Young Public Intellectuals

Türkiye–Europe Young Public Intellectuals Exchange Programme is a transnational initiative coordinated by D84 with the support of Stiftung Mercator. The programme brings together emerging public intellectuals, early-career academics, and policy-oriented professionals from Türkiye and Europe to foster mutual learning, critical dialogue, and intellectual collaboration across borders. Through thematic workshops, structured discussions, and shared learning experiences, participants deepen their understanding of political, regional, and societal dynamics that shape public life on both sides.

The programme’s face-to-face training phases have been successfully completed. The first training took place between 25–29 August 2025, hosted by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, with 18 Europe-based participants. Sessions covered regional politics, security, democratic backsliding, environmental governance, and digital activism, alongside practical workshops on public speaking and political communication. The second in-person training was held in Istanbul in November 2025, bringing together 18 young public intellectuals based in Türkiye, further strengthening the programme’s ambition to build lasting intellectual and civic bridges between the two regions.

The programme culminated in an International Forum held in April 2026 at the College of Europe in Tirana, Albania, co-organised with the College of Europe Tirana Campus. Over three days, 30 fellows from Türkiye and Europe came together for the first time in a shared physical space to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and lay the groundwork for a lasting transnational community. The forum explored EU enlargement and the securitization of defense, the third mission of universities, the future of research in the age of AI, op-ed writing and public debate, polarization and democratic resilience, and featured an immersive democracy simulation, ElectionVille, facilitated by Fabel.