Roshni Anwar, Founder of HerSpace, a NIC Hyderabad startup, has been selected among thirty nine leaders from thirty five countries across Asia and Europe for the ASEF Young Leaders Summit 2026, themed Anticipatory Leadership in the Arctic, held in Tromsø, Norway. The selection reflects a significant international recognition for Anwar, placing her within a highly competitive cohort drawn from a broad geographic range spanning two continents.
The programme brought together emerging leaders, researchers, scientists, and experts to explore strategic foresight, climate change, geopolitics, technology, Indigenous knowledge, and sustainable development, giving participants exposure to a multidisciplinary conversation about preparing for the changes shaping the future. This combination of topics reflects the summit’s broader ambition of connecting leadership development with pressing global challenges rather than confining discussion to a single narrow theme.
Anwar’s participation puts a voice from Pakistan into a global conversation on the future, while bringing new perspectives and learning back home. This kind of international exposure often benefits not only the individual selected but also the broader ecosystem they represent, given the potential for insights and connections gained abroad to inform work carried out domestically upon return.
The Arctic focused theme of this year’s summit, held in Tromsø, a city situated within the Arctic Circle, gave participants direct exposure to a region increasingly central to global discussions around climate change and its far reaching geopolitical and environmental implications. Anwar’s inclusion in this discussion, despite HerSpace and Pakistan more broadly having no direct Arctic geography, reflects the summit’s interest in drawing perspectives from across diverse regional and professional backgrounds to inform a genuinely global conversation on anticipatory leadership.
The recognition was supported by Ministry Of IT and Telecommunication, Ignite National Technology Fund, PTCL, LMKT, and Tech Destination Pakistan, reflecting the institutional network tied to NIC Hyderabad’s ongoing programming. Anwar’s selection for the ASEF Young Leaders Summit adds to a growing list of NIC Hyderabad founders gaining international recognition and exposure through prestigious global fellowships and leadership programmes.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
