The sixth edition of the EU-U.S. Young Leaders Seminar will take place from April 3-5, 2023, in Brussels. This year, we are focusing on “Active Civic Participation.”

The program includes working group meetings on how to preserve and strengthen civil society in Europe and the United States, as well as panel discussions with speakers from both sides of the Atlantic, including experienced professionals from EU institutions, think tanks, and academia. There is also a visit to the European Parliament.

Being an active citizen is far more than participating in elections. It's about staying informed, developing your own opinions, and cultivating your voice to make them known. Exercising these rights is not only important for generating personal empowerment on an individual level, but also central to strengthening the resilience of societies.

Participants are invited to examine the role of public institutions in fostering civic engagement, point out participatory resources needed for successful community engagement, and get practical guidance on how to pick an issue, create a perfect lobbying plan, and raise awareness.

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 include migration, the future of work, disinformation and media literacy, and the future of cities. Participants are current beneficiaries of the U.S. Fulbright program and recent alumni of the Erasmus+ and Marie Skłowdowska-Curies programs. Speakers at the seminar include, amongst others, representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the United States. Participants get to know the EU institutions, meet with EU representatives working on transatlantic relations, and experience the capital of the EU.

The seminar is co-organized by the Delegation of the European Union to the United States, the U.S. Department of State, the German Marshall Fund of the U.S., the Fulbright Commission in Brussels, and the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission.

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

Click here to view our Flickr album from the 2022 seminar!