Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper), Nominations are being sought for a scheme that recognises emerging talent in Europe.
The European Young Leaders (EYL40) program seeks to honor younger people who are striving to make an impact in their chosen field of work.
Potential candidates could include young leaders who are:
- Movers and shakers from diverse fields whose work is positively impacting society at large;
- Politicians who serve the people and lead by example, ministers, members of parliament, leaders of national parties, etc.;
- Activists fighting for the underrepresented;
- Entrepreneurs and CEOs that usher innovation, jobs, and inspire others;
- Media personalities, editors-in-chief, and investigative journalists reporting the accurate picture of reality;
- Artists and athletes to whom the community looks up;
- Academics who advance knowledge to improve society and inform public debate.
The selection criteria are below:
- Candidates must be between 30 and 40 years of age (born on 1 January 1985 and after);
- Candidates must be a national of an EU member state, UK, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, *Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine and Moldova;
- Candidates should have established themselves at the highest levels of their chosen profession, or be on track to do so;
- Candidates must be committed to serving society at large through noteworthy contributions and have demonstrated a record of significant achievements and outstanding professional experience;
- Candidates are also evaluated based on their ability to contribute to the enrichment of the program as a whole;
- Candidates are required to be fluent in English as it is the working language of the programme.
- Candidates must commit to participating in at least one seminar during the program year.
The European Young Leaders Programme is described by the organizers as a “unique” multi-stakeholder program that aims to promote a “sense of European identity” by bringing together 40 or more of the brightest European leaders every year and “engaging them in initiatives that will shape Europe’s future.”
The programme, said a spokesman, has created a “strong leadership network of committed Europeans of different backgrounds and opinions.”
Current young leaders include: Eneko Atxa, Chef at 3-Michelin-starred Restaurant ‘Azurmendi’; Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament; Juan Mata, Professional footballer, Co-Founder of Common Goal; Emine Dzhaparova, until recently Ukrainian first deputy foreign minister; Francesca Cavallo, Bestselling Author of Children’s Books & Serial Entrepreneur; John Collison, President & Co-Founder of Stripe; Luka Mesec, Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities; Raphaël Liegéois, Career Astronaut at the European Space Agency (ESA) and Disa Jironet, Public Prosecutor at the Dutch Public Prosecution Service
The organizer is the Brussels-based think tank Friends of Europe where a spokesman added, “The European Young Leaders represent an alternative infrastructure of leadership – a new generation of leaders able to inspire action and generate change. Together, their passion, diversity of backgrounds and opinions, and innovative thinking create the right formula for generating fresh ideas to build a more forward-thinking Europe.
“Our European leaders are scientists, artists, journalists, entrepreneurs and astronomers. They are citizens and their thinking is not bound by local and multilateral institutions, traditional political frameworks or bureaucracy. They provide alternative perspectives to EU decision-makers and challenge the status quo.
“They help take Europe out of Brussels. In their own countries, cities, and communities, the European Young Leaders also play an essential role in reconnecting people with and rebuilding trust in politics by engaging a wider community around key EU policy issues that need a whole-of-economy, whole-of-society approach to progress more quickly. They are facilitating citizens’ participation in the creation of a more equal, innovative, and inclusive Europe and helping build a European identity.”
“The societal challenges Europe faces today call for young leaders that we aim to bring together and cultivate through the program. Young leaders come from various walks of life, and we welcome the diversity in perspective that they bring.”
The deadline for entries is 20 May.
