Among the 500 16- to 21-year-olds from 70 different countries attending are Roncalli College pupils Tobias Overbeeke, 17, Lily Holm, 17, Maximilian (Max) Hunt, 18 and Annie Henderson, 17.

Only 20 pupils from New Zealand were accepted to take part in the forum, which begins on July 24.

The Roncalli pupils will each need to raise about $10,000 to attend the event, for which they will spend two weeks at London's Imperial College. Read more