Twentieth edition of the South American Business Forum
The organization formed by students from the Buenos Aires Institute of Technology (ITBA) will hold the 21st edition of the South American Business Forum (SABF) international conference in Buenos Aires on August 1, 2, and 3 of this year. For 20 years, the SABF has focused on training young leaders through a forum that brings together 100 outstanding international students with current leaders in academic, business, and social fields in spaces such as the Auditorium of the City Government of Buenos Aires and the different ITBA campuses.
The South American Business Forum (SABF) is an organization founded in 2004 by students from the Buenos Aires Institute of Technology (ITBA). It is the first conference held by and for students in Latin America. In its 20 years of history, the SABF has always featured cutting-edge themes that seek to question and understand the current and near-future global reality, exploring topics from technology, artificial intelligence, and innovation to networks of personal and social interconnection. This year, the central theme of the conference will be Between life and oblivion. Through this theme, it aims to explore the impact of the digital age on our humanity, highlighting how automation and homogenization optimize daily life but can simultaneously erase the authenticity and imperfection that drive creativity and human connection. It invites reflection on the necessary balance between technological progress and the preservation of individual identity, questioning to what extent we are willing to sacrifice the genuine in pursuit of efficiency.
This topic and its various facets will be addressed in August by a large body of speakers yet to be revealed. In previous editions, the SABF has featured speakers such as Nicholas Negroponte, Daniel Leslie, Clement Roux, Erica Young, Tomás Balmaceda, and Claudia Scherer-Effosse to share their experiences and knowledge with participants during these days. Beyond the talks by these professionals, participants have the opportunity to engage in various workshops and activities where they practice their argumentative, creative, and critical thinking skills.
Since that first edition, the SABF has grown considerably in all aspects, with the participation of students from over 150 countries and representatives from more than 400 different universities. These participants have continually built upon the ideas that emerged in the forum over the years. The SABF has had the pleasure of receiving participants from both Latin America and distant lands, from India, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan to Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Nigeria, and South Africa, providing them with a space to develop their skills and projects.
In this way, thanks to the cultural diversity that the SABF achieves with its participants, interesting debates are generated, raising awareness of the responsibility of future leaders to achieve the sustainable development of the world. Additionally, a global community of young leaders is formed, allowing for the active exchange of ideas, projects, and experiences that persists even after the conference has ended. The human relationships that arise from the event are strengthened over the years, resulting in connections between editions, participants, speakers, and organizers.
The growth of the SABF is marked by each edition, supported by the 20 years of history of the organization. The last edition also set a new record in the number of applicants to the forum. All of these are young university students between the ages of 18 and 25 who see the SABF as an important opportunity for development in their professional and personal futures. Through the SABF’s web platform, all applicants must complete a process where they are asked to develop several items, including their personal history, academic or professional achievements, and various written productions related to the theme of the edition. Once their application is complete, it is reviewed by a panel of judges and ultimately selected by the SABF organizing team. Applications to be a participant are open from late February to mid-April for anyone interested in experiencing this unique transformative experience that begins with 3 days and extends into a lifetime.
Furthermore, SABF 2025 offers opportunities throughout the year to participate in smaller-scale but equally impactful talks that are duly announced. To apply for the call and acquire more information, you can visit the website at: https://www.sabf.org.ar.
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