Some weeks ago AEGEE-Debrecen organised a Network Meeting with a very small number of participants, but very interested in every activity proposed by the Hungarian Antenna. The Network Commissioner Alin Georgescu and the local students’ organisation “Zerophobia” have been fundamental for the success of this event.

THE AEGEEan: Let’s begin by giving us a little information about your Antenna. Who is AEGEE-Debrecen, how many members does it have and how old is it?

AEGEE-Debrecen Board: The foundation of AEGEE-Debrecen started in 1990, and we officially became an antenna in 1992, so we are one of the oldest antennae in Central-Eastern Europe. Our antenna has been continuously operating since then, and we organised many local and international events (Network Meetings, Summer Universities, conferences) in these twenty-five years. In the past few years we had 30-40 members, and fortunately nearly ten active members this year. Our antenna was always maintained primarily by the students of the University of Debrecen, which has been attracting many youngsters from our region, and recently from all over the world as well. The title of our Network Meeting was “NWM Debrecen – The phoenix rises again”, referring to the symbol of our city – the phoenix, and because we want the revival of AEGEE-Debrecen after the relative quiet of the past two years.

Was this the first time you organised a Network Meeting in your local? And if not, when did you organise the first one and what new did you plan to bring new to this NWM?

AEGEE-Debrecen organised several Network Meetings, I know of three at least, with this year’s meeting. But the last one took place in 2010, so it was time to organise one again [he smiles]. The new thing was a successful collaboration with a local students’ organisation consisting of Hungarian and foreign students here in Debrecen. They are called “Zerophobia” and they fight against xenophobia with different activities. They also delivered a session about the importance and power of communication and words themselves. It was a great success, every participant liked it very much.

Could you present us the core team behind this NWM?

Practically all of our active members were involved in the organisation, everybody helped where they could. So I don’t want to highlight anybody, maybe just our president, Evelin Király. Apart from organising, getting venues for sessions, food, etc, she always motivated us to move on with the organisation process, and make sure our participants never get bored or tired during the programmes.

What was the main theme of this NWM? 

The main theme was to learn how to get new members to your antenna, and how to make them active, but there were also discussions about current problems and the future of AEGEE, and the opportunities our organisation can offer. There were a lot of constructive, open discussions about these important questions. Thanks to our NetCommie, Alin Georgescu, for the good content.

Were there also thematic parties? If yes, what kind of thematic parties?

There weren’t thematic parties this time, but I saw our participants were satisfied with the pub crawling and the European Night [he smiles].

How many participants did you accept?

To be honest, there were only ten applications despite the hard promotion, but all of them were good. At the end five participants attended the event officially, but there were also some participants from Hungary, from AEGEE-Budapest, and from our university. It was a small NWM, but the feedback was very positive, and I have also experienced in AEGEE that sometimes smaller events are the better.

Which was the easiest way for participants to reach Debrecen?

Debrecen is easily accessible from Budapest, it takes only two hours by train. Our city also directly available by plane from some European cities. So I can say getting to here is not an issue.

Did you give the participants a city tour or an optional trip?

Yes, we gave them a city tour. Introducing our city to the participants was important for us, so we inserted the city tour to the middle of the official programme. I think it is important in order to build a good event. As an organiser you have to be aware of it, even in a busy NWM.

Tell us something interesting about Debrecen that few people know. 

I would like to tell about the flower carnival which takes place every year in Debrecen, on the 20th of August, on Hungary’s national holiday. On that day, fifteen big cars totally covered and overdecorated with flowers go around the city, once in the morning, and once in the evening. Several music bands, dance groups, and other creatures accompany them in this crazy event, and of course it is finished with a big firework performance. If you want to attend, just call us. You are always welcome here in Debrecen.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

Spring is right in front of us, and Spring Network Meetings follow closely. The Network is once again presented with ten amazing opportunities to grow stronger together, create fruitful alliances and share best practices. Here you can find the first five: AEGEE-Debrecen, AEGEE-Thessaloniki, AEGEE-Bilbao, AEGEE-Heidelberg and AEGEE-Nijmegen. For the following five, click here.

