An Erasmusplus-funded project called the Wired Youth: Science Forum, aimed at promoting political, civic and social engagement among young people in Malta and Greece, was launched at the Valletta Design Cluster on September 5. It will run for seven months in both countries.

The organisers are now seeking to recruit 30 students aged between 15 and 18 to take part in a series of training sessions run by researchers and policymakers. The sessions will aim to equip the youths with skills to become more active and effective citizens, such as the ability to communicate and engage in debates and work in a team. Students interested in European politics and science subjects, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), would be ideal candidates to take part in the project.

At the project launch, Malta Chamber of Scientists president Gianluca Valentino explained that “the motivation for the project is to encourage evidence-based policy making and increase the participation of youths in national policy development, in particular, policies related to scientific themes such as AI, the environment and health”. He added that the project will shed light on current issues, the latest scientific research related to AI, and how to apply scientific results to develop evidence-based policies.

Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Chris Bonett, who also addressed the project launch, spoke on the importance of evidence-based research and the benefits of EU funds. He said the project would contribute to strengthening democracy in Europe by helping youths understand the importance of their voting rights. It will train young people how to formulate effective evidence-based policy papers that could benefit their country and society. And at a broader level, the project would help enhance awareness of the societal need for research and subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

According to a Eurobarometer survey commissioned by the European Parliament in 2019, citizens under the age of 25 drove the higher turnouts in European elections held that year. And in view of the forthcoming EP election in 2024 this is particularly important for Malta, which became the second EU member state to lower the national voting age to 16 in all elections.

The project is coordinated by the Malta Chamber of Scientists and supported by Esplora and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ from Malta, and Science View from Greece.

Students interested in more information and to apply to take part in the project may visit the project website or e-mail the project coordinators.