CEPS_Green

Meet our
Young Thinkers

Bri

Meet our 2023 class

Alexis Kontoghiannis

28, Greece and France

Beatriz Duarte

23, Portugal

Brian Kelly Nyaga

24, Kenya

Cameron MacBride

24, United Kingdom

Cédric Lombaerts

26, Belgium

Chiara Frittitta

24, Italy

Ciara Conolly

23, Ireland and Germany

Dominik Juling

24, Germany

Eter Glurjidze

24, Georgia

Felicitas Murat

26, Switzerland

Giovanni Scomparin

26, Italy

Iman Jibreen

27, Palestine

Laura Lisboa

27, Portugal

Lucrezia Sala

23, Italy

Muhammad Maulana

21, Indonesia

Nils Seidel

25, Germany

Nubia Rodrigues

24, Brazil

Paula Oliver Llorente

25, Spain

Sher Yao

23, Canada

Simon van Hoeve

25, The Netherlands

Sofia Romansky

23, United States, the Netherlands, Ukraine

Sonia Stoyanova

25, Bulgaria

Zofia Borowczyk

22, Poland

Meet our 2022 class

Chloe Ludden

26, France and UK

Francisco Jose López Vélez

24, Colombia and Italy

Weiming Huang

23, China

Pablo Rasmussen

24, United States

Signe Eline Kossmann

26, Denmark and The Netherlands

Mihail Murgashanski 

27, North Macedonia

Sarah F. Gerwens

26, Germany

Isaac Opoku

28, Ghana

Sosé Mayilyan

27, Armenia

Keire Murphy

27, Ireland

Anna Kenn

23, Germany and Luxembourg 

Dan Ziebarth

25, United States

Stella Meyer

27, Germany 

Giorgi Ukhurgunashvili

34, Georgia

Inés Satué Crespo

26, Spain

Kate Lancaster-Ryan

22, Ireland

Niclas Johann

22, Germany

Marin Pitavy

25, France

Yoanna Vergilova

23, Bulgaria

Nikita Pravilshchikov

21, Russia

Meet our 2021 class

Adam Volf

26, Ireland

Alliance Niyigena

25, Norway

Dário Kuteev Moreira

22, Portugal

Elin Schiffer

24, Sweden

Enow Awah Georges Stevens

26, Cameroon

Gresa Smolica

23, Albania

Harry Thursby-Pelham

19, UK

Lukian De Boni

24, Italy

Marlene Straub

25, Germany

Márton Végh

24, Hungary

Michał Gulczyński

29, Poland

Nicolas Remilien

23, France

Petra Pakozdi

19, Hungary

Ratnadityasinh Chavda

20, India

Selin Kumbaraci

21, Turkey

Shaima Chachai

20, Spain

Sophie Connor

20, UK

Stefano Cisternino

26, Italy

Sven Mikulic

21, Croatia

Tiago Beck

24, Germany

Xiaoman Lin

23, China

Maria Vasileia Karampatsoli

24, Greece

John Morgan

20, USA

Mihail Murgashanski

26, Macedonia

Anette Sonnbäck

28, Sweden

Adam Abdalla

23, Czech Republic

With the support of: 

Open Society Foundations

united-states

United States Department of State

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Trade and Technology

Brian Kelly Nyaga

Kelly is a legal practitioner with experience in international economic law, dispute resolution, banking and finance law and corporate commercial law.

He is also an avid researcher, having undertaken research and published widely on topics ranging from dispute settlement in the context of international trade, African economic integration, and economic recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, Kelly was an East African regional representative at the AfronomicsLaw Academic Forum, which is a platform dedicated to stimulating open and inclusive discourse on international economic law issues as they relate to Africa and the Global South.

Kelly has also participated in and spoken at conferences with thematic areas centred on emerging issues in his areas of interest. Notably, in 2021, he presented his research results at an international conference in Stellenbosch, South Africa titled ‘Prospects for Regional Integration in Africa – A Comparative Perspective’.

More recently in November 2022, Kelly joined a panel of multidisciplinary experts at an international conference organised by the Policy Center for the New South in Rabat, Morocco to discuss the role of regional integration in reigniting economic growth in African economies in the Post-COVID era, with an emphasis on the SADC region.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Security and Defence

Sofia Romansky

Sofia is a Ukrainian-Dutch-American completing a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy at Leiden University in The Hague, Netherlands. Before joining the Youth Policy Dialogues, she was an Assistant Analyst at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. She also volunteers with Students for Ukraine.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
  Energy and Climate 

Giovanni Scomparin

I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs from the University of Turin (Italy), and a Master’s Degree in International Energy from the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po. Currently, I am working within the consulting division of a major French utility company, focusing on energy transition-related projects (e.g. multi-country on-site solar projects, clean electricity procurement, etc.). Before that, I spent a year at a policy/regulatory consultancy, covering EU energy and climate policy. I am particularly interested in broadening my understanding of clean technologies (including their impact on raw materials demand), power and gas markets, and energy infrastructures.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
  Energy and Climate 

