EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

EU-U.S. Young Leaders Seminar

16.03.2026 Administration Team of the EU Delegation to the United States

The EU-US Young Leaders Seminar in Brussels brings together 25 U.S. Fulbright Schuman students with 25 European Erasmus+ and Marie Sklodowska-Curie students. Participants are selected to discuss a common relevant topic or challenge facing the EU and United States. The goal is to strengthen the bonds between young leaders from both sides of the Atlantic and promote collaboration on shared research interests. The 2-day program includes an array of activities from expert discussion panels to TedX talks to peer led workshops.

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THE 2026 EU-US Young Leaders Seminar

The Future of Skills and Leadership

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Between March 23-26, the ninth edition of the EU-US Young Leaders Seminar (YLS) brought together 50 beneficiaries of EU and U.S.-funded education exchange programs. Participants learned about and discussed the changing skills landscape and its implications for education systems and labor market demand. The 50 attendees engaged in expert and peer exchange through panels, workshops and a simulated learning exercise.

Opening speakers who set the policy context were Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) and Sara Mathews, Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy from the U.S. Mission to the European Union. Discussions began with a scene-setter on the transatlantic partnership, together with Eva Gross (European External Action Service) and Etienne Soula (German Marshall Fund to the U.S). Deep Parekh (Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management) delivered a TEDx talk on leadership in a fast-paced changing environment. The seminar also welcomed MEP Pasquale Tridico, who gave a tribute to “Mama Erasmus” Sofia Corradi.

Francesca Borgonovi (OECD), Caitlin Kirby (Michigan State University), and Jasper van Loo (Cedefop) presented on critical skills young people need to develop their careers. Laura Corrado (DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at European Commission) was joined by Caroline S. Cullière (Gifftid) and Justin Young (University of Antwerp) to discuss the rapid advances of AI and how businesses balance innovation with social responsibility. The panel on Talent Development brought together John Edwards (EURASHE) and Karen Triquet (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) on creating future-ready systems and empowering people to thrive in the current working environment. A final fireside chat with Malte Lohan (American Chamber of Commerce to the EU) and Luisa Santos (Business Europe) covered the development of the EU-U.S. economic and trade relationship and business leadership in times of economic disruption.

Multiple training workshops were held throughout the two days covering topics such as negotiation and conflict transformation, communication and storytelling and inclusive leadership facilitated by Michael Koplovsky (College of Europe), Viktorya Muradyan (Ceemet) and Sarah Jones (German Marshall Fund of the United States). Another set of workshops addressed financial literacy, EU funding essentials, and research methods, conducted by Lucy Delgadillo (Utah State University), Kristina Pitalskaya (GMF) and Kristin Lerfald Grostad (VUB).

The seminar concluded with a training simulation exploring strategies to cope with uncertain business environments and high-stakes decision-making with incomplete data. The training simulation was designed and managed by Annika Vollmer (GMF) and Jace Jasper (Fulbright Commission).

Both speakers and participants complimented the usefulness of the seminar content and the EU-US format. As one participant said: “Exchange programs are one of the few real antidotes to echo chambers. Algorithms optimize for sameness. Physical rooms force you to confront difference. There is no substitute for sitting across from someone whose worldview is completely different from yours and choosing to listen and understand it.”

The seminar organisers thanks Norman Thatcher Scharpf, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Mission to the EU, for supporting the event by hosting a reception.

About the EU-US Young Leaders Seminar

This annual event brings together 50 young European and American leaders to Brussels to discuss a common key topic or challenge facing the EU and United States. The goal is to strengthen the bonds between young leaders from both sides of the Atlantic and promote collaboration on shared research interests.

Previous topics have included the future of work, migration, disinformation and media literacy, the future of cities, active civic participation, and the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence. Participants are current beneficiaries of the U.S. Fulbright Program and alumni of the Erasmus+ and Marie Sklowdowska-Curie programs. Speakers include representatives from the European Commission, U.S. Mission to the EU, think tanks, academia, and civil society organizations from both sides of the Atlantic, as well as international organizations such as the OECD.

The EU-US Young Leaders Seminar is co-funded by the European Commission and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by GMF with the support of the Fulbright Commission in Brussels. Since its inception, 450 alumni of EU and U.S.-funded educational exchange programs have participated in the Young Leaders Seminar.