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.
A year ago, CIFE launched EU*Connect with a two-fold objective: To provide EU expertise for young Ukrainians, 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. For this second edition of the programme, which will run from October 2023 to March 2024, we are also inviting young people from Moldova to participate in the project.

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 Sachsen Anhalt. 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.

For questions and suggestions, feel free to contact us at euconnect@cife.eu.

The opening session took place in the presence of Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council and President of CIFE, Larysa Komakha, Director of the Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU) in Kyiv, Jérémy Rossignol representing the Franco-German Youth Office OFAJ/DFJW, and Matthias Waechter, Director General of CIFE, and all students on 12 October 2023.

Watch what participants and teachers say about the programme!

Workload and Schedule

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 2023 and end in February 2024. At the end of the course, a written examination will be offered in March 2024 for participants interested in obtaining a certification. Upon successful completion, participants are awarded a certificate and 20 ECTS.

EU*Connect Curriculum

The EU*Connect curriculum is structured into 6 modules:

The EU in 2023: Major historical steps and its institutional framework
EU policies and legal framework
The EU and its neighbourhood: Enlargement and beyond
Global security, conflicts and the EU
Ukrainian Challenges in the Context of War and Integration to EU Environment
Practical skills: Designing and managing an EU project

Each module consists of two to five course units, taught by renowned professors and experts. The courses can be divided into several meetings. The courses take place via videoconferencing (Zoom) and allow direct interaction with the lecturers and other participants from the 4 countries. What's more, the platform allows you to use different tools to share your experiences and learning.

With the support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union CIFE Erasmus Plus

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