As an international student studying and working in the pharmaceutical industry, there are a lot of elements that I wish to see evolve in the upcoming years. Climate change and sustainability is becoming a more and more prominent issue. In the world of science like biology and chemistry, the use of single plastic is as important for creating a sterile environment as it is a problem creating high amounts of waste. I am hopeful that more biotechs invest into sustainability and create positive change towards the plastic waste generated during clinicals trials and laboratory research.

Feeling

I am mainly feeling hopeful as I believe we can drive the change towards this better future. I believe a lot of times we forget how much power we hold as individuals and how many things we can achieve when we come together for a common goal. I believe with the right guidance and support, we can not only achieve a future where medical research coexist with sustainability, but also the future of every other young European.

Influence

I believe we are all able to influence our own future and be part of the bigger picture of the future. People are making the future by the accumulation of small tasks completed as a whole. With the will to educate ourselves on the current matters and implement our knowledge by creating our opportunities will allow us to influence and shape our future.
 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

I'm 20 now, but 2 years ago I was 18. I already knew how #DiscoverEU worked because I had heard about it before on social media, and that made it easier for me.

There is a certain period between which you can apply. If you want to go with a group, it is better to complete the questions together. This is how you actually put yourself together as a candidate. You have to fill in a number of standard questions and then also answer a number of questions about Europe. They are easy, you can quickly find the answers online. After that, there is another question to fill in; like how many people are going to register. It's all a bit of luck.

After you've signed up, you'll have to wait a while. You may not have been selected. I know a few people myself who didn't have it and that's a shame of course. Lore and I were selected, you will receive an email and you have to confirm. After that there is still time to let us know when you want to travel. You have to be sure that you can, so do not communicate your travel dates until you are sure. A train ticket is valid for 30 days and within those 30 days you have 7 train travel days. We chose to travel in July.

Lore and I came together a few times to plan. First for the big ideas; which countries, what is our budget and after that to book. You only have to book high-speed trains in advance and especially in France and Italy you have to see if you can reserve your place. For the rest you can just fill in your free #DiscoverEU pass on the train. For us, choosing the countries was fairly straightforward. We alternated slightly more expensive countries with slightly cheaper countries. You get the train journey for free, but you have to pay all other costs such as meals and accommodation yourself. We chose to go with a low budget and therefore book hostels. Hostels are a good way to get to know people. And you can cook and reduce the cost of your meal budget. We did make sure that budget did not defined our entire trip, if we saw a nice trip or activity such as kayaking, we would do it. Outside of accommodation we didn't book much in advance. We created boards on Pinterest with 'free things to do in ...'. We already had a collection of ideas, but otherwise we were flexible.

We traveled for 17 days and went from Belgium to Frankfurt, Interlaken, Zurich, Innsbruck, Bratislava, Budapest, Vienna and back. So we chose to mainly do cities. We had just over 7 train days, so we paid for the distance between Bratislava and Budapest ourselves and did it with the Flixbus. The moment that will stay with me the most is the arrival in Innsbruck. We just came from Frankfurt. Frankfurt was an intermediate place and it rained there. We already saw the landscape change on the train and when we arrived in Innsbruck, the sun was shining. There was beautiful blue water on the lake, we saw mountains, the nature was breathtaking. We arrived right in a fairytale. Then we both had the feeling: that's why we travel by train.

My top three tips:

• A hostel is an ideal place to meet new people, but bring your earplugs because sometimes there are still snorers present!
• Try to say a few words in the local language. Even if it's just 'thanks' or 'hello'. Local people really appreciate that.
• You can meet in advance with other young people from Europe who have also won a #DiscoverEU ticket. We met #DiscoverEU people while travelling. The facebook group helped to find them.

See more pictures here

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

My name is Tanguy, I am 26 years old and I currently live in Paris. Originally from Brittany, I grew up in a small village of 2.000 inhabitants, in the middle of the countryside, until I moved to a big city of more than 250.000 inhabitants at the age of 16. The city was a great discovery for me: access to many cultural activities, with continuous and safe public transport.

After my A-level, I entered higher education. After two years of hesitations, I reoriented myself in a new training, nursing. As soon as I entered this new course, I decided to get involved in the association of my institute. This was the beginning of almost 5 years of commitment within the network of student associations of the first student organisation in France, the Federation of General Student Associations (FAGE).Today and for the second year, I am in charge of international affairs in this organisation, on a voluntary basis and during my gap year, to bring the voice of French students in European and international debates concerning higher education and youth issues. This prior engagement led me to join the French national working group of the EU Youth Dialogue. Every day, I have the chance to speak with students, associations and governments from all backgrounds and over the world.

