III Eastern Congress of Young Leaders
More than 250 youths from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia and Kazakhstan took part in the third edition of the Eastern Congress of Young Leaders – an event accompanying the 3Seas Local Government Congress. The Congress of Young Leaders took place on March 13-14, 2025 at the Lublin Conference Centre.
In opening Agata Dziubińska-Gawlik, President of the European Meeting Centre – Nowy Staw Foundation, emphasised that ‘we are responsible for the development of young talents and the Eastern Congress is an inspiration for young people and their development’.
On the first panel, young people had the opportunity to delve into the topic of International Meeting Centres, which play an important role in building intercultural dialogue and civil society.
Managing Director and Member of the Board of the “Krzyżowa” Foundation for European Understanding, Dr. Robert Żurek, pointed out that young people are very similar to each other, despite coming from different countries. Shorena Barbakadze, General Director of the International Language House, associate professor at Akaki Tsereteli State University in Georgia, emphasized that “The effects of international exchanges are social and personal skills, creativity, as well as the development of innovations, including technological ones.”
During the second panel, participants learned about two perspectives: students’ and employers’ on combining studies and work, opportunities and challenges faced by students. In this panel, the employers’ side was represented by, among others, Łukasz Stachowiak | Manager at PwC Polska, Andrii Myrovych, Team Leader PwC Polska and Magdalena Siroń, Coordinator of the Career Planning Center, University of Entrepreneurship and Administration in Lublin. The invited guests emphasized that it is worth combining studies and work. Each activity shown in the CV is to the advantage of the candidate and increases their chance of getting their dream job.
During the panel entitled “Creativity without filter – how to create content and take care of yourself on social media”, participants stressed the importance of authenticity on social media, but also the need to set boundaries and take care of mental health. It is important to distinguish between constructive criticism and hate speech. Panellists highlighted the problem of FOMO and the need to find a balance between online and offline life. It was pointed out that social media can support creativity and development, but also be a source of pressure. Therefore, it is important to build a conscious approach to their use and content creation.
On the second day, young participants had the opportunity to take part in panels ‘Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The role of young people in building a safe Europe’ and “#factorfake – effective tools in the fight against fake news”.
The Congress was a great opportunity for young people to gain new experience, meet new people and learn about employer expectations.
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