Young European Symposium
The summit for changemakers across Europe!
YES 2026 – 18.-20.09.2026 in Berlin!
Save the date in your calendar! – Click here
Last years programm – this year’s will reveal soon.
Say YES to three days of inspirational exchange!
The Young European Symposium (YES) is a student-organized conference designed to inspire positive change across Europe. By uniting Europe’s brightest minds from diverse fields, we create a platform to explore innovative solutions for the challenges of our time.
What we do
Program of the Symposium
We offer Insights and Inspiration
From cutting-edge discussions about Technology and Science, addressing ethical dilemmas and groundbreaking innovations, to tackling global challenges in Geopolitics, Democracy, and Peace, the symposium creates a space for meaningful dialogue. We emphasize creativity, societal impact, and personal growth. With flexible formats that allow for emerging themes, the program offers workshops, lectures, panels, and mentoring sessions tailored to inspire participants, broaden horizons, and empower them to become changemakers in their personal and professional journeys.
Take a look at the program of 2025 and get hyped for 2026!
Who’s coming?
Speaker and Guests
Voices of Change
At the Young European Symposium, our speakers are at the forefront of innovation, leadership, and creativity. We welcome distinguished experts from fields like technology, geopolitics, entrepreneurship and the arts. Whether it’s a keynote address, a dynamic panel discussion, or an interactive workshop, their contributions inspire and empower the next generation of European leaders – you!
Last year we heard keynotes from Günther Oettinger and Joe Kaeser, who will explored Europe’s political and economic future in a changing world. You missed “Beyond Earth: The Future of Space Exploration and Innovation,” led by Prof. Dr. Heike Rauer and Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl. And that’s just the beginning—many more thought-provoking sessions await you this year!
2026 speakers will reveal soon!
Who Is behind the YES?
About the team
The team behind the Young European Symposium (YES) is made up of young professionals and students, with members based in Berlin, Boston, Beijing and Madrid. Our dedicated team spans diverse fields, including medicine, business, and natural sciences. Together, we are united by a shared mission: bringing together Europe’s brightest minds to build a better future.
Our members include alumni and participants from prestigious institutions and networks such as the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, the Tönissteiner Kreis, Harvard University, and the Bayer Foundation. This unique combination of expertise and experiences enables YES to serve as an inspiring platform for Europe’s next generation of changemakers.
Esteemed Patronage
Patronage of the YES
Martin Schulz, President of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V. / former President of the European Parliament
Martin Schulz, has been President of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V. since 14 December 2020. He was previously the Party Chairman of the SPD, the chancellorship candidate and a long-time Member of the European Parliament, where he served as President for two terms from 2012 to 2017.
Martin Schulz is also a Charlemagne Prize laureate, which was conferred to him in recognition of his outstanding contribution to strengthening the European Parliament and democratic legitimacy
in the EU.
We want to continue our acknowledgment of our former esteemed patron, Dr. Horst Köhler, former President of Germany who passed away in 2025.