NWM Debrecen: The phoenix rises again

When it comes to AEGEE, sometimes it is like a double-edged sword. You have the benefit of experiencing and getting into the democratic process, assume responsibilities and make yourself heard at the European level. At the same time, there is a threat of people coming and going all the time, AEGEE represents just a few years of their lives for most of the members. This pilgrimage can sometimes affect the balance of an antenna or even the whole Network; some other times it could also create better leaders and the feeling of being part of this legacy could motivate people even more. AEGEE-Debrecen is no less than this, a few motivated members that will “rise again” and make their voices heard. We will tackle together all these issues and find real solutions for our locals and the Network. How can you get more inspired, if not in a place where inspired people are working and living? Come to discover the capital and the second biggest city in Hungary, its cuisine and its biggest treasure: the great AEGEEans living there!

Facebook event here.

NWM Thessaloniki: Find your thess-aurus
Are you an AEGEEan and you would like to know more about our organisation? Do you wish to gain knowledge and develop your skills in combination with meeting with more than 30 people from all over Europe? Do you want to join a journey to explore AEGEE and yourself? Then the NWM Thessaloniki: Find your thess-aurus is the right event for you! Join us in the beautiful Greek city of Thessaloniki and explore your potential and the AEGEE spirit (except the mattresses and the sleeping bags, we will have real beds!). A team of trainers will help you find your thess-aurus, so do not wait anymore! See you in Thessaloniki!

Facebook event here.

NWM Bilbao: The North is Worth a Meeting

For the second time in six years, AEGEE-Bilbao is proud to invite you all to the NWM: The North is Worth a Meeting. On the second weekend of April, 52 young AEGEEans will gather in Berriz for one of the greatest AEGEE events: a Network Meeting! During three days, invaded by the AEGEE spirit, all the beloved participants will have a great time in a traditional cosy village, being surrounded by lovely nature and learning about the Basque language and the culture. We are going to focus on the needs of the locals: what they want to learn and improve, what they want to share. Also, we can count on some special help to make the wishes of our participants come true.
If you want to discover what is going on in Bilbao, do not miss this opportunity!

Facebook event here.

NWM Heidelberg: Breaking the ice with Friedrich

Breaking the ice with Friedrich is your best opportunity to discover the most romantic city in Germany. Spend the whole weekend with 50 other AEGEEans sharing ideas and opinions and enjoying the best AEGEEan atmosphere. We even have a whole afternoon full of games and opportunities to discover the area! We are not saying that it will be the best NWM of the season but…. well, yes, we can say that! You will not regret joining us! A really participative NWM where you can have a say about the sessions beforehand! Do not let the others tell you about it, be part of NWM Heidelberg!

Facebook event here.

NWM Nijmegen: Bridges across Europe

Nijmegen is the oldest city in the Netherlands, yet it is full of young people, including many AEGEEans. The best part of this Network Meeting will be the variation. The programme contains thematic sessions including a conference about equal rights, as well as organisational sessions provided by at least five different people. You will receive a bike for the whole duration of the event, allowing you to get plenty of fresh air during the day, while you crawl from pub to pub in the night!

Facebook event here.

This is part one of a two-parts article. More NWMs are coming soon.

Written by the Network Commission of AEGEE-Europe

Somewhere in Brussels, near the European Commission, you can find a house that looks just like most other houses in the city from the outside, but contains a lot of rooms, people and ideas on the inside. What house am I talking about? The AEGEE house, which the new Comité Directeur has been calling their home since the 1st of August 2015, when we moved in to start our work. “What is that work about?”, you may wonder, and probably other members wonder too. Read on to find out!

My task, Projects Director, could imply I am spending the biggest amount of time with the projects of AEGEE. Semi-correct. Projects in the sense of this portfolio mean not only the projects ratified by the Agora but also teams and groups of AEGEEans who gathered by the same or similar interest and would like to change something for the better in Europe and beyond.

In this sense I work with the thematic bodies of AEGEE: ratified projects (Democracy in Practice, Eastern Partnership Project, AEGEE Election Observation), unofficial projects (Europe on Track, Your Vision for Europe, Opening Inclusion, Footprint Project), interest groups (Language Interest Group, Culture IG, Health for Youth IG), and while working groups are also distributed among Comité Directeur members, I work with all working groups (Civic Education, Youth Mobility and Youth Employment). Another important part of my portfolio is internal education. AEGEE is a space for learning for thousands of members and truth be told, working in AEGEE-Europe made me realise we should put internal education as a top priority in the work of the CD and of the organisation. I am the contact person towards the AEGEE-Academy, which is independent from AEGEE, but our partnership contract bases the trainings of AEGEE on the Academy. I also work with the Events Quality Assurance Committee on improving our events in AEGEE (and reading super long answers to super long forms [she smiles, ed.]).

