On Friday January 31st, the United Kingdom officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership. At the same time, a conference at the University of Cambridge brought together 70 students from across the globe to discuss the European Union and political issues facing our generation.
The Digital Economy Youth Summit (DEYS) – this year on “The Future of the Economy” – is European Horizons’ annual Europe-based conference. The goal of the forum was to challenge the way we think about the global economy and to address how economic policies are facing radical changes such as widespread digitalization and the existential threat of climate change.
The conference featured keynote addresses by experts from the world of European politics and transatlantic relations and discussion-based workshops on current political issues for students who then formed policy papers addressing possible solutions. Topics included the geopolitics of 5G, sustainability and energy policy, and digital banking. Notable guests included Dr. Alexander Rodnyansky, Chief Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine; Kristian Jensen, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark; and Ellen Quigley, Advisor on Responsible Investment to the CFO of the University of Cambridge. In addition, PhD students from Cambridge participated in panel discussions to address economic inequality, democratic theory, and the sustainability of luxury in the age of climate change.
This conference was an opportunity to meet students from all over the European continent and the rest of the world but more importantly a realization that our generation will need to develop policies to address new threats. While countries can decide to do this unilaterally, these issues are global and will require multilateral cooperation. It is in these times that we realize that European institutions play a crucial role in creating efficient and sustainable policies.