Guiding YMI research, outreach, and global representation.
Meet the academic experts and youth leaders shaping the Youth Meaningfulness Index and advocating for youth voice.
Academic
Advisory
Council
The advisory council is a group of experts that provides guidance during the different steps of the development of the YMI.
It is composed of academics and practitioners experts in the field of meaningfulness in children, positive psychology, child education policy, and qualitative analysis.
Members from the advisory council are from different countries in the world including Algeria, Denmark, India, Israel, Norway, and the United States.
Siri Abrahamsen is a passionate social entrepreneur working for human connection, belonging, and well-being.
Her unwavering commitment to creating a better world has proven results, as evidenced by the growth of Gleding, her family and educational concept that has spread across Norway. Over the past few decades, Siri has pursued studies in psychology, philosophy, sociology, and empathy.
As a bestselling author and professional speaker; she draws upon her expertise to empower individuals, families, schools and organizations to effect meaningful change. Siri resides in Norway and the UK with her family, including her three children.
Dr. Pninit Russo-Netzer, Ph.d., is a senior lecturer and researcher, the Head of the Education Department and the Head of the Resilience and Optimal Development Lab at Achva Academic College. She is also the head of the ‘Compass’ Institute for the Study and Application of Meaning in life, and the founder and head of the Academic Training Program for Logotherapy (meaning-oriented psychotherapy) at Tel-Aviv University. She has published numerous academic articles and chapters and is the co-author and co-editor of books on the topics of meaning in life, positive psychology, existential psychology, positive change and growth. Dr. Russo-Netzer serves as academic advisor and consultant to both academic and non-academic institutions worldwide, including the World Trade Center (WTCHR). She is also the recipient of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) Spirituality and Meaning Researcher Award.
Dr. Shruti Patil is an enthusiastic academician and an avid researcher. She has been an industry professional in the past, currently associated with Symbiosis Institute of Technology as an Associate Professor and with SCAAI as a research associate. She has expertise in applying innovative technology solutions to real world problems. Her research areas include applied artificial intelligence, natural language processing, acoustic AI, adversarial machine learning, data privacy, digital twin applications, GANS, multimodal data analysis.
Habib Tiliouine is a Professor of Social Sciences and the founding Head of the Laboratory of Educational Processes & Social Context (Labo-PECS) at the University of Oran 2 Mohamed Ben Ahmed, Algeria. His research interests and publications encompass the quality of life in Islamic societies, well-being, meaningfulness, flourishing, and religiosity research among both adult and child populations. On these topics, he has conducted more than six large surveys with adult populations, including the religiosity module of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) in 2018. With children, he has undertaken the four-wave survey of the Children’s Worlds project (isciweb.org). He has been a regular collaborator with the International Society for Quality-of-Life Research (ISQOLS) since 2003 and served as one of its Vice Presidents from 2016 to 2020.
Prof. Jenni Menon Mariano is a Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of South Florida whose research focuses on purpose in life, positive youth development, moral development, and positive psychology. She earned her PhD in Psychological Studies in Education from Stanford University and completed a fellowship at the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Her research explores how young people develop meaningful life purposes and how educational and social environments can support their growth, well-being, character, and positive contribution to society. As an Academic Advisor to YMI, Prof. Mariano brings deep expertise in youth purpose and human development to support YMI’s mission and educational initiatives.
Filling a crucial gap in research
One of the guiding academic voices behind YMI is Professor Habib Tiliouine, a renowned scholar in social and educational psychology at the University of Oran 2 in Algeria.
“This isn't an Occidental crisis—it's a global, human crisis manifesting differently across cultures but rooted in a shared need for purpose and belonging.”
Prof. Habib Tiliouine
Youth
Advisory
Council
The YMI Youth Council, is an international platform for youth engagement and empowerment.
With 13 members spanning Austria, Cyprus, Peru, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Egypt, Uganda, Morocco, Kenya, and Nigeria, aged between 14 and 24, the YMI Youth Council embodies inclusivity on a global scale.
It’s a collaborative space where ideas are shared, decisions are made, and voices are heard. The Youth Council consists of diverse members representing various genders including female, male, and non-binary individuals. Additionally, our group comprises both working young professionals and students, ensuring a rich tapestry of perspectives and experiences.
The role of the YAC is to help create the YMI by coming together and sharing ideas, providing feedback, supporting on decision-making processes, and speaking up for what’s important to them. The YAC will be involved in the different stages of the project, including the co-creation of the YMI tool, interpretation of YMI results, and the development of recommendations for the formulation of public policies.
The YAC supports the YMI Team in:
- Providing feedback to the YMI
- Disseminating the YMI in their networks
- Helping make decisions
- Making sure youth voices are heard
Before engaging in the YMI, members of the YAC took part in two empowerment training sessions, enriching their skills and knowledge. They learn how to use their voices and that their opinions count.
My name is Elena, and I am from Austria. I am 15 years old and currently a student. I applied for the YMI Council because I believe it is a very intriguing and important initiative and just overall a cool project.
