YOUNG TALENTS 2025 – Call for applications – Food Sovereignty – A Driver for Competitiveness, Resilience, and Sustainability
Are you a Master’s or PhD student from France or the Netherlands with a passion for food systems, sustainable agriculture, public policy, or innovation?
Do you have bold ideas to strengthen Europe’s food sovereignty and security in connection with global food production and supply chains?
Would you like to collaborate in an international, interdisciplinary team and present your ideas to leading experts, policymakers, and researchers at the annual Franco-Dutch Erasmus-Descartes Conference?
Apply now for the 2025 Young Talents Programme — a unique opportunity to co-develop forward-looking and innovative solutions to some of today’s most pressing societal and climate challenges.
Join an international, interdisciplinary team, expand your network, and sharpen your skills in public speaking and collaborative problem-solving.
This year’s theme is: “Food Sovereignty – A Driver for Competitiveness, Resilience, and Sustainability”, as part of the Erasmus-Descartes Conference, which will take place on Thursday, 27 November 2025 at Depot Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
The application deadline is Sunday, 14 September 2025, at 23:59 CET. Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard and help shape the future of food in Europe!
What is the Erasmus Descartes Conference?
The Erasme-Descartes Conference (EDC) was initiated in 2002 by the French Embassy in the Netherlands and the Dutch Embassy in France. The conference brings together over a hundred renowned French and Dutch experts from universities, research institutions, ministries, and the private sector. It fosters knowledge exchange and strengthens bilateral cooperation on key societal challenges.
Each edition focuses on a central theme aligned with the European agenda and current developments in both countries. In 2025, the conference will address Food Sovereignty and Food Security, exploring how France and the Netherlands can contribute to more sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems in Europe and the world.
The 2025 edition of the EDC will take place on Thursday 27 November in the Netherlands, from 2:00 PM to 8:30 PM.
What is the Young Talents event?
The spirit of the Young Talents Programme is captured in four key objectives:
- Fostering cross-border cooperation between France and the Netherlands
- Tackling real-world challenges by valuing the perspectives and creativity of the younger generation
- Promoting transdisciplinary collaboration across fields and areas of expertise
- Expanding participants’ professional networks through high-level events and targeted networking opportunities
Each year, the Young Talents event, held as part of the Erasmus-Descartes Conference, brings together 12 outstanding young participants from France and the Netherlands to debate, collaborate, and co-create solutions for the future.
Their ideas, questions, and perspectives are meant to enrich the conference discussions and help shape forward-looking approaches to shared challenges.
In addition to their prominent role in the conference programme, participants benefit from extensive networking opportunities with leading experts, policymakers, and fellow innovators.
The 12 selected participants will be divided into two teams and will work on a specific challenge of their own choosing, in close collaboration with two expert coaches from the field. These coaches will provide guidance and support throughout the entire programme, helping the Young Talents refine their ideas and prepare for their final presentation.
While the Erasmus-Descartes Conference itself is a one-day event, the Young Talents Programme extends over a longer period. Over the course of 1.5 months, participants collaborate in two teams—working remotely through online sessions and self-organised team preparation. This is followed by three intensive in-person working days in and around Rotterdam, leading up to the conference.
Context
Food sovereignty and food security have emerged as critical global concerns, driven by the growing impact of climate change, geopolitical instability, and the fragility of global supply chains. These disruptions have exposed deep vulnerabilities in our food systems—affecting not only availability and access, but also fairness, resilience, and environmental sustainability. At the same time, increasing social inequality and ecological degradation demand a radical rethinking of how food is produced, distributed, and consumed across the globe.
In this context, the European Union has set ambitious goals for transforming food systems to become more sustainable, resilient, and just. The Farm to Fork Strategy1, the Green Deal, and Horizon Europe all reflect a shared political will to align agricultural productivity with planetary boundaries, academic research and innovation, as well as public health.
France and the Netherlands, both key players in the agri-food sector, are joining forces to build a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system. This collaboration is driven by scientific partnerships and innovation, involving academic institutions, start-ups, and major industry leaders.
As part of this effort, a dedicated working group on food transition has been established within the Franco-Dutch Pact for Innovation and Sustainable Growth, signed during President Macron’s 2023 State Visit to the Netherlands.
Among the shared bilateral priorities are:
- the development of plant-based proteins
- the integration of big data, robotics, artificial intelligence, and photonics in agri-food systems
- and, crucially, investment in human capital, including the training of the next generation of farmers, engineers, and scientists in the sector.
Both countries also share a strong commitment to tackling global food challenges. Bilateral cooperation in the field of agricultural research and education is long-standing and productive,but also through multilateral EU frameworks, such as Horizon Europe, as well as joint participation in global initiatives led by the FAO2 and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases3.
