You can apply for a SAYP module via the website of the respective organiser (host university). The links are provided below. If you apply for more than one training programme, it is very important to rank the programmes in order of your preference in the motivation letter, as you can only be admitted to one of them. You need to submit a separate application with a unique letter of motivation for each module you have chosen. We recommend that you apply for not more than two programmes corresponding to your interests and professional role.
Halmstad University, Policy Integration and Transparency Practices in a Digital Era (Policytransparency)
The “Policy Integration and Transparency Practices in a Digital Era” module provides
early and mid-career professionals with a comprehensive understanding of strategic
and inclusive policy integration in contemporary governance. The emphasis of the
programme is on challenges related to cross-sectoral policy coordination and the
sharing of data in a rapidly changing technological environment. It responds to the
needs of public and civil society organizations to implement horizontal governance
models that require monitoring and promoting strategic topics such as
sustainability, human rights, and gender equality while adhering to high standards
of information/data sharing. Leading specialists in policy integration and
transparency practice share experiences from the Scandinavian context and
facilitate the exchange of experience among participants drawn on their different
organizational and national settings. Through a well-structured blend of online and
on-site learning experiences, participants engage in interactive seminars, study
visits, and group work, immersing themselves in crucial topics. The program aims to
create lasting partnerships for future knowledge-sharing and cross-border
collaboration. As participants engage in the course, they build connections with
peers and experts, ultimately contributing to positive change in their home
organizations and societies.
Jönköping International Business School, Enhancing Governance and Accountability: Towards EU Integration in the Public Sector (EGAP)
The Enhancing Governance and Accountability: Towards EU Integration in the
Public Sector (EGAP) program is designed to strengthen democratic governance
and support EU alignment in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Led by
Jönköping International Business School (JIBS), the program targets decisionmakers in municipal organizations, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to
drive governance reforms in line with EU standards.
The program consists of two modules: a Preparatory Online Module, introducing
key EU governance frameworks and integration principles, followed by an On-Site
Module in Sweden, where participants engage in interactive workshops, study
visits, and peer learning with Swedish governance experts.
A core component is the mini-project, where participants apply their learning by
developing and implementing governance and accountability initiatives within their
organizations. This hands-on approach ensures practical impact, fostering
sustainable reforms and regional cooperation.
Through expert-led training, mentorship, and cross-border collaboration, the
program empowers participants to become change agents, strengthening public
administration and democratic governance in their respective countries while
advancing EU integration efforts.
Linköping University, Equality, Rights and Inclusion Knowledge: A Gender Equality Training Programme (ERIK)
The European Union (EU) is strongly committed to promoting gender equality
through policies that address, inter alia, structural ineaquality, equal participation,
discrimination and decision-making. The EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025
aims to close gender gaps in all areas of life while Gender Action Plan III (GAP III)
promotes gender equality globally. Horizon Europe, the EU’s largest research and
innovation programme, requires institutions to implement Gender Equality Plans
(GEPs) to secure funding. These plans focus on gender equality in recruitment,
career progression and decision-making while also addressing the
underrepresentation of women in leadership roles.
The training programme will provide young professionals in the EU Eastern
Partnership region with the knowledge, tools and skills necessary to drive gender
equality reforms in research, governance and leadership. By focusing on the EU
Gender Equality Strategy, GAP III policies and GEPs, participants will learn how to
develop gender equality plans, integrate gender considerations into policies,
improve gender balance in leadership and promote gender inclusivity in decision-making. It also contributes to EU integration by improving participants’ capacity to
align their governance practices with EU standards. The programme consists of
three modules focusing on key aspects of gender equality in organisational
structures, governance, decision-making and leadership.
Linköping University, Strengthening Trust, Resilience, and Institutions of Digital Democracy in Europe (STRIDE)
Organised by Linköping University and the University of Tartu, STRIDE empowers
early to mid-career professionals in public administration, policymaking, and civil
society to drive democratic change. The programme focuses on democratic
governance, digital transformation, and leadership, offering insights from Sweden
and Estonia—global pioneers in digital government and democracy.
Participants will explore critical topics such as AI ethics, surveillance, institutional
trust, and digital inclusion, gaining practical tools to strengthen governance and
policymaking in their home countries. The programme combines engaging online
modules with an immersive onsite experience in Sweden and Estonia, featuring
expert-led lectures, study visits, and hands-on workshops. Participants will also
benefit from a strong professional network, fostering cross-border collaboration
with peers across the region. Our programme targets a new generation of changemakers building a more
inclusive, and resilient democracy.
Malmö university, How to make participatory governance work, PARTGOV
The Malmö University-led programme, “How to Make Participatory Governance
Work,” aims to tackle challenges of autocratization, which threatens to gradually
weaken democratic institutions and governance practices in Eastern Partnership
countries.
