The Aspen Seminar – Defining “The Good Society”

The first module of the 18th edition of the fellowship-based Aspen Young Leaders Program (AYLP) was organized between May 5 to 10, 2025, in Sâmbăta de Sus, Brașov County, Romania.

Module 1 is a 6-day seminar which follows the lines of the classic Aspen Seminar, in which participants discuss the concepts of political and economic thinking that have shaped modern open societies.

Our proven method of text-based dialogue, used for more than 75 years around the world, offers participants a debate forum that guides their reflection on values and solidarity into successful and valuable action, as the main thrusts of societal progress. The readings spark discussions and an interest in exploring and debating topics of liberty and equality; ethics and responsibility; faith and spirituality or freedom and dissent – to name just a few.

The texts and the discussions that emerged, moderated by Aspen Fellows Mădălina Mocan and Andrei Pogonaru, contributed to enhancing the ability of the participants to analyze and tackle increasingly complex and global situations. In the process, the relevance of these ideas for modern, sustainable, values-based leadership of organizations will also be discussed.

Stepping out from the realm of debates, during the 6-day module the participants were also involved in a challenging outdoor exercise in the mountains of Romania. The outdoor exercise was facilitated by the HPDI Team, coordinated by Petru Păcuraru, Aspen Fellow and ASFA Member, together with Mădălina Barbu with the help of Oana Dumitru, Aspen Alumna and Cristian Pelivan, Aspen Fellow, both ASFA Members.

On the last day of the module, following the Aspen tradition of reuniting the Aspen Community around the special moments of the current AYLP generation, we were pleased to receive the visit of Members of the Aspen Society of Fellows, who attended the AYLP 2025 staging of Sophocles’ Antigone and were delighted to share thoughts and memories of their own Aspen experiences.

We are deeply grateful to our host, Mr. Adrian Leluțiu, Aspen Member and Alumnus, who, together with Ms. Ioana Leluțiu-Paler and the entire staff, welcomed us with warmth, generosity, and kindness at Păstrăvăria Popas Sâmbăta, in Sâmbăta de Sus, Brașov County.

For the current generation of the Program, the first module is followed by two other 6-day modules in June and September and by the Community Service Projects Presentation in December.

Meet the Aspen Young Leaders Program 2025 Generation at this link.

Details about the content of the Program, eligibility criteria, application process etc. are available here.