In both countries, there is a growing recognition of the need to foster interdisciplinary thinking and strengthen the role of science, policy, and innovation in achieving food system transformation. This includes not only producing knowledge, but also cultivating new generations of researchers, professionals, and changemakers equipped to address food-related challenges in a systemic and collaborative way.
The challenges for the Young Talents
Participants will work in two interdisciplinary Franco-Dutch teams to address challenges related to food sovereignty and security. Those challenges will be defined in collaboration with the team members and the coaches.
Participation in the Conference
The Conference
The conference will be based on discussions between experts, scientists, stakeholders, and high-level decision makers.
Central to this conference are exchanges between high-level speakers on developments on a political level between France, the Netherlands, and Europe. Other round table discussion will shine a light upon research and innovation, as well as the investments and training of the next generations. s.
Alongside the various experts, the Erasmus-Descartes Conference gives the floor to the Young Talents to pitch their findings, recommendations and solutions, and discuss them with the participants. They will prepare their pitches in advance with two devoted coaches during the month prior to the conference, including the 3 days where they will meet and work in person.
You as a Young Talent
To be ready to pitch during the Erasmus-Descartes Conference on Thursday 27 November 2025, you will take part in several preparatory steps.
Preselected candidates will be invited to pitch their motivation during an online meeting on 24 September in the morning in front of the organisers of the programme.
During the kick-off meeting on 9 October 2025, you and the other selected participants (6 from France and 6 from the Netherlands) will meet online for approximately 1.5 hours. You will receive detailed information about the programme and be introduced to the main challenges. Based on your interests, you will form two interdisciplinary teams of six people. You will also meet your two expert coaches (names to be confirmed), who will guide and support you throughout the process—helping you explore ideas, deepen your understanding of food sovereignty and security, and get ready to pitch.
Between the online kick-off and the in-person sessions in Rotterdam, your team will work independently, with support from the two coaches. No mandatory meetings will be scheduled during this period—it will be up to each team to manage its own time and organize online collaboration sessions.
From Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 November 2025, all participants will gather in Rotterdam, where you’ll work together at several inspiring locations. You’ll refine your ideas, prepare your pitches, and receive tailored coaching and pitch training.
On Thursday 27 November, during the conference, each team will present their project in a 5-minute pitch, followed by a 15-minute discussion with a panel of experts and the audience. Later that evening, a networking session will allow you to engage with high-level stakeholders and professionals from France and the Netherlands, and further develop your ideas.
Please note: participants will receive a certificate of attendance. PhD candidates in the Netherlands may be able to use this certificate to validate ECTS credits at their home institution.
Preliminary programme
| 9 October | Preparation meeting (online): – Kick-off & introduction – Setting up teams and challenges |
| 9 October – 23 November | Contact with team members and coaches, preparing the challenge per team – each team decides how they want to manage their time |
| 24 November | Morning: Travel to Paris Afternoon: Start & catch-up |
| 24 – 26 November | Working sessions: work on the challenges, group preparation, coaching, feedback sessions and pitch training Afternoon of the 26th : Fine tune pitches |
| 27 November | Morning: Fine tune pitches – last mile Afternoon & evening: Erasmus Descartes Conference |
| 28 November | Travel back home |
Practical information
Organisers
The Young Talents event is organized by the Embassy of France in the Netherlands, the Institut français NL, the Embassy of the Netherlands in France, the French-Dutch Network for Research and Higher Education, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education), and the University of Lille.
Partners
Alliance Française de Rotterdam
When
October 9 (online kick-off), and November 24 to 28 (on-site in the Netherlands), including participation in the Erasmus-Descartes Conference on Thursday 27 November 2025 in Rotterdam.
For whom
MA, MSc, PDEng, and PhD students from France and the Netherlands, aged between 20 and 35 years old, with a good working knowledge of English. International students enrolled in French or Dutch institutions are also welcome to apply.
We are looking for students from diverse academic backgrounds related to food security and innovation, including but not limited to:
- Agronomy / Food Science / Food Technology / Agritech
- Environmental Studies / Sustainable supply chain
- Public Policy / Political Science
- Economics / Development Studies
- Biology / Health
- Data Science / Engineering / Innovation / AI / Robotics
Students from other disciplines who feel they can meaningfully contribute to the challenge of building sustainable, equitable food systems are also warmly encouraged to apply.
Language
The working sessions between Young Talents as well as the Erasmus-Descartes conference will be entirely in English.
Costs
The organizers will cover the costs of transportation (travel between France and the Netherlands + public transport on-site) and meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). They will also arrange accommodation (four nights). You are responsible for the costs of any other expenses yourselves. The participation in the Young Talents event does not involve any initial expenses for the participants.
Participation
All 12 selected participants will attend both the online meeting and the physical 4-day session in Rotterdam. Participation in the full programme is mandatory. Any unjustified failure (absenteeism, inappropriate behavior) will lead to exclusion from further participation in the Young Talents event.
How to apply
Application form
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 14th 2025, AT 23:59 CET (midday)