What did this teach me? Today, with hindsight, I realise that growing up in a rural area and that I came from a low social class had conditioned me to think that I would never be able to live this kind of experience, to do the studies I was in. And yet, I was incredibly lucky to have been able to get involved in all these associations and to be able to build myself personally and professionally. Europe is accessible to everyone, even if you don't know it. My commitment has catalysed all this and that is why I can only encourage everyone to get involved in a cause that is dear to them.

Through self-study and all the people I met, I was able to learn a lot about international issues and in particular about the European Union, which have become major interests. At the beginning of the academic year 2022, I will have the chance to enter a master's degree in international political science (another reorientation), thanks to all my associative experience! I will thus be able to do with my life what I have been passionate about for almost 5 years now.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

In 2019, I went to Aberdeen in Scotland for a semester abroad. At home, I studied law at Aarhus Universitet and today I have graduated with an exciting year abroad behind me.

I chose to go on exchange because I always wanted to see what it was like to study in a foreign country. It has always been my plan since I started studying. 

I also wanted to try to live in a different country and experience its culture and way of life up close. I also chose to go abroad to boost my resume, because I know it says something about a person if that person has been abroad and employers think that it is important. 
I chose Scotland because it has always been a country I wanted to experience so why not try to live there?
I always wanted to experience the nature and the Scottish traditions and I’ve never been to Scotland which was important when I selected my destination. 

The University of Aberdeen is an old university and it looks very different from our modern universities in Denmark. It kinda looked like Hogwarts and I’m a huge Harry Potter fan so that was a plus. It also seemed like they did a lot for their exchange students and there were so many opportunities to experience Scotland on different trips. 

It was not hard to apply but it took a long time and there was a lot of paper work. I traveled with Erasmus+ and through EU things run by itself. I ended up with two scholarships and together with the Erasmus scholarship, it was quite enough. 
I have had some really good experiences in Scotland with the local culture and friendships that will last a lifetime. My English has improved, the school and courses were so exciting and my resume has improved.
 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

It is clear that the health of the planet Earth and its inhabitants should become the first priority for all institutions & governments. The technological advances are dazzling and incredible already at the arrival of 2022, it seems to me that all these researches & advances should be turned towards a more ecological and healthy future for the humanity. The "Smart Money" control more than 95% of the world's wealth and it is up to them to act for the good of all. For those who make up these companies and make profit at the expense of ecology and human health, they are shooting themselves in the foot. The resources of our planet are running out and they will eventually realize that the ecological transition is imminent.

In 2040, I hope that we will have access to a cleaner and more powerful source of energy, I think in particular the international project ITER and then DEMO which will follow, will allow us to have a more prosperous and ecological future in terms of energy manufacturing.

From a political point of view, efforts must still be made, especially in the mentality of our leaders who for many lack compassion, realism and altruism towards their people.
As a Frenchman, I have the feeling that many countries like mine suffer from certain infringements of citizens' freedoms as well as inconsistencies with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

The money collected by governments and "Smart Money" is distributed in areas that in my opinion are not a planetary and humanitarian priority. The distribution of wealth in the military fields is disproportionate to the real needs of humanity. I work in this military industry and that's what made me have this realization.

Feeling

Energy, political and economic upheavals are inevitable, these hard knocks will allow us to move forward into the future with better foundations, strategies and actions to conserve our planet and our society.

Influence

A small action by one human being repeated by millions of others can have a big impact. I will continue to contribute to a better world. My ambition is to have social status and influence so that my voice carries more weight and has more impact on the world.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

I used to attend the gymnasium Breda (NL), where I was in a very nice class with great friends. They all had different styles, interests and backgrounds. But not everybody accepted that. For example, one of my friends wore skirts while he was originally male, and they sometimes called out to him. In my view, these kinds of reactions were just weird, and I wanted, and still want, to enable a future where we can all be who we are.

That is also the reason that I joined the KinderTrendrede team, a Dutch program where we shared stories about the future together and hearing that from others is important. Because if we hadn't taken the world into our own hands, we would never have been here where we are now. Children are and will remain the future.

That is why it is great that my future vision has come true: we now live in an inclusive, diverse society in which I feel at home. People listen to each other and accept differences. And it is not only the young people anymore, but everybody that consciously thinks about the future. We can’t change the past, but the future is not written yet and is full of ideas and hope.

That is why I find it so nice and important to be able to share my story here. The more people I can inspire to think and act diversely, the better the future can look like.

Feeling

I feel inspired, and also hopeful, because what is considered impossible today is possible in the future. But if we want those changes, we have to start now. And I think that has to be done together with different ages and different ideas.

Influence

Everyone can influence the future, all in our own way, because every decision can make a difference. That's why I think it's important to discuss and work together to come up with great ideas for beautiful futures.
 

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

Let’s imagine we are in 2040…. How would the desirable future look like? Well, how about more inclusive labour market for the young generation? Let’s have a closer look at this matter.

