EU*Connect – An Interactive Digital Campus for Participants from Ukraine, Moldova, France and Germany

EU*Connect is CIFE's interactive platform for introducing today's and tomorrow's European citizens to EU issues and enabling the exchange of experiences between young professionals and students from Ukraine, Moldova, France and Germany.
Since two years, CIFE is proud to connect young people from Ukraine, Moldova, France and Germany with a two-fold objective: To provide EU expertise for young Ukrainians and Moldovans, and to make French and German participants aware of the particular challenges of Ukraine in the context of war, its quest for EU accession and reconstruction. 

The third edition of the programme, will run from mid-October 2024 to March 2025. Applications are open until 9 September 2024. For more info see below.
 

Programme Highlights
 

For EU*Connect, CIFE partners with the Institute for Public Administration and Civil Service  (IPACS) of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the Young European Federalists of JEF Berlin-Brandenburg. The programme, funded by the Franco-German Youth Office, is 100% digital and free of charge. 

CIFE has a long-standing experience in developing academic courses for international students and has trained hundreds of young citizens from accession and neighbourhood countries.

During the 5-months-long programme, participants will take part in lectures, training, and discussions. Key topics are the fundamentals of the European Union (institutions, decision-making, law), the role of the EU in current conflicts, the process of EU accession, and the specific challenges of Ukraine in the context of war and reconstruction. All classes will be held in English.
 

How to Apply for EU*Connect
 

The application deadline is 9 September 2024. 

To apply for the EU*Connect programme, please click on the button and fill out the application form. Please also send your CV to euconnect@cife.eu.
Selected candidates will be informed at the beginning of October. 
For questions and suggestions, feel free to contact us at euconnect@cife.eu.

If you are selected for the programme, we will ask you to fill in a participation charter, by which you commit to taking part in the programme and authorise us to send you information about connecting to the platform and the various courses by email.
 

Workload and Timetable
 

EU*Connect will deliver 100 hours of teaching with a weekly workload of 2 x 3 hours (6 hours total).  The courses take place twice a week, usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm (France/Germany Time) and from 6 pm to 9 pm (Ukraine/Moldova Time). This enables most students and young professionals to fit their professional and academic schedules together with EU*Connect.

Courses will start in October 2024 and end in February 2025. At the end of the course, a written examination will be offered in March 2025 for participants interested in obtaining a certification. Upon successful completion, participants are awarded a certificate and 20 ECTS.

EU*Connect has welcomed over 120 participants so far. Click on the images and watch what participants and teachers say about the editions 2022/23 and 2023/24! 

I believe it is always a win to change perspectives and the EU*Connect program provided the possibility to gain insights in perspectives of professionals and international participants. I also learned a lot new things and the program gave me the knowledge to have deeper discussions and a more educated exchange on EU-related topics. In my opinion, this is not only helpful for working in an international context. It also helps a lot to understand the political conditions we live in in a better way. I am glad I had the chance to participate in the program and get to know so many amazing people!
– Participant from Moldova, 2023-2024

I would definitely recommend EU*Connect to my friends, because it provided a wonderful opportunity to delve into the realm of the European Union, including its institutional functioning, economic history, and legal framework. In my opinion, it serves as an excellent starting point for those interested in the EU and envisioning a future career path connected with EU and international relations.
– Participant from France, 2023-2024

Participating in EU*Connect was a remarkable experience for me. It was the first programme of such a high quality and international scope that I had the chance to join. I still feel inspired and motivated by the lectures. I would highly recommend this programme to anyone interested in the EU. During the programme, I found the modules to be very fundamental and practical. Our lecturers provided us with essential and carefully selected information regarding the EU.
– Participant from Ukraine, 2022-2023

It is a great opportunity to get to know EU institutions, their decision-making processes, challenges, strengths and weaknesses, not only through textbooks, but through the experience of people who work for the EU institutions.
– Participant from Ukraine, 2023-2024

It is always a great feeling to be part of a program that is committed to building a peaceful and sustainable world.
– Participant from France, 2023-2024

It was a great opportunity to deepen my knowledge about a topic I am professionally interested in. Furthermore, it gave me great inspiration for university assignments.
– Participant from Germany, 2023-2024

Lecturers and lectures are on another level. Thank you so much for this opportunity! I also would be glad to meet other participants in the future. Abroad or in peaceful Ukraine.
– Participant from Germany, 2022-2023

I had a fantastic few month where I gained a thorough understanding of the history and current state of the European Union, as well as the potential for Ukraine to become a member in the future.
– Participant from Ukraine, 2022-2023

It was a great opportunity to learn from incredible lecturers and interact with active and intelligent participants. Overall, it was an exciting experience and I gained some valuable knowledge and ideas to share.
– Participants from Ukraine, 2022-2023