing on the forces that determine the rise and fall of nations.

Book signing

These conversations will flow directly into the WKF’s book signing programme, designed to give audiences a more personal encounter with the authors whose ideas shape the debate. On the first day, Professors Jared Diamond and James Robinson will appear together in a highlight session before holding a joint signing of their landmark works. On the following day, Stanford Medical Professor Anna Lembke, author of the international bestseller Dopamine Nation, will host a personalised signing immediately after her morning session, allowing participants to engage one-on-one with her insights into digital age addiction.

Since its founding in 2000, the WKF has grown into Asia’s premier knowledge festival, drawing thousands of leaders from government, business, academia, science and culture. Its mission is simple but ambitious: to serve as a global platform where ideas are exchanged, solutions proposed, and partnerships forged. Each year, the Forum takes on the world’s most pressing challenges with a distinctly Asian perspective, amplifying the region’s voice in global governance and knowledge exchange.

A total of approximately 6,058 global speakers and 66,022 attendees have participated since the inaugural forum in 2000, held under the theme of ‘Shaping the New Millennium with Knowledge’. The WKF has since grown into one of the largest knowledge-sharing events worldwide. Prominent speakers at previous WKFs have included state leaders such as George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States; Theresa May, the 76th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Nicolas Sarkozy, the 23rd President of the French Republic; and Gerhard Schröder, the 7th Chancellor of Germany. Presidents of international organisations have also participated, including Jim Yong Kim, the 12th President of the World Bank. Founders and CEOs such as Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft Corporation; Larry Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Oracle Corporation; John L. Hennessy, Chairman of Alphabet; and George Soros, Chairman of Soros Fund Management, have graced the forum. Scholars including Larry Summers, Paul Krugman, Michael Porter, and Gregory Mankiw have also addressed the forum. VNS