On September 30, 2025, Youthmakers Hub’s Co-founder and CEO, Konstantinos Maragkos attended the official launch of the Africa-Europe Youth Academy (AEYA) in Dakar, Senegal. The high-level event brought together young leaders, policymakers, civil society organizations, and institutional representatives from across Africa and Europe.

The Africa-Europe Youth Academy is a flagship initiative under the EU Youth Action Plan and the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package. The programme aims  to empower young people aged 18 to 30 across 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, strengthening their leadership capacities and positioning them as active agents of change within their communities and beyond. With a strong focus on inclusion, the AEYA ensures participation from young women and youth in vulnerable situations.

Konstantinos’s presence at the launch reflects Youthmakers Hub’s strategic positioning within the Africa-Europe youth ecosystem. Through its work on the AU–EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective, the organization continues to connect youth voices with decision-making spaces across both continents.

The event opened with high-level speeches from institutional leaders, followed by a plenary session presenting the AEYA programme and the Global Index on Youth Participation. A thematic panel on inspiring leadership models for young people today brought together experts from diverse sectors. Throughout the day, participants engaged in discussions, networking sessions, and artistic performances that highlighted the importance of culture, storytelling, and community in shaping inclusive leadership pathways.

The launch also celebrated the new members of the AEYA Youth Advisory Board, reinforcing the programme’s commitment to youth-led governance. As Khady Diène Gaye, Minister of Youth and Sports of Senegal, stated during the event:

“The vision we have for the youth is based on sustainable development. Our ambition is to make youth the driver of sustainable innovations.”

For Youthmakers Hub, the AEYA launch reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and contributing to scalable solutions that connect Africa and Europe. As AEYA moves forward, it opens new opportunities for collaboration and collective action—areas where Youthmakers Hub plays an active and growing role.