As a Mercator Fellow, Sebastian Franzkowiak will explore strategies for youth empowerment in the MENA region. He gained professional experience as the local coordinator for the Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE) in Tunis, where he worked on the promotion of the intra-Mediterranean dialogue. Sebastian developed a cross-sectorial interest for the dynamics of the Mediterranean during his studies in Maastricht, Nice, Tunis and Istanbul. He also holds a MA from King’s College London, specializing in countering violent extremism (CVE) and foreign terrorist fighters.