Despite the presence of the Covid-19 pandemic, for the very first time in its history, AEGEE will be organising an Online Agora. Like every year, different members have applied to different positions. In this series, we interviewed the candidates of the new Network Commission that will work in each part of Europe. One of these candidates is Teddy van Amelsvoort from AEGEE-Eindhoven.
Good morning, Teddy, and thank you so much for accepting our invitation. Firstly, the readers would like to know a bit more about you. Could you, please, introduce yourself?
I am 21 and currently a third-year Psychology & Technology student. I chose this field because I find human behaviour, also in combination with technology, very intriguing. Concerning my AEGEE introduction, I discovered this organisation during my first week as a student and about one week later I became a member, because that was the earliest opportunity for me to join it. I fell in love with the people of my antenna, because they all have a golden heart and make me feel AEGEE as my second home. The first two years I have mostly been active at a local level and at the end of the past year I decided to take a step to the European level. Aside from my love of AEGEE, I love to read.
Looking at your previous experience with AEGEE there is no doubt that the Human Resources Committee (HRC) was a field that helped you to improve. Which skills do you consider that were the most useful for applying as a Network Commission member?
I think two of the most valuable things are care and motivation. I do not feel that as Network Commissioner you need to have all the answers, but you need to care and be motivated to find answers and solutions for and together with locals. You also need to be able to listen to others for feedback, ideas and find out in what way you can help others.
Aside from the fact that I feel the HRC has been a wonderful opportunity for me to learn from lovely people and work with them, I have gained more experience working in a(n) (online) team which requires, in my opinion, structure, motivation, good and open communication and team building. I feel that my work on the HRC has helped me as the communication within and as NetCom is, for the most part, online.
Going to your programme, what are the main objectives you want to reach during your period as a Network Commission member?
I want to look into the type and theme of events organised by each local to see if there would be interest in organising an event which they have not thought about before or set up collaborations with other organisations in the vicinity of these ones. When the locals were interested in organising an event relating to an area they did not have a lot of experience in, I would like to connect them with European Bodies. I also want to focus on regular meetings to share best practice between locals outside the Network Meetings, as I feel that they are really beneficial and can spark new ideas.
But the aim I want to achieve first and foremost is to make sure that every board is confident about its tasks and what it is doing by giving it the proper tools to start if it does not have them yet. This also includes setting up any needed training programmes with possibly some help from European Bodies or old board members of the area, as they have already been in their shoes.
Is there any special field you want to focus on during your period as NetCommie?
There are a lot of important fields that are also recorded in the Strategic Plan of 2020-2023, in which NetCom is mentioned as one of the main actors. But one area I would personally like to focus on is the human resources field (and HR cycle), as AEGEE is made special through its members. There needs to be a balance between the various steps in the HR cycle, which, I have noticed, is not the case in several locals. Each experience is of course different and requires a tailored solution, so I want to look closely at this with the locals I am working with to find the best way to improve their HR management.
Finally, in case you are not elected, what will you do in AEGEE during the next academic year?
I have given it little thought. I will continue with the work I am doing within the HRC and continue to be an advisor to my local and hopefully organise the Summer University next year that was planned for this summer (fingers crossed). Even if I am elected, I would still like to organise that SU, as I love its theme. Besides that, I might take some other opportunities along the way.