Charlotte Weishaupt didn’t end up where she is by accident. As one of three presidents of the International Students’ Committee (ISC), she was responsible for partnerships and participant engagement at the renowned St. Gallen Symposium. But her journey there was anything but linear: "I wanted to do something meaningful. Something that would last."
After a school experience shaped by the pandemic, she searched for a way to contribute socially and take on responsibility. Inspired by her uncle and motivated by conversations with ISC alumni, she applied – and found in the Symposium what she calls "the best experience of my life."
The St. Gallen Symposium: Dialogue as a Force for Change
Every year, the St. Gallen Symposium brings together around 1,300 participants from business, politics, academia, and civil society in St. Gallen. A significant part of the organization is handled by a team of students, with global reach.
For Weishaupt, working with the “Leaders of Tomorrow” was particularly meaningful: Around 200 students from all over the world qualify through an essay competition. The discussions in these sessions fundamentally shaped her understanding of impact and responsibility.
"When young people ask CEOs and politicians critical questions, it shows just how powerful dialogue can be."
The experience of speaking eye-to-eye with high-ranking leaders has reshaped her definition of education. For her, education is not only about acquiring knowledge but about gaining access, to conversation and to possibility. The global perspective sharpened her awareness: "We have an incredible privilege. Education cannot be taken for granted."
The Symposium offers impressive proof of what students can achieve when given responsibility: negotiating budgets, managing logistics, securing speakers and much more. "It’s amazing what becomes possible when you share a goal and believe in it together."
Weishaupt emphasizes how much students can learn from each other and how valuable student clubs and networks are within universities. Initiatives like the ISC could serve as models for more project-based learning.
Her wish: more trust in student competencies, more intergenerational exchange, and clear frameworks that offer orientation, without stifling creativity.
Final Theses and Symposium Takeaways: Perseverance, Listening, and Trust
Charlotte Weishaupt has just begun her own bachelor thesis and brings a clear, reflective voice to the process. She sees the thesis not as a checkbox, but as an opportunity: "It’s the first time we’re allowed to conduct scientific work. That deserves more recognition."
At the same time, she’s experienced how varied the guidance and expectations for theses can be. Her appeal: clearer frameworks, more visibility for outstanding work, and better access to practice-based insights. One of her ideas:
"Why not exhibit the best final theses? That would really inspire others."
From the Symposium, she’s learned that real intergenerational dialogue starts with small steps and the courage to approach each other. But in everyday academic life, this is often lacking. Many students simply don’t feel confident or don’t know how to approach experts. Her most important learning: "It’s worth following up. Writing again is totally okay."
To make exchange work, though, it takes more than individual initiative. Weishaupt advocates for structural support: more guest lectures, funded internships, open formats with industry. "Talk to us. Ask how the lecture was. Dialogue is the beginning of everything."
When Students Are Trusted, They Grow
Charlotte Weishaupt is a powerful example of a generation that sees education not only as qualification but as a mandate to shape society. Her story shows how much impact students can have if we let them.
Her appeal: more structural support for student initiatives, more space for dialogue, more courage to celebrate student contributions. And one image that has stuck with her:
"If 1,300 people from 87 nations come to St. Gallen because of a student-led initiative – it shows what’s possible."