Albrecht John serves as Communications and Events Officer at the Civil Society Outreach Unit within DG COMM. As part of the Partnerships team at the European Parliament, Albrecht works with colleagues to engage Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as key partners in disseminating and amplifying the EP's initiatives and creating synergies among multipliers to better communicate Europe together.

Ludmila Malai holds a Master's degree in Security Studies and Diplomacy and a specialised Master's degree in International Law. She has extensive experience in developing and coordinating European projects on topics such as radicalization, migration, women empowerment, youth engagement, racism, and Islamophobia.

Luca Tomini, PhD, is a Research Associate Professor at the Centre d’études de la vie politique (FNRS - Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels), specializing in democracy and democratization in a comparative context. He is currently working on a research project examining de-democratization in the contemporary age through a comparative perspective. His expertise encompasses a range of subjects including Comparative democratization, Autocratization, Theories of democracy; Empirical analysis of quality of democracy; European Union enlargement; Consolidation of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe; Italian politics; Europeanization and EU integration.

Presentation title: Early signs of backsliding democracy

Suzan Gibril is a post-doc FRS-FNRS researcher affiliated with OMAM, STRIGES and CEVIPOL at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Her areas of expertise include the analysis of tools of resistance and opposition in the Middle East, notably through the use of the cultural sphere (music, street art and graffiti, performing arts), as well as the links between collective action and power dynamics. She is also interested in questions of gender and violence in the field, particularly in male-dominated environments. Her main publications include "Methodological Individualism and Holism" in Morin J.F.; Olsson, C.; Atikcan O. Ö. (2020) Research Methods in the Social Sciences, London: Oxford University Press; the Palgrave International Handbook of Football and Politics (2018), London: Palgrave, as editor and author; "Shifting spaces of contention: An analysis of the Ultras' mobilization in Revolutionary Egypt" (2018), European Journal of Turkish Studies; or "Contentious politics and bottom-up mobilisation in revolutionary Egypt: The case of Egyptian soccer supporters" in GERGES, F. (ed.), Contentious Politics in the Middle East, London, Palgrave (2015). 

Presentation title: Exploring the constraints on citizen participation in autocratic regimes: A case study analysis

Martin Deleixhe is professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and associate researcher at CReSPo (2022-2024). He wrote his doctoral thesis at ULB, and then carried out research projects at Oxford University, KULeuven, Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles and the Sorbonne. He has also lectured as a visiting professor at Sciences Po Lille and the University of Vienna. His research focuses on theories of democracy and their relation to migration issues and European integration.

Olivia Gheyselinck holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from KU Leuven, Belgium, and a Master's degree in Comparative and International Politics with magna cum laude honours from the same institution. Her academic background has given her a strong foundation in the social sciences, which she applies in her role as EU Event and Project Manager at IDP. Olivia's areas of interest are social policies, sustainability, and social and political trust.

Ahmet Kaya is a Psychology graduate who conducted research at Radboud University Nijmegen focusing on the complexities of multiple identities and loyalties among bicultural youth, specifically Turkish-Dutch students who are Muslim. His most recent research was conducted for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was part of the research team investigating racism in the workplace.

Presentation title: Navigating Fact-Checking: Processes, Methods and Real-Life Examples  

Class of '94, he is a multimedia journalist and currently digital communication specialist at NATO, based in Brussels. Fluent in English and Spanish thanks to research and training experiences in Mexico, Sweden, Australia, Ghana, and Taiwan, he has worked as financial reporter for Reuters, multimedia producer for AP, social media producer for the EU Commission, and PR specialist for UNESCO. In 2022 he won the Google News Initiative fellowship at La Repubblica, and over the past years he has been awarded other awards such as the Covering Rare Disease fellowship, the Earth Journalism and E3J grants, and the Stars4Media award.

