When will YOUthDIG and EuroDIG be held in 2025?
You will arrive in Strasbourg on 8 May and in the evening we invite you to join us for a welcome reception to meet everyone. The YOUthDIG programme will be held from 9–11 May, and you will join EuroDIG 12–14 May. Departure will be on 14 or 15 May. You will be expected to attend pre-event webinars, YOUthDIG and EuroDIG.
When will the YOUthDIG webinars be held?
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YOUthDIG Webinar 1: Welcome to YOUthDIG & Introduction to Internet Governance (Wednesday 2 April, 19:00–21:00 CEST/Brussels time)
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YOUthDIG Webinar 2: European Digital policies & YOUthDIG Messages prep (Wednesday 9 April, 19:00–21:00 CEST/Brussels time)
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YOUthDIG Webinar 3: Introduction to the Internet Infrastructure & group presentation prep (Wednesday 16 April, 19:00–21:00 CEST/Brussels time)
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YOUthDIG Webinar 4: Group presentations (Wednesday 23 April, 19:00–21:00 CEST/Brussels time)
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YOUthDIG Webinar 5: YOUthDIG Messages (Monday 30 April, 19:00–21:00 CEST/Brussels time)
I can not make the dates or times of the webinars! Can I still apply?
Yes you can still apply. We will be making recordings for you to view, and you must be prepared to complete a small piece of homework, a quiz, or participate in a discussion over the mailing list to make up for the session that you missed. If you miss the group presentation, you will be required to submit a video with your contribution in advance in coordination with your group in addition to viewing the webinar and completing the homework.
What is included in the travel grant and accommodation grants?
If your application is successful, you are offered a travel and/or accommodation grant to attend YOUthDIG and EuroDIG 2025 in Strasbourg, France. You must attend the pre-event webinars, YOUthDIG (including social programme) and EuroDIG (including mandatory sessions) in full to receive your reimbursement. You will pay your travel in advance and we reimburse you on successful completion after the event. We reimburse return travel from your country of residence Airport A to Airport B in the host country, and will provide shared accommodation. You are responsible for any costs related to COVID-requirements, insurance, visa, travel to and from your national airport, local transportation in Strasbourg, and daily needs. We ask participants to keep costs as low as possible, this will give us the opportunity to invite more participants to join us.
What about meals?
For those who are staying with us in the YOUthDIG accommodation, breakfast is served on all days.
We will also cover breaks and lunch during YOUthDIG.
On 8 May, we will have a welcome reception however you will organise your own dinner.
9–11 May (YOUthDIG), we will provide a social programme and dinner.
12–14 May (EuroDIG), you are responsible for your own meals so that you can network and join members of the EuroDIG community. There may be social events organised where food is served. This will be confirmed nearer to the date.
Am I eligible to apply?
Anybody between the ages 18–30 (by 8 May 2025) residing in the Pan-European region is eligible to apply.
Who are we looking for?
We especially welcome newcomers to Internet Governance to apply, those who do not have any prior experience and want to learn something new or those who work on a specific subject area (e.g. AI, cybersecurity, law, art, communications, biology, medicine, or other) and want to broaden their understanding on how digitalisation or Internet policies would impact their fields.
Who are we not looking for?
Young professionals with more than 3 years of professional work experience do not need to apply for YOUthDIG, you are welcome to attend EuroDIG directly. We believe that you have the necessary confidence to participate in our community.
Former recipients of the Internet Society’s IGF Ambassadors scheme or ICANN fellowships are also welcome to attend EuroDIG directly. At YOUthDIG, we will be addressing many of the same topics that you learned during your fellowship, and we believe that these fellowships have prepared and empowered you to directly contribute to the topics and events that we are holding at EuroDIG.
If you need support with funding, please check out our Funding FAQ below.
What should I include in my submission?
You can tell us about your background, interest or connection with Internet governance but we are also very interested in finding out why you find the topic interesting and what you would like to achieve with YOUthDIG.
Note that we ask in our application for your motivation:
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Please do not write about the state of the Internet or a quote from an Internet pioneer. Write about you!
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Please do not write that you want to join YOUthDIG because you want to share your experiences. Be specific about what you want to share: which topics? Which experiences? What unique perspective or circumstance?
Did you receive my application?
After submitting your application, you should be forwarded to a success page which indicates that your application was submitted. You will also receive a copy of your application form by email, and receive instructions to confirm your application.
How are participants selected?
We use blind peer review to select participants. The YOUthDIG Organising Team consists of former YOUthDIG participants who know what it is like to experience YOUthDIG. Submissions are anonymised and every one of them are read by the entire YOUthDIG Organising Team who will give them a rating from 0 (not eligible) to 5 (good candidate). Based on these ratings, we create a cohort that is geographically diverse, gender balanced, with/from various interests and backgrounds.
What if I don’t get selected?
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You can still come to EuroDIG! EuroDIG is free of charge and you can come and join us for our main event. If you do not have funding, please see our Funding FAQ below. You are also welcome to join us online – EuroDIG has always been and always will be – hybrid.
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You can reapply for YOUthDIG next year if you still meet the age and residence criteria.
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You can reach out to your national IGF and participate in their events.
Funding: I would like to come to EuroDIG, but I cannot afford going!
If there are any funds available, EuroDIG will launch a travel grant programme, in that case, this would be communicated through the newsletter (you can sign up here!). But to ensure beyond doubt that you can attend EuroDIG, we recommend finding alternative support. Here’s some food for thought:
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Ask your university/school faculty/students’ union. Make a plan why you want to attend, a budget, which sessions you are interested in and indicate speakers that you want to meet. Sometimes they are willing to sponsor you!
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Ask your employer whether there is funding available for professional development.
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Ask for private sponsorship from businesses.
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Check if your country offers travel grants.
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Reach out to your embassy in the host country to ask if there are any travel grants.
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Hold a cake sale, they are surprisingly profitable.