EU-U.S. Young Leaders Seminar

From May 12-14 2025, the eighth edition of the EU-US Young Leaders Seminar (YLS) gathered 50 beneficiaries of EU and U.S.-funded education exchange programs for three days of panels, expert conversations, and peer discussions on the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Opening speakers included EU and U.S. officials from the EU’s Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the U.S. Mission to the European Union. The discussions began with a scene setter introduction from Dr. Pamela Park, visiting senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund to the U.S. (GMF). Justin Reynolds, Director for Tech Policy, Department of State’s Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology, joined Dr. Sergey Lagodinsky, MEP, to discuss differing approaches to AI governance.

The use of AI and its implications for education, skills and the labour market were explored in two panels of researchers and practitioners. The education panel featured Jude Cosgrove (EU Joint Research Centre), Michael Hörig (German Academic Exchange Service) and Erin Green (Thomas More University of Applied Science). The panel on AI’s impact on labor markets included Caroline Cullière (Gifftid), Margarita Kalamova (OECD) and Davide Monaco (Centre for European Policy Studies).

A visit from Alexander De Croo, former Belgian Prime Minister, offered a dynamic conversation on leadership skills and personal experiences. The first day concluded with a reception at the residence of the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the European Union with a Louisiana-themed menu.

The second day focused on the application of AI in defence, healthcare and disaster management, with a panel including Dr. Megan Edwards (NATO), Dr. Karim Lekadir (the University of Barcelona), and Dr. Ivanke Pelivan (the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications). The final panel addressed good governance and ways to reduce AI-related risks, bringing together Lydia El-Khouri (Textgain), Bret Schafer (GMF) and Luís Viegas Cardoso (Member of President Von der Leyen’s Competitiveness Task Force).

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. Previous topics have included the future of work, migration, disinformation and media literacy, the future of cities, and active civic participation. 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, 400 alumni of EU and U.S.-funded educational exchange programs have participated in the Young Leaders Seminar.

• Fulbright Schuman
• The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF)
• For more information, please contact Annika Vollmer at avollmer@gmfus.org.   

Click here to view the Flickr album from the 2025 seminar!

Click here to view the Flickr album from the 2024 seminar!

Click here to view the Flickr album from the 2023 seminar!