22 September–14 October, Brussels, Belgium
Europe’s AI rules are being written only a few streets away from where young people study, work and build their futures. Yet the young people who will live with those rules are rarely in the room.
That is why JA Europe is proud to announce three youth-focused sessions at Connected Cup, a temporary coffee and events space opening in Brussels’ EU Quarter from 21 September to 16 October. Created by Google Europe and design agency BUMP ahead of AI Innovation Month, Connected Cup will provide a space for conversations, workshops and encounters focused on the future of artificial intelligence.
Developed together with JA Europe’s Belgian member Vlaamse Jonge Ondernemingen vzw (Vlajo), the three sessions will bring young Europeans, teachers, innovators, AI developers and policymakers together to explore how artificial intelligence can support the people it will affect most.
Attendance arrangements differ by session: registration is required only for the Ukraine, AI and Youth session on 22 September. The two subsequent sessions organised with Vlajo are not open for registration.
Putting youth at the centre of the conversation
The programme begins with a conversation about Ukraine, education and innovation before moving into the classroom and, finally, towards the development of practical AI solutions.
This progression is intentional. The first workshop will invite secondary-school students and their teachers to consider what they want AI to do for education. The final session will then bring together university students, freelancers, young professionals and AI start-up teams to develop their vision of AI-powered solutions for young people in Europe.
Across the three sessions, the focus will remain on participation rather than prediction. Young people will not simply be asked to react to technological change; they will be invited to help define what that change should look like.
Three sessions, one shared purpose Ukraine, AI and Youth
The programme opens on Tuesday 22 September with a conversation featuring a Ukrainian teacher, a young Ukrainian innovator, JA Ukraine, Google.org and the European Commission.
The discussion will look beyond the question of what Ukraine needs from Europe. Instead, it will ask what Europe can learn from a country that has digitised under fire, and how young people and educators have adapted to extraordinary circumstances.
Registration is required to attend this session.
Register here
From AI in Today’s Classroom to the School of Tomorrow
On Monday 12 October, 20 secondary-school students and their teachers will take part in an interactive workshop focused on the role of AI in education.
The session will explore how young people currently use AI, how they can use it well and responsibly, and what a school designed for 2030 might look like.
This session is organised with Vlajo and is not open for registration.
From Real-World Problems to AI-Powered Solutions
The final session will take place on Wednesday 14 October and will bring together university students, freelancers, young professionals and AI start-up teams.
Participants will identify real-world challenges faced by people their age and work together to design the AI-powered solution they wish existed in Europe.
This session is organised with Vlajo and is not open for registration.
From participation to influence
The sessions reflect JA Europe’s commitment to ensuring that young people have a meaningful role in debates about the technologies shaping their lives.
AI is already changing how people learn, work, communicate and create. For that reason, discussions about its future should include the people who will use it in classrooms, workplaces and communities across Europe.
By placing young people, teachers and AI decision-makers in the same room, JA Europe and Vlajo aim to create a more direct dialogue between experience, innovation and policy.
The message behind the programme is clear: Europe’s AI future should not be designed for young people without being shaped with them.
Practical information
Dates: 22 September, 12 October and 14 October 2026
Location: Connected Cup, Rue d’Arlon 80, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Registration: Registration is required only for the Ukraine, AI and Youth session on 22 September. The two sessions organised with Vlajo are not open for registration.
Full programme at Connected Cup, an AI pop-up by Google: View the programme
Register for the Ukraine session: Register here
The sessions are organised by JA Europe in collaboration with Vlaamse Jonge Ondernemingen vzw (Vlajo) and hosted at Connected Cup, an AI-pop up by Google Europe and BUMP.
To learn more about the programme and take part in the conversation, visit the full programme and registration pages above.