In 2040, there are more opportunities for young, talented and motivated university graduates on the labour market across Europe. The future employers from various sectors (e.g. health, public policy administration, trade, academia, energy…) offer more working opportunities for young people letting them develop their potential instead of excluding them due to the lack of several years of relevant experience.
As I have personally experienced, young people are nowadays facing obstacles to gaining a new experience in professional working environments. The question arises, thus, how these young people can already possess several years of relevant experience right after graduation from their studies.

Let’s make the future of Europe more young people-friendly. Let them join the labour market successfully after their graduation. Let your people bring their value, skills and qualities to professional environment. The European Union should have no borders at the labour market. This is how the future of Europe should desirably be.

Feeling

Hope, ambition, inspiration, determination

Influence

I do have influence on the future if my fellows and/or colleagues support my hope for the future. In order to achieve the desired future described by myself, this calls for a cooperation between people. A cooperative approach is, thus, important to have the influence on the desired future.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

It’s 2040 and it feels like ages since I was in high school. I remember people constantly facing racism, I remember prejudice dominating the world and I remember people fighting for injustice to disappear. Being black, being gay, being a female, where things out of your control that you could be judged for. I remember black people being killed by the police, I remember gay people being isolated from the world, I remember women in many parts of the world being killed for going to school. The funny thing is that the world was believed to be friendly then. It’s 2040 and now I realise that the world was unfriendly and dangerous. Now it’s a different situation. Now the world has taken a step forward causing changes in the legal system, even though people’s mind haven’t been changed.

Feeling

When I think about the future I feel intrigued about the challenges I might face and sometimes anxious that I won’t succeed.

Influence

I think I do have influence on the future, mostly by the actions I am gonna take as future worker and as a part of a social group.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

When I was 14 it was my first time hearing about youth opportunities and such thing as a gap year. It was usual in my family that after high school graduation everybody goes to university. However, I declared to my parents that I will take a gap year and will go volunteer with the European Solidarity Corps (EVS still at that moment). In addition, I wanted to learn French.

My both dreams became true when I got accepted for a volunteering project in Youth and Culture house in Graulhet, France. The beginning was difficult: without any French language knowledge I could not express myself and I was dreaming even nightmares about that. Also, there were loads of problems with WiFi at our house. However, it was a good motivation to put loads of effort into language learning. And without the Internet connection I could spend more time with myself, therefore I understood that I want to study psychology, not sociology.

All of this happened during the first month and nine more were waiting ahead! I had an opportunity to get to know nice and smart children coming from difficult life situations, influence and help peers to go and experience life with ESC, implement my own ideas and work together with other ESC volunteers. But most importantly I have learned to distinguish work from my leisure time and relax. As I was living with another volunteer from Germany, together we traveled, cooked, watched myriads of movies, and learned from each other how to live. It is very delightful to mature together with like-minded people. All in all, thanks to the opportunity provided by ESC I have put a strong foundation of ‘adulthood’ skills for myself and made 2020 memorable!

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026

At the time I decided to participate in my first Youth Exchange, I was writing short texts for my organization’s website and had very little knowledge about the world of Erasmus+. It was something that I remembered hearing about in high school and I knew that it included travelling.

But when it came to travelling, my Youth Exchange experience was a little bit different, since I didn't actually leave the country, but went on a car ride to Duga Resa, a town next to my own. But even though I was just 10 km away from my hometown I got to experience a week of multiculturalism and diversity.

The name of the youth exchange was „EU is coming“ and I came back home with new knowledge about the European Union, its institutions and policies and the opportunities it has to offer to young people. Being a young person myself, I found this incredibly useful since we do not have adequate education about such topics within our elementary or high school programs.

We used non-formal methods, which made this learning experience very fun: we made our own podcasts, some of which also came with very creative videos. We had a treasure hunt, a human library activity – where different people who were more experienced and knowledgeable about Erasmus+ shared their knowledge and advice with us. We also participated in a live event on the Facebook page of DrONe organization, where we held a podcast about Youth Exchanges in general, what they are, how they work and also talked about the Youth Exchange „EU is coming“, which had been taking place at the moment.

These kinds of activities that included speaking in front of a large group of people were not just a step, but an entire leap outside my comfort zone. But it was precisely those that were of most value to me in the long run. Now that I am back at college, I feel much less pressure about having to perform in front of my peers and I’m able to express my opinions and ideas more freely.

In other words, besides learning more about the actual topic of the exchange, I learned a lot more about myself. More than I expected and more than I initially realized during or right after the exchange. I got a clearer picture of what I'm good at and which areas may need a little more work. I also got a new confidence and learned that I am capable of much more than my mind allows me to believe.

I would definitely recommend Youth Exchanges to anyone who wants to get to know themselves better and learn more about their interests and strong suits. I believe that travelling and being immersed in different cultures, living with a group of people from different countries for a week or two all while discussing important issues is a very valuable experience in the development of any young person.

Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026