#OurFutureEurope
Below you can find the YCPs that have successfully completed all four activities of our Young Climate Professionals programme 2022/23.
Anja Anić
Future YCP
Graduate | CROATIA
A recent graduate of two master’s programmes in social sciences, professionally passionate about policy making and refugee issues, and personally about climate and sustainability. Originally from Croatia and based in Copenhagen, Denmark, but currently looking for a place under the sun. Vegan for the environment. Enjoys travelling, especially with the prosperity of mountain hiking with the good views. Prefers dogs over cats, and has a strong belief that vegetarian pizza without cheese is not the best we can offer as a society. Hearing the voice of Dan Kwartler, host of TED Climate podcast can spark my joy.
Johannes Baader
Future YCP
Student | GERMANY
Johannes Baader is passionate about topics of Youth, Environment, and International Relations. Currently pursuing a joint master’s program in Comparative & Middle East Politics and Society at the University of Tübingen, Germany and the American University in Cairo, Egypt, Johannes has made numerous thought-provoking experiences during his semester in Egypt and his internship at the Environmental Peacebuilding Organisation EcoPeace Middle East in Palestine. These experiences granted deep insights into various subjects such as Sustainable Development, Environmental Education, and Climate Diplomacy and have contributed immensely to the conviction that only joint efforts can address climate change, environmental demise, and its manifold consequences to earth and its inhabitants in a fair and sustainable manner.
Anita Dangova
Future YCP
Young Expert | BULGARIA
Anita Dangova is a Junior Expert at the Economic Policy Institute since July 2022. She has graduated with Bachelor’s in European and International Law in Bristol, United Kingdom, and a Master’s in International Trade and Investment Law from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Between 2021 and 2022 she worked for the Council of the European Union at the Directorate for International Trade. Anita is one of the Korea Research Fellows of the Economic Policy Institute in 2021 when she developed a policy paper on the WTO compatibility of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, its economic impact on the Republic of Korea and Bulgaria, as well as the role that the EU-Korea FTA could play in furthering policy cooperation and dialogue in this respect. Anita has a broad research background in the area of EU and International Trade Law and sustainable development. Her Master’s thesis addressed the topic of the de minimis and Green Box exemptions of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, and their counterproductive impact on the decrease of trade-distorting domestic support. She has worked for the Embassy of Bulgaria in London, for several Law firms in the UK, and as an Assistant for Advocacy at the European Law Students Association. She speaks Bulgarian, English, Russian and French, and is in the course of learning German.
Iva Dimitrova
Future YCP
Graduate | BULGARIA
My name is Iva Dimitrova and I live in Sofia, Bulgaria. My academic background is in the field of economics. My interest in the environment and climate change has been raised in the last few years. I have been a volunteer for many environmental organizations in Bulgaria and last year I had the chance to join Za Zemiata – Friends of the Earth Bulgaria as a team member. There, I am bringing in my expertise in economics and work on strengthening campaigns by adding numbers and graphs showing that operating sustainably has not only environmental but also social and financial benefits.
Tsvetomir Ivanov
Future YCP
Pupil | BULGARIA
I’m a last-year student at the Vocational School of Engineering and Electrical Engineering. I am studying Computer technology and technology with advanced study of English. Next year, if everything goes according to plan, I’ll start my college years as a Geography teacher. For several years, I want to be that, model figure, to try to teach the new generations things, but in a different way. For the last 5 or 6 years, climate change, the dying Earth, Plants, and everything connected somehow to Ecology were some of the topics I talked about most.
Nature is my second home. I love walking in the quiet, virgin nature. My friends know that I have weekly walks in the forest near the city, so I just shut my mind off and make time for Myself. Another thing that I am obsessed with, is books. I don’t find anything cosier than a book, a cup of coffee, and some free time. And if it’s raining at this time… don’t even try to disturb me!
With my school, I have been in a few places where I gained some experience about a thing or two. I am the Deputy Speaker in our School Parliament and in the last few years we’ve been at police stations, the court, the fire department, regional administration, and the army, we have certificates from The European Parliament, and I am being part of Big Brother, Big Sister’s projects. And yes, I can’t say that I know how to stop fire or rule part of the regional administration, but I know what they do, from their point of view, which is different from the “normal” citizen.
