Kathmandu: The Delegation of the European Union to Nepal marked International Youth Day 2026 with full-day activities bringing together students, Erasmus scholars and alumni, entrepreneurs, civil society organisations, innovators, private-sector partners and youth leaders. The programme connected three events, the Erasmus Mundus Pre-Departure Orientation, EU Youth Fest 2026 and EU Youth Alumni Day, highlighting opportunities for young people in digital skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
EU Ambassador to Nepal H.E. Véronique Lorenzo felicitated 42 Nepali students who have secured the coveted Erasmus Mundus Joint master’s degree scholarship to study at universities across the European Union. The scholarship recipients, including 22 women and 20 men, met representatives of EU Member States, Erasmus alumni and fellow scholars ahead of their studies. The students will pursue subjects including public health, cybersecurity, journalism, renewable energy and sustainable construction.
More than 1,500 young people attended the EU Youth Fest 2026, where they received guidance and mentorship from seasoned professionals and had the opportunity to learn about emerging industries such as animation, robotics and artificial intelligence, alongside hands-on experiences including 3D modelling and printing, drone simulations and AI-powered games.
At the Youth Fest, the EU Delegation also marked the launch of two new grants worth a combined EUR 1.91 million: Creating Opportunities for Youth in Digital Economy (CODE) and Unleashing Digital Acceleration and Ambition of Nepali Youth (UDAAN). The implementing partners are Swisscontact, Restless Development and Robotics Association of Nepal for CODE; and Youth Innovation Lab, Women in Animation, Heifer Project Nepal and the Nepal Applied Mathematics and Informatics Institute for Research (NAAMII) for UDAAN. The initiatives will engage young people across all seven provinces, with a focus on digital skills, employability, entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly for young women, rural communities, and vulnerable and marginalised groups.
“One of Nepal’s greatest resources is its youth. Young people are dynamic, energetic, and full of potential. But this potential must be matched by investment in skills, opportunity, and employment. That is what the new EU initiatives are about. They aim to help bridge the digital divide and ensure that the benefits of technology reach those who have too often been left behind,” Ambassador Lorenzo remarked.
Alongside the Youth Fest, the EU marked EU Youth Alumni Day, bringing together EU Youth Alumni, youth organisations and partners to showcase youth-led initiatives across the EU’s areas of action, including circular economy, green growth, quality education, climate action and youth participation. The gathering offered alumni a platform to share success stories and discuss future cooperation.
The day reflected the EU’s continued commitment to working with young people as partners in Nepal’s future, spanning education and mobility, digital skills and jobs, innovation and entrepreneurship, and civic participation.