Besides the bodies I am responsible for, I am in regular contact with other bodies – because building the thematic work of AEGEE and our internal education strategy involves everyone. I am happy to work with our awesome Network Commission, the knowledge management of the Human Resources Committee and with the Summer University Coordination Team related to the thematic SUs.

In addition I am responsible for two external projects as well, one on the Quality Assurance of Trainings and the GR-EAT project, where I discovered a new field of interest in the topic of non-formal education and the VRC (validation-recognition-certification) processes by writing the guidelines of the project. The guidelines of GR-EAT can help other youth organisations with the recognition of volunteering and the skills you learn during your time in AEGEE!

Last but not least, our thematic work would only stay inside AEGEE if we were not doing our job as ambassadors. I also have a fair share of the external work as well. Being the main contact towards the Lifelong Learning Platform and being in the Management Team of IFISO (Informal Forum of International Student Organisations), the work brings both external visibility and useful practices for our internal work from other organisations. I had meetings with representatives from ODIHR, the Council of Europe, European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee just to name a few. AEGEE is doing great work in shaping society and even if sometimes we see ourselves doing too many different things, this colourful palette of activities is really impressive for many officials!

Besides the portfolio-related work I also checked some points in the Activity Plan we have drafted in the beginning of our term… when I had little idea about how demanding the projects portfolio is going to be [she smiles, ed.]. My Activity Plan points however show the attitude and direction I would like my work to improve AEGEE:  sustainability for our thematic work, better understanding of our history and previous achievements and failures, to offer a learning space to our members and create the strategy of the organisation together with the members and the needs of the locals.

Being the Projects Director means you can never finish reading all your e-mails. My life would get better if I had one of those pens you can talk to and it writes down what you are saying, do you know what I mean? I am trying my best to fulfill everyone’s expectations and wishes and I do not mind the sleepless nights or the usual 14 hour shifts in the office. Being a former project manager/coordinator myself I know the powerful drive that moves all these bodies who believe in their idea – and it is my primary role to give them the support, special contacts, necessary resources.

Being Projects Director also means you get to work with a lot of different teams and their dynamics, amazing ideas, all of them in need of different kind of support. I have spent the first four months of my term merely understanding the teams and learning the best way to support them. I am inspired by all of them, the ideas and energy they bring and the relentless work they do for AEGEE.

If you ask me some event highlights… well, countless. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to experience so many different places and meet so many different people. This is the thought that keeps me happy after long travels and happy to go to work the next day.

One special highlight could be – probably because I have just arrived back from the Network Meeting in Wrocław: the birthday party of AEGEE-Wrocław where past and present met and the people who kept the antenna alive got to celebrate AEGEE-Wrocław turning 25 with 50 new members. I was touched, remembering how it is to work so hard for a small local with no money and no fixed events, only a few really dedicated people. Believing in AEGEE and working the hardest you can in order to fight for what you believe in, this is the kind of AEGEE we should all be proud of and the AEGEE I want to see more of. Thank you AEGEE-Wrocław for an amazing Network Meeting and many inspiring moments!

Some funny anecdote of my life in the house? Just one? Living and working together, can you imagine how many funny moments we have in the house? Just to recall a few, I can spend whole nights drinking tea and discussing crazy visions for AEGEE with Aleksandra, burst out randomly singing a Justin Bieber song any time with Anna or get our quiet retreat and talk about literally anything and everything with Svenja. From early morning until late at night we keep each other company either in the office or in our room which is a safe haven for endless chocolate supplies and stuffed animals. We are adorable weirdos, aren’t we?

You can read her interview part one here and part two here.

Written by Réka Salamon, Vice- President and Projects Director 2015-2016

This August, the collaboration between three organising antennae, 26 volunteers and helpers from AEGEE-Pécs, AEGEE-Piliscsaba and AEGEE-Debrecen made it possible for 21 participants, representing 13 nations (including Hungary as a hosting nation) and coming from 23 universities, to visit eight Hungarian cities during the fifteen days of a one-of-a-kind all-Hungarian AEGEE travelling summer university entitled “SPAice Up Your Life With Hungarian Culture”.