Alexis Kontoghiannis

As a Chemical Engineer and Environmental Policy graduate from Sciences Po Paris, I have an in-depth experience of the hands-on work in labs and project management in industry. As I envisioned to work in interests’ representation at EU institution’s level, I took the opportunity to enrich my EU understanding and policy-making skills at the College of Europe this year (2022-2023). As I’m always seeking to stay in real-life situations, I looked forward to joining this Youth Thinkers Policy Dialogues to carry-out some group practice policy-making on today’s critical Energy and Climate subjects.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
  Energy and Climate 

Muhammad “Moby” Maulana

Muhammad “Moby” Maulana is an aspiring researcher and a sophomore student at ODTÜ, Ankara, majoring in international relations with a focus on environmental politics. Most recently, he was a researcher for the G20 Youth Summit 2022, handling the topics of youth employment and environmental sustainability, where he designed several policy papers particularly addressing the issue of social safety nets, social entrepreneurship, and circular economy. He has also worked for several environmental consultancies where he was involved in the sustainable land use, forestry, and agricultural industries in the Southeast Asian region. Aside from his current research focus, Moby is especially interested in expanding his knowledge and expertise on energy policy through the international lens, including global partnership, energy market, and just transition.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
  Energy and Climate 

Felicitas Murat

Originally, I completed a three-year banking apprenticeship in Switzerland and a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). In addition to my employment in banking, coaching and at a newspaper, I have gained a variety of volunteer experiences. These range from working for more educational justice and equal opportunities, to promoting mutual cultural understanding between Switzerland and Colombia, to founding a school project with the organisation World Vision.

Currently, I am specializing in Environmental Policy and Sustainability as well as Development Management as part of a double master’s degree offered by Sciences Po Paris (France) and the London School of Economics and Political Science (England). As a Young Thinker at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), I am particularly interested in approaching climate change issues from a perspective that takes into account different life situations and realities. In this respect, one of my personal goals is to shape gender-responsive policies.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
  Energy and Climate 

Zofia Borowczyk

Zofia, is a final year Social Policy student at the University of Bristol, UK. She is particularly interested in issues concerning our society, such as climate change, democracy and employment, and focuses on EU and Polish politics. Previously, she has interned in the Senate of the Republic of Poland and EU Parliament. Moreover, she was the European Union Youth G20 Delegate in 2022, where she worked in the Youth Employment track and participated in a youth policy dialogue with Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, at both of which she focused on the topic of Youth Employment. She has organised the 2022 edition of the Congress of Polish Student Societies in the UK, where she headed the logistics and events team.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Security and Defence

Lucrezia Sala

Lucrezia holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs. Her past experiences at Real Instituto Elcano and Finabel (European Army Interoperability Centre) have led to her interest in being a trainee within the Secretariat of the European Parliament at the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) in March 2023.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Security and Defence

Laura Lisboa

Laura is currently Program Assistant at the Berlin Office of the US German Marshall Fund. She landed in Germany after spending a term in New York interning for the UN and a year in Brussels, where she worked at NATO, first as an intern at the Defence Investment Division and then in the Private Office of the Secretary-General. She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Security and Defence

Cédric Lombaerts

Cédric holds a Master of Laws from the University of Antwerp and a Master of Arts in EU International Relations and Diplomacy from the College of Europe. Currently, he coordinates EU energy policy as an Attaché in European Affairs at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Security and Defence

Eter Glurjidze

Eter is a program coordinator at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies. She holds a post-graduate degree in International Relations and European Integration from the Estonian School of Diplomacy. Her area of interest includes the EaP region, Central and Eastern European Region (CEE) and China. Covering these topics, Eter has been a speaker in numerous young professionals seminars in Brussels, Budapest, Luxembourg, Lisbon etc.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Security and Defence

Dominik Juling

Dominik is a graduate student in Conflict Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science following practical experience as a soldier and internships at the George C. Marshall Center and NATO. He is particularly interested in the intersection between security, defence, and climate change.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Trade and Technology

Sonia Stoyanova

Sonia is interested in transatlantic decarbonisation, climate clubs theory and the reconciliation of green industrial policy priorities with global trade rules.

