Becoming Political: Adolescence and the Future of Democracy Conference 2026

As part of the centre’s integral role in the Marie Curie Doctoral Network, Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Politics of Adolescence & Democracy (IPPAD), we hosted the Becoming Political: Adolescence & The Future of Democracy conference, This one-day conference brought together the IPPAD network’s members and leading academics and policymakers to explore how young people become democratic citizens in a rapidly changing world at the School of Advanced Study in Senate House, London.

The conference focussed on youth political attitudes and participation across Europe and beyond. By comparing similarities and differences across national and global contexts in both Europe and Africa, it reflected on what current patterns of youth engagement reveal about the future of democracy. The IPPAD network also presented key findings on the development of political cognition during adolescence, offering new insights into how young people form political understandings, identities, and capacities for democratic engagement.

The conference then turned to key challenges facing youth and democracy today, with a focus on the role of social media, artificial intelligence, and civic education in shaping adolescents; political development. It opened up the discussion on how digital technologies and educational practices influence young people’s capacity to engage critically, participate meaningfully, and navigate democratic life.

Speakers and Panellists:

·       Mara Almeida, Joint Research Centre (JRC) & the European Commission.

·       Andreu Casas, London Social Media Observatory

·       Laura Serra, LSE

·       Katja Salomo, University of Kassel

·       Georgia Turner, University of Cambridge

·       Abigail Branford, University of Oxford

·       Billy Dunne, the Electoral Commission

·       Dan Lawes, My Life My Say

Members of the IP-PAD Doctoral Network

·       Irene Arahal, Royal Holloway, University of London

·       Olaf Borghi, Royal Holloway, University of London

·       Bert Bakker, Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam 

·       Gustavo Couto de Jesus, University of Amsterdam

·       Xenia Chryssochoou, Panteion University   

·       Nina Chatsisvili, University of Amsterdam

·       Jakob Kasper, University of Amsterdam

·       Jule Kegel, University of Vienna

·       Anna Knorr, Jagiellonian University

·       Mykyta Kovalov, University of Vienna

·       Malgorzata Kossowska, Jagiellonian University