A LAW student from Atticall has reflected on the experience of taking part in the prestigious UK–Germany Youth Summit in Berlin. The purpose of the summit is to strengthen cooperation between the UK and Germany in areas such as education, youth exchange, and democratic engagement. The event took place in Berlin from 19 to 22 March.
Thirty-five students from across the UK were selected from a group of 1,300 applicants, and at the summit they met with 35 students from Germany. Eilish Rice was one of five students from Northern Ireland who secured a place at the summit. “I applied for it through the Queen’s School of Law and was happy to be selected for it,” she said.
The students took part in discussions and workshops exploring topics such as disinformation, diversity, civic engagement, and democracy. “It was very intense,” Eilish said of her three days at the event. “There were some challenging discussions. It was 12-hour days, 9am to 9pm conferences. We were sent as delegates representing our own democracies in rural areas. We were explaining what was happening in our own regional areas, and contrasting what is happening with other people from all across Germany and the UK.”
The 20-year-old is a former pupil of Holy Cross Primary School in Atticall and St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel. She is in the second year of her Law degree at Queen’s University Belfast. She explained why she felt it was important for her to attend the summit in Berlin: “It was very good and very worthwhile, especially representing the north. I feel that it is important to study democratic resilience, especially our experience of conflicts and our own political challenges. It is important to highlight them, especially as they are often misinterpreted.”
At the end of the summit, the students had to present their proposed policy changes and policy reform ideas to politicians from the UK and Germany. “It was worthwhile on the Sunday to present the ideas that we collaborated on,” she said.
The School of Law at Queen’s highlighted Eilish’s contribution recently in their student newsletter. “The School of Law is delighted to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Eilish Rice, who was selected to participate in the prestigious UK–Germany Youth Summit held in Berlin. During the event, Eilish represented the North of Ireland with distinction, contributing thoughtfully to discussions on a range of important issues, including the future of the island of Ireland. Eilish was a fantastic ambassador of our school throughout the summit, demonstrating insight, professionalism, and a strong commitment to global engagement. We are incredibly proud of her achievements and the way she represented both the school and Queen’s on an international stage.”
Eilish said that she believes the experience will benefit her in the long term. “For public speaking, it was good for confidence building.” She is currently studying for her second-year exams, which take place in May. In the summer, she is working in Andrea Reid Solicitors in Downpatrick as a paralegal. “Hopefully, I will go on to sit the IPLS (Institute of Professional Legal Studies) exam,” Eilish added.
The UK–Germany Youth Summit was a product of the Kensington Treaty, signed by Germany and the UK in 2025, when they announced an agreement to cooperate across culture, education, science, and society, with a view to deepening the relationship between the two countries.
