On March 14-31, on the eve of the Russian Internet Governance Forum, RIGF 2026, the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.RF holds the Special Youth Course. Holding of the Special Youth Course in the internet governance has already become a good tradition of the RIGF: in 2026, it will be the sixth special course already.
This year, the main talking points will include WSIS+20 and the Global Digital Compact, online protection and parental control, AI in medicine, cloud services and data sovereignty, as well as cultural diversity and support for national languages. As part of the special course, participants will receive detailed information on the main topics of the forum sections, discuss the current agenda with experts, and formulate their areas of concern revealing views of the young people on the current issues.
In addition to educational materials, the special course will help its participants develop their discussion skills, work out approaches to resolving relevant issues in the internet governance and master the tools of online interaction.
The course comprises six educational webinars (on March 14, 21 and 28) and two interactive workshops (on March 24 and 31), where participants are to master the tools of creative online team work.
The ideas developed through the participants’ joint work will be presented on April 7 at RIGF 2026.
The event invites undergraduate and doctorate students, and young specialists interested in topics related to the management, development, and application of the internet and digital technologies. Participation is free of charge, but the number of available spots is limited.
Applications to the Special Course need to be filed by 4 March by filling in the form, which inter alia also has some motivation questions. For the organizers the form will be an important tool for selecting the candidates and assessing their interest in the topic and willingness to apply their knowledge in practice.
