Oliwia Aziz

Oliwia Aziz, a 24-year-old law student from Poland, is redefining youth leadership in Europe through activism, public service, and her pioneering fight against adultism – discrimination based on age. As the youngest participant in the European Academy of Diplomacy and a parliamentary candidate in Warsaw alongside current Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Oliwia has become a powerful symbol of Gen Z’s place at the policymaking table.

Born in Łódź, Oliwia excelled academically from a young age, winning top national scholarships and attending the prestigious University of Warsaw. She speaks four languages and holds advanced certifications in law, diplomacy, and international relations. She has represented Polish youth at seminars across the EU and led panels with mayors, ministers, and MPs at the Economic Forum in Karpacz, the Warsaw Women’s Congress, and the European Youth Event in Strasbourg.

In 2021, Oliwia founded the #NotTooYoung Foundation, a national platform combatting age-based discrimination, empowering youth participation in politics, and promoting intergenerational dialogue. Her viral #niezamłodzi campaign reached over 30,000 students and 10,000+ online viewers, featuring public debates, storytelling, and press conferences with parliamentarians. The campaign earned awards for Best Student Project and a University Laurel for student impact.

The foundation also launched a YouTube podcast series, featuring both youth leaders and senior experts such as former Deputy Ombudsman Hanna Machińska and the former Constitutional Tribunal Judge Wojciech Hermeliński. The series encourages open civic dialogue across generations.

Oliwia’s reach extends globally. She co-organised youth exchanges between Germany and Poland, led seminars at the European Parliament in Brussels, and helped build Campus Poland of the Future into Europe’s largest sociopolitical youth festival. She is also a member of the European Democracy Youth Network, uniting changemakers from 23 countries.

Despite Poland’s underrepresentation of young people in politics (only 2.6% of parliamentarians under 30), Oliwia stood for office in 2023 at just 22, earning 1,410 votes as the youngest candidate on a major party list in Warsaw. She has since become a frequent voice in national media – appearing on TVN24, Newsweek, Voice of America, and RTVE, among others – to represent youth perspectives on democracy, social justice, and policy reform.

If Oliwia wins the Global Student Prize, she plans to build a sustainable model of youth-led social entrepreneurship, fund further leadership training, and eventually pursue an LL.M. at Harvard to deepen her legal expertise.