“Courage is Key,” Say NEW Gen Academy Speakers

Forget theoretical formulas and graduation exam scares. NEW Gen Academy has hit Czech cities. This NEWTON University project doesn’t just show high schoolers the path to success; it teaches them how to build that path themselves. We were there to witness passive listeners turn into players who want to hold the controller of their own lives firmly in their hands.

Courage to Stand Out

“We didn’t want to create another boring conference where people talk about how things used to be. We are young people for young people,” the organizers explain the event’s philosophy. And the numbers prove them right. The halls are bursting at the seams. NEW Gen is a safe space for ambitions that sometimes don’t fit into standard classrooms.

Seventeen-year-old Metoděj Svoboda from the Prostředoškolák project confirms this: “Active high school students are often labeled as nerds because of their ambition. We try to connect them so they know they’re not alone.” At the same time, he adds an important message for all the high-achievers—watch your boundaries: “At the first sign of fatigue, you need to stop and try to just maintain current activities, not immediately take on more.”

From “NPC” to Main Character: The Courage to Live Authentically

One of the most prominent themes this year was the fight against the so-called “NPC Syndrome” (Non-Player Character—a character in a video game that only follows programmed tasks). Vojta Toman, a NEWTON graduate and author of the Game of Life project, urged students in his lecture not to be just passive observers. Vojta, who was nominated for the prestigious Jan Opletal Prize this year.

“It’s important to form your own thoughts and have the courage to do things that enjoy us,” says Vojta Toman.

Raw Marketing: “Fake it till you make it”

When Ondřej Vošmera and Lukáš Novák took the stage, the atmosphere got real. Their approach to business is straightforward. “If someone had told us this at sixteen, we would have saved ourselves a lot of dead ends,” says Lukáš. Their main advice? Be “yes-men”.

Their advice for students is simple: “Try, try, try. Every month, the path reveals itself more in front of you.”

“We can’t say we have an exact plan. We just say YES to everything and it comes,” Ondřej explains, adding a warning regarding technology: “Whoever cannot master AI tools will be unusable in the labor market. Take it as an extended hand for skilled people.”

Lessons You Won’t Find in a Textbook

Tour moderator Nikola Katolická brought the topic of independence and not being afraid to “get a bloody nose” to the discussion. “I would advise my high school self not to be afraid to go after what she enjoys. Even if someone tells you it won't work, try it. You might get a bloody nose, but if you do it yourself, at least you’ll learn something,” Nikola says.

NEW Gen Academy 2026 showed that the rising generation has a huge hunger for authenticity and real experience. As Zdeněk Řeháček concludes: “I believe that in two years, those who came will be standing on the stage instead of us, and we will just stare in disbelief at how far they’ve come.”

Save the dates for NEW Gen Tour 2026:

Want to be there? Here’s where you can meet us:

Oct 13, 2026 | Ostrava – Starting in the industrial heart.

Oct 14, 2026 | Brno – Networking and the Moravian business scene.

Nov 03, 2026 | Plzeň – Creativity and marketing in practice.

Dec 01, 2026 | České Budějovice – Strategy and new visions.

Dec 03, 2026 | Prague – Grand finale in the capital.

More information and registration