On May 8, 2025, within the framework of the EU's Global Responsible Leadership for Climate Change, Environment and Humanitarian Aid (EU_LEAD) project, the Youth Summit “YOUR EUROPEAN FUTURE” was held with the support of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Program. Together with the team of Lviv Polytechnic, the event was organized by the Young European Ambassadors and the Lviv Office for European Integration. The event began with a welcoming speech by Prof. Yaryna Turchyn, EU_LEAD Project Manager, who emphasized the importance of the role of Ukrainian youth in bringing Ukraine closer to the EU and preserving democratic values. “European projects for young people are not only about spreading knowledge about the EU, but also about opportunities from the EU for young people that you can use for your own self-development,” Yaryna Turchyn emphasized. Yulia Katynska, Acting Director of the Lviv Office for European Integration, which is a unique space that promotes Ukraine's integration into the European community through the development of partnerships between the public, government, business and EU institutions, joined the greetings. The youth learned about the main activities of the Office, such as: integration of internally displaced persons into the social and economic life of the region through Lviv and EU programs; educational events for representatives of local authorities, NGOs and businesses to help them attract European resources; establishing partnerships with cities and EU institutions to implement joint projects; support during the war, in particular by raising funds for the UNBROKEN Ukraine Brain Research Center. It is important that the event itself took place at the European Integration Hub, which has been operating since February 2025 and is the first such institution in Ukraine, which is also the result of the work of the Lviv Office for European Integration. Yulia Katynska encouraged young people to join the European integration activities of the Bureau, as well as internships and training at this unique institution.
In the first part of the Summit, students had the opportunity to discuss with invited speakers on the topic of the European Union and youth. Yaroslav Morozov, National Coordinator of the Young European Ambassadors Initiative in Ukraine, focused on the topic “What do ambassadors do and are?”. The speaker noted that, in fact, Young European Ambassadors are ambassadors of European values. Currently, there are more than 160 ambassadors and ambassadors in Ukraine, who together have created the largest national network. The initiative works in a variety of formats and with different audiences, often in small towns where young people have fewer opportunities to learn about the EU and European educational programs, how to counter disinformation, improve the environment, etc. In addition, Yaroslav Morozov congratulated the participants of the Summit on Europe Day, noting that the European Union is primarily about values, including democratic values, which are not only adhered to by Ukrainians, but also have a special mission here - to spread them in the world.
Moritz Klauder, former member of the Rebuild Ukraine Ambassador Board of Young European Ambassadors to the EU/UK, introduced the Summit participants to the opportunities offered by the EU. First of all, the European Solidarity Corps, which is a program for young people that allows them to participate in volunteer and professional projects in Europe. Participants, including those from Ukraine, can help with social, environmental, cultural, or educational initiatives, and gain international experience, new skills, and friends from different countries. The speaker also highlighted the benefits of the European Youth Parliament program, which serves as an educational platform that brings together young people from all over Europe to hold debates, conferences, and simulations of European institutions. Here, participants have the opportunity to discuss current social and political issues, develop critical thinking, teamwork, and public speaking skills. Importantly, this initiative contributes to the formation of active, informed and responsible European citizenship. In conclusion, Mortiz Klauder shared his positive impressions of his visit to Kyiv in 2021 thanks to the European Solidarity Corps program.
Natalia Senchakevych, coordinator of WYA Ukraine, a student of the International Relations program at Lviv Polytechnic National University, not only shared her experience from a recent internship at the European Parliament with the youth, but also informed them about youth internship programs, the specifics of applying for internships, including the Schuman internship program, an internship in the MEP team as an assistant to an MP, and the Apply4EP platform, where you can apply for an internship in political groups. The importance of youth organizations as a possible path to internships in the European Parliament was also noted. Natalia also informed the participants of the event about the opening of the World Youth Alliance chapter in Ukraine, a global youth organization that works closely with the European Parliament.
At the end of the first part, young people had the opportunity to listen to a video message from Dainis Žalimas, Member of the European Parliament, who congratulated the Summit participants on Europe Day 2025 and emphasized that this celebration could not have taken place if Ukrainian youth did not sacrifice themselves every day for peace in Europe. Dainis Zalimas also emphasized how important it is for young people to support European values, as well as to develop and attend events such as the YOUR EUROPEAN FUTURE Youth Summit.
During the practical part of the event, namely the Workshop “European Union and European Integration,” European Youth Ambassadors Kateryna Kurytsia and Anna Dubyna presented information about the EU, EU institutions, the European Youth Ambassadors initiative, and EU opportunities for young people. As a result, the ambassadors also held a kahoot quiz, and the winners were awarded thematic prizes.
EU_LEAD project team member Associate Professor Oleh Tsebenko also conducted an intellectual game “Dispelling Myths about the EU”, which aims to improve young people's skills in countering disinformation. Today, Kremlin propagandists are actively manipulating and spreading fakes about the European Union and its relations with Ukraine to question the feasibility of the European integration movement and to undermine European values. The task of the four teams was to debunk the most common propaganda narratives, such as: 1) “Joining the EU will not benefit Ukrainians”; 2) “With Ukraine's accession to the EU, all Ukrainians will go abroad”; 3) “The war prevents Ukraine's accession to the EU”; 4) “Ukraine does not need the EU”. Students actively discussed the myths in their teams, presented their refutations, and visualized evidentiary arguments in the form of posters. A nice bonus for the participants of the intellectual game was sweet gifts from the EU_LEAD project team.
In total, 54 people took part in the Youth Summit of European Youth Ambassadors “YOUR EUROPEAN FUTURE”, including 49 students from Lviv Polytechnic from different regions of Ukraine. The event was prepared by the EU_LEAD team - Yulia Vaida, Prof. Yaryna Turchyn, Associate Professor Olga Ivasechko, Associate Professor Oleh Tsebenko and Prof. Teresa Astramovic-Lake. The EU_LEAD project team expresses its gratitude to all participants of the event.
For more information about the EU_LEAD project, please follow the link.