Currently working at Clean Air Task Force, she has also completed a traineeship at the trade section of the EU Delegation in the United States. Prior to this, she worked at the American Chamber of Commerce in the EU, and interned at the UN Environment Programme, the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, and the Bulgarian Ministry of the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Sonia holds an Advanced Master’s degree in EU Politics and Policy from KU Leuven and a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Sofia University.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
 Democracy and Institutions

Núbia Rodrigues

Núbia Rodrigues, 24, Brazil. BA in Psychology, specialized in Global Health & Health Diplomacy, and in Epistemologies of the South. I’m working as a Project and Research Officer for the Data Feminism Program at Data-Pop Alliance. My research interests are focused on migration and gender studies. I’m also passionate about the intersection of art and activism – and puzzles.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
 Democracy and Institutions

Chiara Frittitta

My name is Chiara Frittitta, I am a 24-year-old Italian whose pronouns are she/her. Prior to being selected as one of the 30 young thinkers, I majored in International Studies with a regional specialisation in Europe. I have diverse research experiences, including field research in Rabat on young Moroccan women’s political participation.

I hold a master’s degree in Gendering Practices at Gothenburg University, where I gathered skills to critically analyse and draft gender equality policy plans and strategies with a dissertation on recommendations for making non-binary gender equality policy. I am passionate about gender equality, diversity and inclusion, and the role played by policymaking in creating safer space for all.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
 Democracy and Institutions

Iman Jibreen

Born and raised in Palestine, Iman Jibreen is a compassionate, community focused individual who is interested in humanitarian assistance, sustainable development and research. Through the latter, Iman aims to shed light over the socio-economic inclusion of vulnerable segments in the society.

She has received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Birzeit University in Palestine and her MSc in Sustainable development from a consortium of three European Universities (Padova, Leuven and Paris 1). She currently works as an Economic Development Officer at EducAid Onlus in Palestine where she is responsible for the implementation of all the economic empowerment activities of persons with disabilities in Palestine.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
 Democracy and Institutions

Cameron MacBride

I am a final year masters student, originally from Scotland but currently living in Bosnia & Herzegovina. My main area of focus is the Western Balkans & EU integration. I am incredibly excited to get underway with the work of the YPD due to the opportunity it provides for young thinkers to come together and discuss some of the most pressing issues for the EU going forward.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
 Democracy and Institutions

Nils Seidel

After studying law at Leipzig University and Harvard University with internships – among others – at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung´s Rule of Law Program Sub-Saharan Africa in Nairobi and the Trade Policy Division of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, I joined the Chair for European and Public International Law at Leipzig University as a research fellow focusing on European law, European citizenship and international human rights. I have also launched “Transatlantic Debates”, a debating project where pupils think about their priorities for a future transatlantic agenda

Youth Policy Dialogue:
 Democracy and Institutions

Beatriz Duarte

Beatriz is a young professional from Portugal, with a background in International Relations, and a specific interest in European Union politics. Fluent in Portuguese and English, and having advanced knowledge of French, Beatriz is always looking forward to learning new languages and embracing new adventures.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Trade and Technology

Simon van Hoeve

Simon van Hoeve is a Policy Coordinator for European Government Affairs at Microsoft, based in Brussels, Belgium. In this role, he provides horizontal support functions to the Vice-President for European Government Affairs and the Director for Strategy, contributing to policy related workstreams and ensuring synergies between advocacy and policy campaigns.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Simon spent a year as an Assistant Analyst, Cyber at Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. Simon completed his Master’s degree in International Relations at Leiden Universiteit in the Netherlands (2021) and completed his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Waterloo in Canada (2020).

In his spare time, Simon runs the BRUBBLE podcast, where he talks to young professionals in and around the Brussels Bubble on a variety of policy and topical issues.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Trade and Technology

Sher Yao

A native of Canada, Sher is a currently a Master of Education candidate with a specialization in Comparative, International and Development Education at the University of Toronto. More recently, she was a Junior Professional Consultant for UNICEF HQ supporting primary education policy and system strengthening across 15 countries. In 2022, she was selected to be a Graduate Fellow of the United Nations Office at Geneva and a European Forum Alpbach Scholar. Sher also graduated with a B.A. (Honors) in Music Education with a minor in the French Language from the University of Toronto, where her undergraduate thesis was awarded both The Thomas Clarkson Gold Medal and the Research Showcase Award.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
Trade and Technology

Paula Oliver Llorente

Paula studies at the College of Europe a Master in International Relations and European Diplomacy. Previously, she graduated from IE University after studying a dual degree in International Relations and Business Administration. She has worked in consulting, public advocacy and research in different organizations. Her research interests include the US-EU-China relation, monetary policy and the impact of technology on society.

Youth Policy Dialogue:
  Energy and Climate 

Ciara Connolly

My name is Ciara Connolly, I am half-Irish, half-German. I studied International Relations at King’s College London, where I also pursued several climate-related activities, such as being in the KCL Climate Action Society and taking part in French-speaking climate-related debate competitions. I graduated last summer and completed an internship at adelphi, a German government-funded think tank specializing in climate policy. I have now moved to Berlin, where I work as an Editor at the German news agency, dpa. I would love to work in European or German climate policy and can’t wait to get a chance to put this into action with CEPS. In my free time I like to go to gigs, do creative things with my friends and am currently learning Spanish as my dream is to visit Costa Rica someday!