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Ukrainian Future Leaders Programme officially launched in Brussels

Ukraine Future Leaders interns
13:13 25/10/2022

The Ukrainian Future Leaders (UFL) traineeship programme officially launched in Brussels on 24 October, it announced in a press release.

Aimed at immersing young Ukrainian professionals and students interested in EU public policy, the launch symbolically took place eight months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The traineeship programme, administered by the Ukrainian Students Union (USU), offers an opportunity to Ukrainians aged 18-28 to work in the European Parliament, through a six-week traineeship.

Its launch comes at a critical point, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has acutely disrupted the education and professional development of young Ukrainians, said the statement.

The first round of the programme sees three young Ukrainians take part in a traineeship in the respective offices of three member states of the European Parliament:  Poland, Lithuania and Germany.

While the UFL expressed its gratitude to MEPs and their offices for joining our programme, it appealed for others to join. “We take this opportunity to invite further members of the European Parliament to participate in future rounds of the programme by offering a traineeship position to successful applicants or by engaging in the programme’s activities. We anticipate the next round to start in January 2023.”

The programme followed a rigorous selection process, consisting of a written application and interviews. A selection panel was made up of representatives from academia, international organisations and the Ukrainian diplomatic corps. The three participants (pictured above) were selected from 194 eligible submissions.

Underlying the programme is the aim to reinforce Ukraine’s European trajectory by generating a grassroots community of future Ukrainian leaders with a deep appreciation and understanding of the workings of European institutions. The long-term intention is to facilitate the reform of Ukraine and its accession to the European Union. 

Ukrainian Future Leaders is supported by 23 deputies of the Ukrainian legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, along with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Written by The Bulletin