- Applications open for the COP31 Young Academy Team established under the coordination of the Council of Higher Education

- Following a three-day application period, selected students will work alongside academic teams on academic projects and events held as part of COP31

- CoHE President Özvar: “I invite all our university students to seize this opportunity, contribute to the COP31 process with their knowledge and skills, and take responsibility for the future of our world”

August 24, 2026

Applications have opened for the “COP31 Young Academy Team,” established to enable university students to work alongside academic teams on academic projects and events submitted to the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) by universities as part of COP31, which will be hosted by Türkiye in Antalya from November 9 to 20, 2026.

Applications for the COP31 Young Academy Team, which will consist of students taking part in academic projects and events submitted to CoHE by universities, will be accepted online through the official COP31 website https://x.gd/M0Zee from August 24 to 26. Under the program, conducted under the slogan “Be Part of the Team,” associate degree, undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students will have the opportunity to participate directly in the COP31 process through academic projects and events.

- Students to be selected based on academic evaluation

Before applying, students are required to contact the relevant academic to confirm the name of the project or event and the academic’s details listed in the COP31 submission made to CoHE.

Once applications have been completed, the university, project or event name, and relevant academic information provided by the students will be matched with the existing COP31 academic application records at CoHE.

Academic projects and events associated with student applications will be given priority for academic evaluation due to the selection schedule of the Young Academy Team. These projects will be evaluated according to the same criteria and principles applied to other academic applications submitted to CoHE as part of COP31.

Following the academic evaluation, students associated with projects and events deemed eligible for participation in COP31 will be selected from among the eligible candidates based on basic eligibility, foreign-language proficiency, and the contribution they can make to the project, within the allocated quota.

Students selected by CoHE will participate in COP31 training. Those who successfully complete the training will work alongside academic teams on the day(s) when the academic project or event with which they are associated is held as part of the COP31 program. The students’ assignment dates, areas of responsibility, and other implementation details will be announced once the COP31 academic program has been finalized.

- “Young people must be part of the solution”

CoHE President Erol Özvar emphasized that climate change is a global challenge that directly affects not only people today but also future generations, while sustainability has become a shared responsibility.

“For this reason, it is crucial that our young people grow into individuals who do not merely follow these processes, but contribute through their knowledge and ideas, take responsibility, and become part of the solution. With the COP31 Young Academy Team, we are giving our students the opportunity to participate directly in the academic dimension of this important international process, which will be hosted by Türkiye. I invite all our university students to seize this opportunity, contribute to the COP31 process with their knowledge and skills, and take responsibility for the future of our world. We cannot envision a future that our young people do not take ownership of. Their contribution is of great value not only for COP31, but also for building a more sustainable world,” Özvar said.