Milda Keršulytė
Future YCP
Student | LITHUANIA
I am Milda from Lithuania. I acquired a college degree in Fashion Marketing and Communication in Barcelona, Spain. After coming back to Lithuania, I decided to gain a better insight into creative processes. Therefore, I am currently in the final year of my Bachelor’s in Creative Industries at Vilnius Tech. During my Undergraduate studies, I did an international exchange program in Graphic Design and Journalism in Antwerp, Belgium.
I am mostly involved in various art projects either as a dancer or as a coordinator. My expertise includes dance, communication, management, and graphic design fields.
Website: https://62947bcf0d764.site123.me/
Giedrė Keršulytė
Future YCP
Junior Biotechnologist | LITHUANIA
I am Giedrė from Lithuania. I work as a junior biotechnologist at a pharmaceutical company. My main interest in sustainability right now is the utilization of solar batteries. I got my bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Biotechnology and master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Vilnius University. My previous professional experiences include working at a biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scienific, internships at the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (working on the investigation of label-on and label-free assays for detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein in Dr. Ausra Baradoke’s laboratory) and Manilla R&D team.
Hasibe Mal
Future YCP
Student | GERMANY
Hi, I’m Hasibe, and I’m studying for my master’s degree in Political Science in Germany with a focus on developing political systems, and policy and empirical data evaluation. I consider learning about injustices in the world and trying to improve those situations, to be one of my main purposes in life. That’s one of many reasons why I was a research assistant for over a year at the University of Duisburg-Essen, when I learned more about Chinese inner politics and its impact on the Chinese population, particularly, the elderly population. As a daughter of Kurdish immigrants and experiencing immigration first handedly, when I moved from Italy to Germany at fifteen years old, I have always been aware of how international relationships do have a major impact on the life of every individual in the world.
I believe that the solution to the climate crisis is not only technical but requires a climate justice perspective. This can be possible through raising awareness on the community level and collaborating in finding solutions.
Erikas Marcinkevičius
Future YCP
Student | LITHUANIA
My name is Erikas, 4th year BA Fashion design student at Vilnius art academy, and also a volunteer at an NGO Generation Climate Europe.
In the past few years, I’ve led educational workshops on textiles and consumption and worked on artistic projects related to that. Being an artistic collaborator creating artworks from worn jeans at Denim Diaries has probably been the most interesting activity so far. Studying fashion design has pushed me to question consumption, and textile problems and think of a more sustainable, circular world. One of the main points of my work is to combine my academic knowledge of environmental issues with artistic skills in fashion, painting and performance, and apply all of that for social and environmental change.
Ieva Motiejunaite
Future YCP
Graduate | LITHUANIA
Hey! My name is Ieva Motiejunaite. I am from Lithuania. I got my bachelor’s degree in Lithuania with a program in Applied Chemistry. Later on, I had an opportunity to take an internship at the Marine & Environmental research lab in Cyprus, as well as, in Spain and Portugal. Therefore, I am currently working in the sustainability field and my day-to-day is keeping up with new strategies for businesses to become more sustainable.
Besides my current job, I am interested in outdoor sports such as hiking or bouldering.
Hubert Put
Future YCP
Consultant | POLAND
My name is Hubert Put, I am a 27-year-old Regulatory Consultant and Energy Markets Analyst from Poland. Having graduated from EIT InnoEnergy Masters School, I moved to work in Oxford, UK and then to Warsaw, Poland to work for Ørsted.
Besides work, I facilitate workshops, mainly for Erasmus Student Network. Thanks to being self-driven, I i.e., obtained the Prince2® Practitioner certificate, finished the Project Management course organized by the University of Catania, Italy and was elected to be a part of the 1st cohort of the OECD Youth Advisory Board.
My main areas of interest, besides the energy sector, are: fitness, learning new languages and reading books.
I am thrilled to become part of YCP and go even further within the field of active citizenship, social entrepreneurship and green literacy!
Besides work, I facilitate workshops, mainly for Erasmus Student Network. Thanks to being self-driven, I i.e., obtained the Prince2® Practitioner certificate, finished the Project Management course organized by the University of Catania, Italy and was elected to be a part of the 1st cohort of the OECD Youth Advisory Board.
