OSCE and OSCE Academy Bring Together Young Leaders for Training on Inclusive Project Work and Digital Research

From 14 to 17 November 2025, the OSCE Secretariat, in cooperation with the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, organized an in-person training seminar for 26 young experts from Central Asia, South-East Europe, and the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation regions. The activity was also supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic. The training focused on inclusive project activities and digital research skills.

Participants in the training included members of the OSCE Pool of Young Experts, students from the OSCE Academy, alumni of the WIN Project, and recipients of the OSCE Scholarship for Peace and Security. Representatives from Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation, encompassing Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Tunisia, also participated in the event. The sessions were co-facilitated by trainers and participants alike, fostering a platform for exchange and peer-to-peer learning.

Dr. Pal Dunay, Director of the OSCE Academy, opened the event by welcoming participants, distinguished guests, and donors who supported the event. Following his remarks, Mr. Santeri Leinonen, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office's Special Representative on Youth, Peace, and Security, delivered his welcome address via video. The keynote speeches continued with H.E. Ambassador Siroco Messerli, Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kyrgyz Republic; H.E. Ambassador Dr. Volker Frobarth, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek. The following plenary speaker, Dr. Lara Scarpitta, Senior Adviser on Gender Issues and Head of the Gender Issues Programme, also addressed the audience on-screen. Final opening remarks were given by Gorica Atanasova-Gjorevska, Senior External Co-operation Officer, who noted that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today.

Participants began the three-day seminar with an agenda overview, expectations discussion, and ice-breaking activity, followed by the thematic sessions.

1. OSCE’s Youth and Security Agenda
2. Gender-Sensitive Communication: Effective Strategies for Communicating with Key Stakeholders & Engaging Young Men of Central Asia in the Promotion of Gender Equality (toolkit presentation)
3. How is it like to be a diplomat? Women in diplomacy and multilateralism
4. Gender Mainstreaming in the Project Cycle
5. Beyond Borders: Shaping a Shared Future of Science Diplomacy
6. OSCE Academy and Opportunities for Young People
7. Effective Online Searches: Image Analysis and Searching

Throughout the seminar, young experts discussed the OSCE’s Youth and Security Agenda, women in diplomacy and multilateralism, gender sensitive communication, gender mainstreaming in the project cycle, effective online searches, and image analysis.

The sessions were designed to enhance participants’ practical skills in project planning and implementation, fostering responsiveness to diverse needs and challenges. In addition, the training sought to develop participants’ ability to source reliable and relevant information online, and to equip them with the tools to critically assess visual materials, including photographs and videos.

This activity is a part of the OSCE’s extrabudgetary project, “Accelerating the implementation of the Youth and Security Agenda in the OSCE region”, which sets out to help empower young leaders in the OSCE region, fostering their potential to shape the future of security and co-operation. The project is funded by Andorra, Finland, Germany, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Spain.

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