How can we deal with today’s global challenges in sustainable, peaceful, fair, democratic, and effective ways? How can global events such as geopolitical shifts, ecological changes, technological innovations, and pandemics be better governed? Addressing these complex questions requires innovative, multidisciplinary approaches and an open conversation between various stakeholders. To promote such conversations, the Global Transformations and Governance Challenges (GTGC) program at Leiden University organized its first international conference on 8-10 June 2022 at Campus The Hague.