During the Summer University, the group visited all cities with an AEGEE-local in Hungary and even more than those. Pécs, Szigetvár, Palkonya, Orfű, Piliscsaba, Budapest, Hortobágy and Debrecen were all among the destinations, creating a pretty comprehensive rush through Hungary, offering participants a closer insight into the Hungarian language, gastronomy, culture and history. Let’s see the highlights of this Summer University, as described by Mar Valero Mas, who is a member of AEGEE-Alicante!

After months of waiting for it, the experience finally started. The first stop was Pécs, where we were received by the lovely members of AEGEE-Pécs, who were travelling with us all throughout the whole event. It were five amazing days with incredibly good weather (it seemed like the week before it was raining cats and dogs!), where we got the opportunity to discover the city of Pécs, European Capital of Culture in 2010, through a funny city rally.

Then, we visited the Fortress of Szigetvár that was defended by the heroic Miklós Zrínyi against the huge Ottoman army in 1566. It is one of the most important national heritages of Hungary. Here, we had the chance to enjoy a performance of how soldiers used to live and what weapons they used when it came to fighting, letting some of us take part in the demonstration.

Later on in Pécs, we took a very particular class at the university, namely a Hungarian course. Although some of us couldn’t really repeat what we learned in Hungarian, as we do not have a super power! Later that evening, one of the most successful activities took place: the wine tasting in Palkonya, hosted by Mokos Family Cellar. Having been the Cultural Village of Europe in 2007, this small place is part of the famous Villány wine region, which is one of the major wine regions of Hungary.

The day after an exhausting wine tasting, nothing was better than chilling out at a beautiful lake of Orfű with a breathtaking landscape.

Then, it was time to leave Pécs and we set off to Piliscsaba with the nice members of AEGEE-Piliscsaba, a small town 24 kilometres away from Budapest. Despite the fact that the weather was not really good there, we were able to relax in an incredible lodging with amazing views. During our stay in this lovely place, we took some heated Hungarian folk dance classes, so now we are able to dance as good as Hungarians do!

The next stop was our weekend in the capital city, Budapest. After a tiring trip, we got ready for a boat trip on River Danube, which definitely was a unique experience. Later, we could experience the vibrant nightlife in Budapest – totally worthy of trying! The day to go for sightseeing in Budapest arrived. During the morning we visited Gellért Hill, a 235 meters high hill overlooking the Danube and the Citadella, which is at the top of the hill, where we enjoyed the astonishing view of the city. We also visited the Buda Castle, the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, through a funny city rally. After, there was a break for a typical Hungarian lunch to get some extra energy and the sightseeing had to go on again! We enjoyed a guided tour in the City Park which started at Heroes’ Square (“Hősök Tere”) with a smart and funny guide who taught us a lot about the history of Hungary and Budapest in particular.

Then it was time to say goodbye to Budapest and also time to leave for our final stop: Debrecen, the second largest city in Hungary. During the sightseeing day, we had a university tour in the morning and in the afternoon, after the city tour, a treasure hunt allowed us to discover the city by ourselves. One of the most expected activities arrived, namely the pálinka tasting evening! It was a very nice experience and everyone survived (more or less!).

We had the opportunity to visit Hortobágy National Park, a park rich with folklore and cultural history. Hortobágy is a steppe, a grassy plain with Hungarian Grey cattle, Racka sheep, Water Buffalo, and horses tended by herdsmen.

And finally the 20th of August arrived, which is the official birthday of Hungary. Debrecen is home to the Flower Carnival, so we got the chance to join the celebration and we watched spectacular flower floats decorated with thousands of flowers marching through the streets. Once lunch was finished, we had one of the funniest workshops, this time about “National Stereotypes”, where participants of different nations could, by playing different roles, introduce the stereotypes of their countries. To finish the day, we enjoyed the celebratory fireworks, and there was no better way to do it!

Without even noticing it, the last day of the travelling summer university already arrived. We spent it relaxing in a local thermal bath all together. We enjoyed a great evening at the dorm together, saying goodbye to each other, which is always hard! The last morning was a silent one, because everyone was leaving or had already left, but with so many great memories and the promise to meet again – somewhere in Europe!

