University on Youth and Development 2026
AI, Youth, and Peace:
Preventing cybercrime and digital harm through responsible AI governance
13 to 20 September
Mollina, Spain
The University on Youth and Development (UYD) has been organised by the North South Centre of the Council of Europe for 25 years. It is the most long-standing Summer University. It represents an international hub for meetings, youth advocacy and exchange of good practices. The event gathers, for one week, hundreds of young people, youth workers, decision makers, experts from the field and institutional representatives, providing them all with a space to meet, debate, build their capacities and cooperate on youth policy issues.
Each University is organised around a cross-cutting theme that represents the common thread linking all the activities. The 2026 North-South Centre Youth Universities focuses on "AI, Youth, and Peace: Preventing Cybercrime and Digital Harm through Responsible AI Governance." Building on the 2025 edition, the programme explores both the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence, with particular attention to cybercrime, disinformation, online manipulation, and their impact on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Through the lens of the Council of Europe's legal standards and complementary regional frameworks, participants will strengthen their critical AI literacy, digital safety skills, and understanding of responsible AI governance. The Youth Universities will empower young people to become informed digital citizens, contribute to policy discussions, and develop youth-led solutions that promote ethical AI, peaceful digital environments, and more inclusive and democratic societies through interregional dialogue and co-operation.
The Joint Programme connects all the people involved in all the UYD partners' activities, giving everyone the opportunity to network, share and reflect different perspectives on the annual theme.
It consists of a series of plenary sessions of different natures: from informal and playful evening activities to more formal debates to explore the annual theme with representatives and experts. It also includes musical moments and interactions with the local community.
The Joint Programme is designed by the Joint Pedagogical Team of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe together with the Partners and is implemented through non-formal education methods, following the Global Education Guidelines.
The 25th UYD is organised with the support of Spanish Institute of Youth (INJUVE) and Euro-Latin American Youth Centre (CEULAJ).
Altogether 6 parallel activities take place in the framework of this UYD’s edition, that expects to gather around 150 young people, youth workers, and experts from the field together with institutional representatives, from different world regions and notably from Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The activities and organisations listed below have been chosen to operate within the UYD. They are collaborating to ensure the success of the event and contribute to the advancement of the youth sector.
My Peculiar Mind brings together young neurodivergent and neurotypical participants and group leaders from Spain, Romania and North Macedonia. The activities follow a pedagogical plan that combines non-formal learning, AI governance, digital creativity and intercultural learning, aiming a transformative week of living and learning together and a final product of strong pedagogical and artistic value.
This training course aims to empower members of Local Youth Councils (LYCs) with the skills, knowledge, and critical understanding needed to assess and improve the quality of the consultative bodies they are part of, while exploring the opportunities and challenges that Artificial Intelligence brings to civic engagement and youth work.
The Network on Youth and Global Citizenship is a partnership facilitated by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe that gathers youth-led organisations, international youth platforms and governmental institutions to facilitate dialogue and multilateral co-operation at interregional level in the youth field.
The meeting of the Network in Mollina will serve to take stock of the progress of the partnership and to plan ahead for the next steps.
The HEY Training of Tutors (ToT) aims to equip successful participants in the online HEY courses with the necessary skills and competencies to act as multipliers and disseminate knowledge on topics related to Human Rights by facilitating online courses in their communities using HEY methodology.
Part of the annual work plan Mind Matters, this activity focuses on AI, digital citizenship, and youth participation. It aims to empower young people to critically engage with digital spaces, understand both the opportunities and risks of AI, and explore how digitalisation affects their rights, participation, and mental health. Through non-formal education methods, participants will develop digital literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement skills, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to discussions on digital regulation and the future of AI.
GALLERY: Art-vocacy for well-being. Evaluation & dissemination meeting
Youth For Exchange and Understanding
PoEM’s final activity, GALLERY, brings together young people, youth workers and facilitators from the YEU network to evaluate local art-for-well-being actions, consolidate learning outcomes and co-create the Art-vocacy for Well-being in NFE manual. Through non-formal education, peer learning and artistic expression, participants will finalise a transnational campaign on emotional well-being, inclusion and responsible digital participation.
The UYD is an international youth event part of the iLEGEND III Joint programme co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe. The UYD is organised by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, in partnership with a number of youth-led and youth-oriented organisations who have the possibility to run their own activities (trainings, seminars, board meetings, etc.) within a dynamic and participatory context which encourages networking, cooperation and peer-to-peer education.