My main areas of interest, besides the energy sector, are: fitness, learning new languages and reading books.
I am thrilled to become part of YCP and go even further within the field of active citizenship, social entrepreneurship and green literacy!
Denise Mundia Sala
Future YCP
Activist | ITALY
I’m Denise, a 20 years old girl from Italy. I’m just back from a year in Sweden, where I was an au pair, and I will start university soon.
I’m also a climate justice activist, mostly with Fridays for Future; this for me has a double meaning. First the necessity of being surrounded by a community that cares a lot about the environment and hears the climate clock ticking. Second, and more importantly, the need to contrast my privilege of being born in the global north and living a life way distant from people who live in the most affected areas by the climate crisis.
My aim is to make people aware of climate change, and how serious it is and care about it. I’m sure this project will help me a lot and give me good tools.
Change comes from the people and we all need to be on the same page.
Sara Šariri
Future YCP
PhD Student | CROATIA
I am Sara Šariri, a PhD student in biology working as a research assistant at the Ruđer Bošković Institute(Zagreb, Croatia) in the Laboratory for Biological Effects of Metals. My research is concerned with finding new indicators for early detection of exposure and effects of pollution of water bodies by metals and more recently by microplastics. I graduated with an MSc in Environmental Science in 2021. During my studies, I participated in the Sustainable Development Section of the Association of Biology Students, volunteered in Croatian nature parks, and completed three internships, including a lab job in Lisbon at the Centre for Marine and Environmental Sciences. With my work, I want to contribute to finding solutions to global environmental problems and protecting aquatic ecosystems.
Paula Staneva
Future YCP
Pupil | BULGARIA
My name is Paula Staneva. I am 18 years old, from Bulgaria. I am in the final year of studying Architecture and Construction graduating with a third degree, medium-special Education at Vocational High School of Architecture, Construction and Geodesy – “Architect Kamen Petkov” in Plovdiv. This year I am preparing for the UACEG in Sofia for an Аrchitecture major. My main interests are energy efficiency, technology, urban planning, the architecture of Modernism and cinematography. In my spare time, being part of “Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bulgaria’’ Association, I volunteer in Plovdiv’s social homes for children deprived of parental care. Also, I go to nature, that’s what really heals me. Often, I spend hours painting and sometimes go camping. I was raised to live as a creator, not as a consumer. I am interested in creating an urban project that integrates people into nature and contributes to harmony in scenery connected to our modern needs and lifestyle.
Stilian Stefanov
Future YCP
Graduate | BULGARIA
My name is Stilian Stefanov and I am a member of the Bulgarian team taking part in the Young Climate Professionals program.
I am a graduate of European Studies from Maastricht University, Netherlands and an exchange student from Charles University, Czech Republic. I have taken part in more than 30 international projects on a vast range of topics within the frameworks of a few EU-wide programs. I am particularly interested in history, geography, culture, politics, environmental problems and preservation.
The Young Climate Professionals project is an outstanding opportunity to discover more about the pressing problems of the environment in light of the EU’s current political commitments and ambitions. I believe that the exchange of knowledge and ideas with young people from all over Europe will have a conducive impact on both participants and their communities.
Bilyana Valkova
Future YCP
Student | BULGARIA
My name is Bilyana Valkova. I am 22 years old, from Bulgaria. I am in the final year of my Bachelor’s degree in International Relations at Sofia University. I have diverse interests in fields in close relation to my degree such as History and Politics, and in more ecological spheres such as the contemporary problems of Sustainability and Overconsumption that we face as a society. I’d be heavily interested to develop a project in this realm of green studies.
Lina Weber
Future YCP
Student | GERMANY
I am Lina, a 24-year-old Master’s student in Public Policy and Social Change at the University of Tübingen, Germany. I am currently spending one exchange year at SciencesPo Paris studying International Relations with a focus on Environmental Policy. In my studies, I focus on the intersection of climate and development and am particularly interested in questions of climate justice, global health, and how we bridge the understanding between natural and social science to fight climate change. This semester I put a special focus on Science and Technology Studies and Political Ecology. My best past internship experience was with an NGO in the field of development cooperation for which I am still active as a volunteer.