Presentation title: The role of independent media in combating misinformation and understanding fake news during investigations

Alessia Melchiorre is a freelance journalist and multimedia producer, focusing on environmental and social challenges in the Mediterranean region, with a solutions-oriented approach. Her investigative work includes a notable television report on the Italian mafia 'Ndrangheta’s operations in the Netherlands, specifically their involvement in drug trafficking through Amsterdam's flower market, supported by the Premio Morrione. Her reporting has been featured across various renowned international media outlets, such as Associated Press, Green European Journal, TRT World and Reasons To Be Cheerful.

Presentation title: Tangible Threats: The Impact of Fake News and Misinformation on the Upcoming European Elections

Lorenzo Di Stasi is an Italian independent journalist renowned for covering and analysing European Union affairs, migrations, and social issues. A commitment to human rights and international law characterizes his work. His recent in-depth reporting shed light on the intricacies of legislation and its repercussions on marginalized groups, and also – thanks to the Journalism fund Europe Grant – on the effects on the health and environment of the carmakers lobbying towards the EU policies to limit vehicle emissions.

Presentation title: The role of independent media in combating misinformation and understanding fake news during investigations 

Silvestar Petrov is a holder of a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies and a Master's degree in the field of Philosophy from the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Croatia. He is a youth worker, trainer, and project manager. Currently, he is fostering dialogue among youth and decision-makers on the local, national, and European levels through structured dialogue projects. He has worked on developing the Local youth program of Gračac Municipality for 2019-22. He was a member of the working group for preparing the Croatian National Youth Programme for the period 2019-24 and is a local coordinator of European dialogue with youth. He is supporting the development of youth work in rural regions of Croatia. His primary interest is an interdisciplinary approach to non-formal education and the youth work field, moreover, as the development of creativity through visual art, theatre, and music.

Sebastian Berchesan is the Executive Secretary of Stand Up for Europe, a Brussels-based NGO aiming to bridge the gap between citizens and EU institutions. Previously, he was active in the youth sector in Romania on behalf of the Youth Council and he was a member of the Students' Council. Besides his current work in the field of youth engagement and participation, his area of expertise is International Relations and Eastern European Politics.

Ludmila Malai holds a Master's degree in Security Studies and Diplomacy and a specialised Master's degree in International Law. She has extensive experience in developing and coordinating European projects on topics such as radicalization, migration, women empowerment, youth engagement, racism, and Islamophobia.

Kamila Boukfouz holds a Master's degree in law. In recent years, she has worked as a jurist within the social field. Since 2017, she has been working at Stichting Platform INS as a Project manager. The foundation is known for its Art of Living Together events for which Kamila is responsible within the organization. Since 2020 Platform INS has been a partner in several European projects with Kamila being in charge of the implementation of the activities outlined in the project agreements.

Fatih Cengiz holds a Master's degree from KU Leuven and is currently the project manager and coordinator of Fedactio Limburg. For the past 8 years, he has been working within the organisation, especially with Dutch-speaking communities. He is currently in charge of deliberations with young people in Belgium in the Citizen Z project.

Silvestar Petrov is a holder of a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies and a Master's degree in the field of Philosophy from the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Croatia. He is a youth worker, trainer, and project manager. Currently, he is fostering dialogue among youth and decision-makers on the local, national, and European levels through structured dialogue projects. He has worked on developing the Local youth program of Gračac Municipality for 2019-22. He was a member of the working group for preparing the Croatian National Youth Programme for the period 2019-24 and is a local coordinator of European dialogue with youth. He is supporting the development of youth work in rural regions of Croatia. His primary interest is an interdisciplinary approach to non-formal education and the youth work field, moreover, as the development of creativity through visual art, theatre, and music.

Nisa Yildirim is an 18-year-old student from Belgium, currently enrolled in her first year of Political Science at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain). As she pursues her academic journey, she is taking part in several EU projects and is looking for opportunities to get further involved in youth-centred projects and initiatives!

Esra Tekinkaya is an aspiring clinical psychologist. Esra is happily engaged in NGOs focusing on human rights and immigrant advocacy. She is also a proud member of a Youth Advocacy Team of the Citizen Z project.