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NextGen Open Call: Imagining Planetary Diplomacy

Are you 30 or younger and passionate about rethinking humans’ relationship with planet Earth? Submit your vision of a new model of collaboration between humans and non-humans where the next generation can guide the way for a more livable future on Earth. The selected projects will have the chance to be showcased in different Swissnex events around the world.

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A Call to Young Visionaries Everywhere

Swissnex invites young thinkers, artists, scientists, dreamers and changemakers under 30 to imagine new forms of diplomacy representing not just humans but also forests, oceans, animals, and ecosystems. What if rivers had a voice in global decisions? What if ancient wisdom, creative vision, and scientific knowledge came together to shape our future?

We’re inviting you to rethink planetary diplomacy radically.

We welcome bold ideas from across the globe and from all areas of practice, from young people, artists, and knowledge keepers rooted in ancestral traditions; from communities whose ways of knowing and relating to the Earth are essential to reimagining our shared future; and from scientific labs, art studios, entrepreneurs, or simply from anyone ready to challenge the status quo.

Send us your vision. It can be a video, text, artwork, oral story, or ritual. Surprise us! Selected voices will join the Swissnex Planetary Embassy, a global series of events.

The next generation will not just inherit the Earth, it will reimagine how we live with it.

Show us how.

 

 

Swissnex Planetary Embassy

Winners, chosen by an international jury, will have their works featured at one or more of the Swissnex Planetary Embassy, a distributed series of events across the global Swissnex network.

  • Brazil

    Swissnex in Brazil will feature selected works at the "Planetary Embassy," a pavilion developed for COP30 in the Amazonian city of Belém in November 2025.

  • United States

    Swissnex in Boston and New York will showcase selected works as part of an exhibition during the Swissnex Planetary Symposium in December 2025. One Swiss entry will be selected for a sponsored trip to Boston to participate in this weeklong program.

  • China

    Swissnex in China will showcase selected works as part of an exhibition during our planned PhD for the Planet initiative in Hong Kong in Spring 2026. Applicants from Greater China will be selected for a sponsored trip to participate.

  • India

    Swissnex in India will showcase selected works in early 2026.

  • Japan

    Swissnex in Japan will sponsor travel to Japan for one entry and present further works in early 2026.

How to apply

Deadline: August 1, 2025

Who can apply: You must be 30 years or younger on August 1, 2025. Whether you’re studying, working, or pursuing independent projects or activities, you’re welcome to apply. Applicants of all nationalities are eligible.

What to submit: We’re looking for compelling and visionary contributions that explore what planetary diplomacy could look like, now and in the future. Your submission may be rooted in science, technology, policy, innovation, or global cooperation, or emerge from art, storytelling, ancestral knowledge, or community-based practices. What matters most is the strength of your vision, your imagination, and the way your idea helps us rethink how humans relate to the Earth and all who live on it.

Your entry could be:

  • An outline for a new international agency
  • A video or audio file depicting an alternative future
  • An artwork that inspires visions for planetary diplomacy
  • OR anything else that inspires you!

The entry must be submitted in digital format (attachment or link) on our application page:

  • Written entries should be limited to 1000 words, and audio/video to under 5 minutes.
  • Artistic or other creative formats are encouraged.
  • If you use AI tools, their specific role in the creative process must be declared.
  • All submissions should be preferably in English and or with added translation.
  • The work must be original.
  • Group submissions are welcome, but one representative must be appointed.

Before submitting, we encourage you to consult our brief on planetary diplomacy.

For any remaining questions, please reach out to [email protected].

 

Initiative

Swissnex for the Planet

From climate change to biodiversity loss, science has exposed deep fractures in the relationship between humans and the Earth. Swissnex for the Planet is an initiative to explore a new form of diplomacy focused on rebalancing human and nonhuman interests on this planet.

Swissnex is the global network of the State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI). Swissnex orchestrates the exchange of ideas and people to tackle pressing global challenges and promote Swiss science, innovation, and arts.

Our mission is to support our partner’s outreach and active engagement in the international exchange of knowledge, ideas, and talent. The six main Swissnex locations are established in the world’s most innovative regions, San Francisco, Boston/NYC, Brazil, India, China, and Japan. Together with around 20 Science Offices and Counselors based in Swiss embassies, we contribute to strengthen Switzerland’s profile as a world-leading hotspot of innovation