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Leadership

Young Policy Leaders

A nine-month capacity-building and mentorship program for young people passionate about understanding and addressing public policy challenges in their community and beyond.

35Policy papers
12–25Cohort size
9 mo.Program length

Through a combination of training, research, tailored mentorship, peer learning, and writing, participants strengthen their ability to identify policy problems, conduct rigorous research, develop evidence-based recommendations, and communicate their ideas effectively.

YPL aims to contribute to a new generation of North African policy leaders who can bring youth perspectives, local knowledge, and evidence-based solutions into public policy conversations.

Throughout the program, fellows develop their own policy research around an issue they care about, culminating in a Policy Briefing Paper presenting their analysis and recommendations.

Where most youth capacity-building programs stop at skills and knowledge, YPL goes further — equipping young people to translate ideas into concrete action and real-world impact. In turn, the success of young leaders becomes an invitation: the proof to other young people that meaningful civic and policy engagement is achievable.

Explore the YPL Cohorts

Emerging Researchers, Local Challenges, Policy Solutions

The Young Policy Leaders program has brought together emerging researchers, practitioners, civil society actors, and young professionals addressing public policy challenges in their respective countries.

Libya Cohort · 2021

Nine Fellows, Nine Policy Perspectives

The 2021 Young Policy Leaders cohort in Libya brought together nine young professionals, researchers, and civil society actors working across a diverse range of fields.

Over the course of the program, fellows explored policy challenges connected to health, migration, education, social cohesion, economic development, agriculture, cultural heritage, environmental education, security, and governance.

AK

Amine Khelifi

Algerian entrepreneur studying informal economies and youth enterprise.

Informal Economy and Youth Entrepreneurship in Algeria

NB

Nour Bensalah

Tunisian researcher focused on gender equity in public policy.

Gender Mainstreaming in Tunisian Municipal Governance

RE

Rachid El-Amrani

Moroccan political scientist focused on digital governance.

Digital Governance in Morocco: Opportunities for Citizen Engagement

SM

Sana Meddeb

Tunisian economist specializing in labor market policy.

Youth Unemployment in Tunisia: Structural Barriers and Policy Responses

YO

Yasmine Ouazzani

Moroccan environmental scientist researching water resource management.

Water Scarcity and Agricultural Policy in Draa-Tafilalet

Tunisia Cohort · 2025

Young Researchers, Local Challenges, Policy Solutions

The 2025 Young Policy Leaders cohort in Tunisia brought together young researchers, practitioners, activists, and emerging policy professionals working on some of the country's most pressing social, economic, environmental, educational, health, and governance challenges.

From labour rights and mental health to water governance, civic education, environmental education, cultural industries, school violence, social protection, and youth health — the cohort reflects the diversity of challenges facing Tunisia while placing youth expertise, local knowledge, and solution-oriented thinking at the heart of policy conversations.

Cohort Publication

Tunisia 2025 — Policy Briefing Papers

The policy papers developed by the Tunisia cohort are brought together in a single multilingual publication available in English, French, and Arabic.

Preview Publication

Meet the 2025 Fellows

Want to Become a Young Policy Leader?

Interested in research, public policy, and developing solutions to challenges affecting your community?

Calls for future Young Policy Leaders cohorts are announced through NAPI's communication channels. Follow NAPI for future applications, opportunities, and program updates.

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