Written by Mar Valero Mas, AEGEE-Alicante

This year, AEGEE-Debrecen and AEGEE-Sibiu joined forces to organize a unique joint Traveling Summer University (TSU), The HungaRomanian Adventure. Participants were offered a unique chance of getting familiar with the antennae’s surroundings in Hungary and Romania. In the end, 25 brave AEGEEans participated, teaming up with 30 organizers and helpers.

Participating in this TSU gave everyone the opportunity to get acquainted with the local spirit: true Central-Eastern-European hospitality and tasting Hungarian and Romanian culture. Also included was getting to know why so many people get mesmerized by Tokaji wine and pálinka. Trying some traditional folk dances and handicrafts and then getting refreshed a bit in famous, local spas were some additional treats.

On top of all the fun activities, numerous cultural, historical, geographical and local language workshops as well as AEGEE presentations were incorporated into the programme. But we will let some participants tell you about it.

Oscar Petreñas Campos (AEGEE-Madrid):

As the gates of the plane closed, I had the feeling that, as if by magic, everyone turned to become Hungarian, even though I was still in Spain. I thought ‘OK you are alone beyond this moment, I’m surrounded by foreign and unknown people’. This was more or less the feeling I had until we played the ice-breaking games in Debrecen, which helped me gain confidence. After that, in a few days I realized how amazing all the people were there.

To tell the truth, I had never thought about going to Hungary or Romania, and this was the third Open Call I applied for. I just happened to experience ‘The HungaRomanian Adventure’, but I don’t regret it at all!

I didn’t have any special expectations, I just wanted to be in a country in Eastern-Europe, and I wanted to feel its lifestyle. I must say that I found a quite different lifestyle to the one I am used to, but I loved it. I loved the way cities are built in Hungary, so different from Spain, the old style trains, the wonderful thermal water facilities they have, such as Miskolc Cave Baths, or the swimming pools of Debrecen – a very good option to avoid the ‘meleg’  [the heat] of the hot Hungarian summer days.

I loved the culture I discovered in Hungary, enjoying the workshop about traditional dances, or trying the typical local cuisine and national drinks – I really liked ‘Tokaji’ wine, although pálinka was nice too. I must admit that the dishes were sometimes too spicy. I like spicy recipes, but I almost died eating ‘magyaros’ [Hungarian style] hamburgers.

Romania also had interesting places, like the Salty Lakes (Ocna Lakes) we visited, in which we could float without making any effort, or cover your entire body with black mud which is good for your skin (and for taking funny and original pictures)! It was also nice to walk around in Sibiu enjoying vanilla ice-cream and discovering the beauties of the city.

Checking some Facebook profiles of the future participants beforehand, I would not have imagined the amount of funny photos that we would share in a few weeks. This journey enabled me to enjoy the summer in a different way, and encouraged me to become a more active AEGEEan, and of course, to apply for more SUs next summer!

Heleen Yu (AEGEE-Leuven):

After being a helper and organizer in two Summer Universities, it was finally time for me to be a participant. It’s a totally different experience, but it is equally fun. I have always wanted to visit Romania and Hungary. Even though I had never heard of Debrecen and Sibiu before, I decided to apply.

The first part of our SU was Hungary. Right before we landed at Debrecen Airport, my first thought about it was: are we landing in a field? It was the smallest airport that I’ve ever seen. So I had no idea about what to expect from the second largest city of Hungary anymore. It all ended up surprising me in a good way.

We had activities like the usual city rallies, but also typical Hungarian things like the infamous pálinka or ‘Tokaji’ wine tasting, eating some (weird) home-made Hungarian food, which was actually nice. We even saw the Hungarian grey cattle which you can only find in Hortobágy.

After ten days and a really long busride, it was finally time for Sibiu, Romania. It is a nice city, except for the houses in the old center, which are ‘watching you’. They were a bit creepy. We only stayed there for three days but we visited the Astra Open Air Museum Complex, so I think I have a good idea about traditional Romania now. For me, the best part of Sibiu was the Salty Lakes. Even though I was a little bit sceptical in the beginning, it was a really unique experience for me.

And last but not least, a great Romanian Cultural Evening ended the last part of the TSU where we were introduced to delicious Romanian food.

