The morning after the Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2025 ceremony, a specialist panel was held with the presence of the laureates and representatives of the jury. The session was moderated by Eleni Giokos. Mohammadreza Ghodousi, Marina Tabassum, Mohammad Saifullah Siddiqui, and Kareem Ibrahim participated alongside Kabage Karanja, a member of this year’s jury. The discussion focused on the role and impact of architecture in fostering hope within communities. During the panel, Mohammadreza Ghodousi emphasized that in order for architecture to play an effective role in society, it must also strengthen and cultivate its own internal capacities. He noted that, in the process of empowering communities, architecture itself must be reinforced; otherwise, its position as an influential discipline will be weakened. He further highlighted that the reciprocal relationship between architecture and its surrounding forces can play a decisive role in shaping the final agency of both.