This programme is a collaborative effort with partners from the public sector in
Moldova and civil society in Georgia. Our Moldovan partner, The State Chancellery,
is responsible for the professional development of civil servants, while our Georgian
partner, Europe Georgia Institute, runs an academy that trains youth in civic action
and social studies. Both partners have extensive experience in developing and
implementing training programmes, including with international collaborators.
The programme is divided into two main parts: a training programme and follow-up
activities. The training programme covers 12 themes related to EU accession
chapters and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including anti-corruption,
digital democracy, civil engagement, and transparency. Training sessions will be held
in both Chisinau and Malmö, with additional online sessions to support learning.
Follow-up activities are optional and require participants to apply and be accepted
after completing the training programme. These activities include peer-shadowing
and project work, both designed to support participants’ experience and pilot ideas
from the training programme in real-world setting.
Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Just Transition for Human Rights, Resilience, Inclusion, Value, and Equity (JUST THRIVE)
The first phase will be delivered online via RWI’s learning platform, with courses on
human rights, climate change, disasters, human mobility, women’s rights in climate
change and displacement, and responsible business conduct. Participants will also
access additional materials from RWI’s online library.
The second phase will take place at RWI’s headquarters in Lund, Sweden, with eight
days of intensive workshops and study visits. Topics will include applying the
Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) to sustainable development, environmental
governance, and just transitions, with a focus on environmental justice, democracy,
and resilience. Sessions will also cover EU democracy support, rights-based climate
adaptation, displacement, human mobility, and responsible business, including CSR,
gender equality, and inclusion. A dedicated session will provide practical guidance
on identifying EU funding opportunities and writing competitive grant proposals.
In the final phase, participants will develop individual projects with guidance from
RWI and YSU mentors. The top four projects will be presented at YSU’s Centre for
European Studies, with relevant stakeholders invited to foster networking and
experience sharing.
Stiftelsen Fryshuset, Inclusive Leadership and Youth Work in the Eastern Partnership
The program is designed to strengthen the capacity of CSOs in the EaP countries to
develop and implement innovative solutions to youth inclusion. It provides them
with tools to facilitate youth participation in diverse settings and practices. In a
rapidly changing world, it is important to recognize changing forms of youth
engagement and the reasons that drive youth to participate. The program hence
strengthens the ability of young professionals and organizations, working with and
for youth, to facilitate processes that support youth by a) identifying and reducing
obstacles to their participation; b) developing their skills and competencies to
participate; and c) creating synergies to ensure that youth have access to resources
and diverse arenas of participation. Working with inclusive and diversity-sensitive
methods further enables organizations to attend to diverse activities and interests
driven by different people working together to achieve common societal goals.
Stockholm School of Economics, Change and Negotiation for Democratic Integration (CANDI)
In Eastern Partnership countries, there are numerous young potential leaders who
want to bring their organizations closer to EU standards and values in a democratic
manner. Although the individuals are already capable, the required change may be
profound and may require novel ways of working together, in transparent and
broad-based processes of involving not only immediate colleagues but a wide range
of stakeholders.
In this program participants engage in intense exercises both in and out of the
classroom with each other to become better at joint problem-solving and decisionmaking for realistic and inclusive change processes. To equip participants for
effective change, we will utilize SSE’s proven change methodology – ChangeLive –
and we will draw on value-creating negotiation techniques to support participants
in establishing broadly acceptable new social arrangements. Under the supervision
of experienced coaches, participants will work through resistance in teams,
navigate competing interests, and figure out how to turn good ideas into reality in
projects they have selected. SSE’s change approach ensures that participants not
only increase their chances of realizing intended outcomes but also do so in a
democratic manner.
Södertörn University, Cooperation beyond Borders – Transnational Public Administration and Organising
Transnational public administration and organizing (TPAO) takes place at the level of
state, regional or local public agencies, and must reckon with jurisdiction and
practices from international bodies and other countries. It is not limited to issues
that transcend national borders, e.g. environment, communication, trade, conflict
resolution, but may include policy areas traditionally addressed nationally/locally,
e.g. poverty, employment, education, healthcare.
The transnational dimension requires public servants to examine, reflect upon and
address differences between countries in relation to socioeconomic development,
legal idiosyncrasies and political processes, as well as differences between specific
organizations, when it comes to different problem pictures, resources,
organizational routines, and collaborative capacities.
This module invites young professionals already working transnationally or planning
to introduce the transnational dimension into their daily work. The content and
structure is tailor-made to navigate the challenges and opportunities for
policymaking and administration required by the nature of transnational issues and
practice. It introduces participants to research and various practices of TPAO from
the EU, Baltic Sea region and the Eastern Partnership countries, and trains them in
using this knowledge to examine their organizations in the transnational dimension
of a relevant policy field, and initiating or developing their own transnational
activities.
Templates for your application:
CV europass
Motivation letter
Reference letter
English language certificate