Karlien Kruizinga (AEGEE-Groningen):

‘The HungaRomanian Adventure’ was my first SU and I had no idea what to expect, I had never been to Hungary or Romania before and I had never heard of Debrecen or Sibiu.

After the flight and another three hours train ride, I finally arrived in Debrecen where we got a warm welcome. We did a lot of things in Hungary and when it was time to leave Hungary we took a long, bumpy ride to Sibiu, a really beautiful medieval city. Even though we had only three days there, we saw the traditional Romanian life in the world-famous Astra Museum Complex, had a karaoke party and visited the, in the beginning very weird, but at the end very cool, Salty Lakes.

Then it was time to say goodbye and go back home. But it was called ‘The HungaRomanian Adventure’, so there had to be a literally adventurous part, and that happened when our bus unexpectedly broke down in the middle of nowhere in Romania. Yet, after a short yet stressful stop, we all continued our way and arrived safely in Hungary and we had a happy ending for an amazing experience!

Written by Oscar Petreñas Campos (AEGEE-Madrid), Heleen Yu (AEGEE-Leuven), Karlien Kruizinga (AEGEE-Groningen), Balázs Kovács (AEGEE-Debrecen)

The AEGEEan is proud to present our new Member of the Month from AEGEE-Berlin, Hans-Peter Bretz. You may know him by his nickname Hape. Elected for the Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT) at Agora-Budapest, he has been trying something new this year and dedicated most of his summer to it. Travelling between summer universities, meeting new people and observing how all of the work SUCT went the year before turned out in practice. The AEGEEan just could not resist from learning more.

To start off, why is your nickname Hape?

In German people sometimes have double names, which is different from just having two names: they are supposed to be used together. Instead of always saying the full name, they are often abbreviated, e.g. Karl-Heinz to Kalle, or, in my case Hans-Peter to Ha-pe or simply Hape. My name is also completely out of fashion, I have never met someone with the same name who was younger than fifty. Even though Hans sounds like the most German name, most Germans do not really get “Hape” either. But there is a famous comedian called Hape Kerkeling, so they usually ask something like “You mean like Hape Kerkeling? Wait, is he also called Hans-Peter??”

What have you been doing this summer for AEGEE? We heard you were traveling quite a bit

That is true, the SUCT got some Interrail tickets to visit Summer Universities, so I took a three week long trip from Berlin on to the East and visited eight Summer Universities (SU).

Which summer universities did you visit?

I was at the SUs of AEGEE-Praha, AEGEE-Wroclaw/Opole/Lviv, AEGEE-Poznan/Gdansk/Torun, AEGEE-Warszawa/Riga, AEGEE-Krakow/Berlin, AEGEE-Katowice/Bratislava, AEGEE-Debrecen/Sibiu and finally AEGEE-Cluj Napoca.

What were you looking for in the SUs and what were you checking?

The main idea was to look at the programmes and how they realised them, and also to get some feedback by the organisers on our work and communication. Of course it is hard to tell if 100% of a programme is done when you are there for only a few days. But you can get a good impression of how the organisers work and also some feedback from the participants. By the way, it was quite funny how my presence was perceived by the participants at different SUs. At the beginning of my trip, I was at an SU where the group had already had some time to form and bond. When I sat down with some of them between programme points to enjoy a beer and some small talk and asked a general question about the SU to break the ice, they just smiled and made jokes how they would not let me spy on the organisers. At other times, some participants would see me as some sort of complaint box for every little thing they did not like about their SU. For me, it was also very interesting to see how the organisers prepared their SU, what different approaches they took, how they interacted with their group and how the general experience was influenced by the team of organisers, but also by the participants. Often, SUs are said to have their own atmosphere, and I wanted to see where that comes from.

Any favorite SU among the ones you visited?

Before my trip, I was afraid that 2-3 days at each SU would not be long enough to get a good impression. Later I was a bit surprised how much more you get out of a few days if you try to have an open and active mind and pay attention to details instead of just being part of the masses at an event. Still, the impression of a particular SU also depended on the parts of the programme I could take part in. In Prague, I arrived just in time for the city rally, whereas my day in Poznan was the relaxing day in between other days filled with programme (both were very nice, by the way). On a more personal level, the last SU of my trip, in Cluj Napoca, was great. My first SU and AEGEE event was the same SU, 3 years earlier, and it was still done by the same core team. I met some of the old organisers and even a participant again, and also I saw some participants from AEGEE-Berlin there. You could see how having so much experience in a team helps with all the little things in a Summer University. But I also want to thank all the other organizers who hosted me, managed to squeeze me in their planning and put so much effort in their event.

