Later update: Friday, March 26th, the Schwarzkopf Foundation announced the winner of the 2021 Young European of the Year award: Constantin-Alexandru Manda!
| Press release (EN) | Press release (RO) | Full interview |
Together with the @Youth_Forum, we proudly present to you the Young European of 2021: @alexandru1manda. Our Congratulations! 🏆🎉 Alexandru is being awarded for his dedication to educational justice in his homecountry #Romania.#youngEurope pic.twitter.com/x8kZ3F2m9O
— Schwarzkopf Foundation (@SchwarzkopfStfg) March 26, 2021
Monday, March 15th, Schwarzkopf Foundation, announced the finalists of the "Young European of the Year" competition 2021, an award given to young Europeans aged between 18 and 26 years who have distinguished themselves in an exemplary manner concerning their honorary commitment and dedication in the support of international understanding and/or the integration of Europe.
Constantin-Alexandru Manda, nominated by GEYC and PRISMA, is one of the five finalists!
Short bio of Constantin-Alexandru MANDA
- his career as a young activist for the rights of Romanian students started at the age of 14. He founded the Constanta’s School Student’s Association (Romanian: Asociația Elevilor din Constanța);
- his activities and his desire to improve school education in Romania led him to work with the European Parliament Office in Romania in 2017 within the project "Promoters for European Democracy", bringing the issue of scholarships to the centre of public debate.
- in 2018, he joined the Romanian Academic Society (Romanian: Societatea Academică din România) where he continued to advocate for students rights, scholarships and the importance of the education;
- in 2020, Alexandru managed a national report together with the Institution of Ombudsman in Romania on the right to scholarships in Romania, at only 21 years old. Through the report, he was able to highlight the lack of funds and the legal inability of many localities to grant scholarships. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alexandru continued his civic battle, constantly campaigning to raise awareness of the need to increase funding and give everyone the concrete chance to study, especially with the new digital tools essential to follow remote lessons;
- in 2020, GEYC included him in the GEYC10 Changemakers ranking for his impact at the community level.