At the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year the Center of Excellence “Jean
Monnet” at “Paisii Hilendarski” University of Plovdiv will organize an “Academy for Young
Leaders and Policies”.
The initiative is aimed at young people, aiming to build capacity and understanding on
the policy and technology issues underpinning the policies united in the European Green Deal.
The young people from the so-called Generation Z have a socially constructed predisposition to
be more sensitive to climate challenges and environmental protection, while at the same time
their overexposure to online media information cannot always compensate for the lack of a more
complex and in-depth understanding of current policies of the EU, technological innovation
based on scientific research, including the possibilities for financing ideas and projects in the
field of the green economy.
Among the main highlights of the program is air pollution – not only as an environmental
problem that has come into the focus of local government institutions and civil society in recent
years, but also as a risk factor for the health of citizens and communities, associated with
significant economic and social costs for the population of Plovdiv and the region.
The academy will involve researchers from the “Jean Monnet” Center of Excellence,
international experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, citizens and local government representatives,
who will contribute to raising awareness among young people in the form of lectures, workshops
and interactive games, but will also place them in the role of representatives of interested parties
and stakeholders who will plan and build the vision for the future of Plovdiv municipality and
the region.
