In his opening speech, Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council and President of CIFE, welcomed the participants with a hopeful address, particularly to the participants from Ukraine and Moldova: “The world is changing before our very eyes. This programme is designed to prepare you for the new Europe - more competitive, more independent and more carbon free - that your countries will be joining. We will all emerge stronger from this ordeal if we take the right decisions and act accordingly. Let us embark on this journey with conviction and enthusiasm. The CIFE and its partners are ready.”

During the opening session of EU*Connect 2025/26, 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. Emmeline Charenton, Office Coordinator of the General Secretariat of the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ/DFJW) and Lorenzo Ercolani, Representative of the Young European Federalists JEF Berlin-Brandenburg joined the session to warmly welcome all participants. 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 Lorenzo Ercolani.

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.

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