From May 27 to 29, 2026, representatives of the European Students’ Assembly (ESA) attended the 2nd European Forum on Digital Citizenship Education, organized by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. The event brought together approximately 250 educators, policymakers, researchers, civil society representatives, and youth organizations to discuss how education can empower citizens with the tools needed to navigate the digital world in a responsible, critical, and democratic way.
Since the first edition of ESA in 2022, students have consistently highlighted the importance of having a voice in debates on digitalization and artificial intelligence. Therefore, these topics have been a recurring theme in debates within ESA’s working groups and in policy recommendations during the last 5 years.
The ESA project and its work were presented at the Forum by Raluca Istoan, co-organizer of the student assembly. Anna Gumenyuk, one of this year’s panel coordinators at ESA 2026, also participated in the event. This participation provided an opportunity to highlight students’ contributions to European debates on digital citizenship, democratic participation, and the responsible use of emerging technologies.
The exchanges in Strasbourg reinforced a message that ESA strongly supports: digital citizenship is not just about the use of technology, but also about strengthening democracy, inclusion, critical thinking, and active participation.
The European Students’ Assembly’s participation in the forum underlines the importance of ensuring that students are at the center of discussions about Europe’s digital future. Students’ voices need to be recognized not only as part of the future, but also as current partners in building a more democratic, inclusive, and digitally empowered society.
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