During the official opening session of EU*Connect 2026/27, the participants were introduced to the programme and the official partners. They were greeted by Matthias Waechter, CIFE Director General, and Viktoriya Gura, Head of the Department of European Integration Policy at the Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Pascale Trimbach-Rognon, Secretary-General of the Franco-German Youth Office, warmly welcomed the participants. The great and ever-growing interest in this programme, she insisted, is a strong source of hope: "Europe is not only about institutions and decisions - it's about people!" EU*Connect offers a "place for open dialogue, where young people become actors and shape the Europe of tomorrow".

Auriane Jousse, Project Manager at CIFE, moderated the session and introduced the participants to the programme. The opening session ended with an intercultural activity animated by Dijedon Biljali.

Thanks to the funding of the FGYO, EU*Connect is free of charge. We thank all our partners for their continuous support and wish all participants five good months of intensive learning, fruitful exchanges and many new EU*Connections!

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-month-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.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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