WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 24, 2025) – The McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) kicked off the 2025 McCain Global Leaders (MGL) fellowship with the Leadership Experience. This foundational experience featured discussions on leadership and the U.S. political landscape with experts including the University of Chicago’s David Axelrod, CBS News’ Major Garrett, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), CNN’s Van Jones, MGL alumni Hager Eissa, Mariia Levchenko, Ana Natsvlishvili. and more.
The cohort, comprised of 22 leaders from 19 countries and five continents, embarks on a 12-month fellowship designed to empower the next generation of character-driven leaders, like Senator John McCain, to tackle global challenges.
The fellows spoke with the son of Senator McCain, Blue Sky CEO Jack McCain, Deputy Director of the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership at the United States Naval Academy Brad Snyder, and Senator McCain’s former biographer, chief of staff, and speechwriter Mark Salter on Senator McCain’s legacy from his time as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy to his years of service in the U.S. Senate.
MGLs also engaged with members of the Global Advisory Council — including Georgetown Law Center’s Elisa Massimino, All Hands and Hearts’ Nate Mook, and Djordje Todorovic — and participated in a hands-on impact focused workshop designed to strengthen their leadership capabilities with an emphasis on expanding the impact of their work in advancing democracy and human rights around the world. Additionally, experts, including the National Endowment for Democracy’s Damon Wilson and former Congressman Denver Riggleman, spoke with the delegation about the evolving threats to democracy, drawing on their experiences defending democratic institutions at home and around the world.
“This Leadership Experience is more than an introduction to Senator McCain’s legacy—it’s a call to action,” said Scott Nemeth, Assistant Director of Global Leadership at the McCain Institute. “By equipping these emerging leaders with the tools, networks, and principles rooted in character-driven leadership, we are helping prepare them to meet the urgent challenges facing democracy and human rights around the world.”
“I learned that democracy is never guaranteed; it must be defended, not with force, but with conviction, belief, and the voices of citizens,” said 2025 McCain Global Leader Noor Mousa. “The Leadership Experience reminded me of the responsibility we all share to strengthen democratic values everywhere.”
The Western Hemisphere regional members of the cohort will travel to Arizona in October as the next stop in their Changemaker Tour, focusing on what policy and what efforts can be done to humanize the migration process and reduce risk factors related to the safety, health and well-being of migrants. Follow along on the McCain Institute’s X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.
Learn more about the McCain Institute’s McCain Global Leaders Program HERE.