The UkrainEU project—Towards the European Future of Ukraine, carried out by the European Union Society (formerly the European Union Student Research Group)—was honored at the 2026 Charlemagne Youth Prize ceremony in Aachen as the national winner of the competition. The project was thus recognized as one of Europe’s top youth initiatives.
The prize, awarded by the European Parliament and the Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen, recognises the most valuable youth-led initiatives that strengthen democracy, European cooperation, and dialogue among young people across Europe. The final stage of the competition and the award ceremony took place on 12 May 2026 in Aachen. The award was received by Jakub Mirkowski – founder of the European Union Society and initiator and leader of the UkrainEU project.
The implementation of the project was supported by Dr Iryna Degtyarova, Rector’s Representative for Cooperation with Ukrainian Universities at SGH Warsaw School of Economics. She facilitated academic cooperation with Ukrainian partners and supported the development of the part of the programme dedicated to dialogue between students from both countries. The project was also academically supported by Professor Małgorzata Molęda-Zdziech, academic supervisor of the European Union Society.
The UkrainEU project was created in response to one of the most important challenges facing Europe today – the future integration of Ukraine into the European Union and the need to build dialogue between young people from EU Member States and Ukraine. The initiative combined a simulation of the EU decision-making process held under the patronage of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education, an academic exchange involving students from the Kyiv School of Economics and Polish universities, as well as a series of workshops for secondary school students.
The European Union Society emphasises that the award represents not only the success of the project itself but is also proof of the importance of civic cooperation between young people from different parts of Europe. The partnerships built through UkrainEU also became the foundation for a broader European initiative. Building on the experience gained through the project, Jakub Mirkowski founded NODES – the Network of Diverse European Societies – a network of student organisations focused on European affairs, managed by him together with Victoriya Hermanchuk, student coordinator of the Ukrainian part of UkrainEU. The initiative aims to shape the next generation of European leaders.
More information about the project is available on the website of the European Union Society.
Wiktor Włochacz, member of the European Union Society
