LMH’s Sophia Andresen (2025, DPhil Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation) has been selected for the highly competitive Europaeum Scholars Programme. She joins a small cohort of doctoral researchers from across the continent for the Future Leaders of Europe Initiative.
The programme consists of seven intensive modules, which will be taken alongside Sophia’s DPhil. These modules take place at universities across Europe, and include debates, seminars, and workshops with leading academics and practitioners. Over the two years, the Scholars operate in small groups on a project designed and conducted entirely by them in an effort to ‘make Europe a better place’. Final proposals will then be evaluated by a panel of experts and presented at an international conference in Brussels.
“I was drawn to the Europaeum Scholars’ Programme because it offers a rare opportunity to connect doctoral research with policy-making, leadership, and collaboration across Europe,” Sophia said. “My DPhil examines how generative AI can be integrated into education in ways that strengthen equity and trust, rather than deepen exclusion and widen existing learning gaps.”
Sophia added that the programme’s focus closely aligns with the kind of scholar and public thinker she hopes to become.
“Personally, being selected means joining an inspiring cohort of doctoral researchers from across Europe who are committed to public service and to addressing some of the continent’s most pressing challenges,” she said.
“I am most hoping to gain the ability to think and work more effectively across disciplines, institutions, and national contexts,” she said. “Education and AI governance are not challenges that can be solved from one national or disciplinary perspective alone.”
Over the next two years, Sophia will contribute to a team project that aims to develop practical, evidence informed policy proposals addressing one of Europe’s major social challenges. In particular, she is interested in how Europe can strengthen education systems as long-term democratic and social infrastructure, including by improving foundational learning, reducing inequalities and ensuring that digital transformation benefits all students.