Did you end up going to any SU just for fun? That means, not as a representative of the SUCT but as participant?

I did not have enough vacation to go as participant, so I did not even think about at which one I could apply for.

We have heard you did your part for the Key 2 Europe (K2E) as well. What exactly did you do for it?

As in the last two years, I was part of the research and  statistics team. But other than last year, I did not have time to join the Concept Development Meeting, so my work was mostly to scan through the lists of events and to look for anything particularly interesting or fitting the themes of the K2E.

What are your plans for the Agora? Are you coming and what are your goals for it?

I will be there, and if there happen to be any discussions where I can participate, I will.

How is the SUCT in general feeling about this year’s SU season? Satisfied?

For all of us except Costas Deltouzos, it was the first time that we got this much insight into the project. We tried some new things like the SU maps, which I think, on average, were received positively, the thematic sessions, and the learning objectives, for which we have to wait for the evaluation. We also got the highest number of applicants in the last few years, so I think all in all we can be satisfied with the SU season.

What do you do in AEGEE apart from SUCT?

For the last year, the work with SUCT consumed most of my AEGEE work time and sadly I could not go to more events than the two Agorae. I do not have any position in my Antenna in Berlin, but we are a small local and if there’s anything to do, I help and participate as much as possible.

Planning to stay in SUCT next year as well or some other big plans ahead?

At several points in the last year, I was thinking about running for a second term, but my PhD study will only get more demanding during the next two years and I would like to focus on that.

Written by Olga Volovyk, AEGEE-Kyiv

An important re-establishment of the currently-operating solid local dates back to 2009 but our antenna was originally founded in 1991 with the help of Dutch students.

AEGEE-Debrecen has around 40 members but the core team of the most active ones is smaller. What we think is special about us is that we aspire to turn our relative shortcoming of having a small team into advantages. Having a small group leaves us with a clear understanding of each other’s competences. Allocating responsibilities and tasks accordingly makes us able to turn each other into real assets for the antenna and for each other.

Another essential thing is the fun element. Although we are creative and challenge-takers, we do not forget about monitoring ourselves and each other from an outsider’s point of view and we have a great sense of criticism. We do not take ourselves too seriously and prefer not to forget about enjoying participation.

Last summer you took up the challenge of organising the European School & Summer University. 

Indeed. Imagine the first summer ever in AEGEE history when AEGEE Academy encouraged locals to organize a balanced mixture of a European School and a Summer University by merging them into one Summer Event. It was super-challenging for the organizers, trainers as well as for the participants. Yet, “European School: 4 Elements 4 You!” has been an amazingly unique experience for all of us. We rarely visit the same café the first ESSU meetings took place in, but when we do the memories still instantly put us back into that same hyper-enthusiastic mood.

This year we are organising a Travelling Summer University together with AEGEE-Sibiu. “The HungaRomanian Adventure” will be an excellent opportunity for our participants to discover the beauties of two countries: Hungary and Romania. Apart from letting participants discover true Central-Eastern-European hospitality, we will focus on introducing Romanian and Hungarian culture, more specifically by sightseeing and other outdoor activities, by trying traditional cuisine and providing insights into our languages and history. Both Northern-Eastern-Hungary and Transylvania are wonderful and we are all very excited to welcome an exceptionally diverse group of participants here.

Thus, when the Comité Directeur and the ITC issued an open call to find a hosting antenna to organize an Information Technology European School, it came naturally to apply. After our multicultural New Year’s Eve there was time to prepare. The low number of participants also further multiplied the good, cozy team spirit and enthusiasm. We believe that all the opportunities and benefits of working in the field of IT in AEGEE have been clearly presented by our guest trainers, Pavel Zborník and Maurits Korse and we hope that AEGEE-Debrecen has contributed to inspiring potential ITC members. We enjoyed the event and we would gladly do it all over again!

As a focus area in the Strategic Plan of AEGEE-Europe for the period of 2011-2014, Inclusion of Minorities aims at confronting young people with the reality of minority groups by involving them in direct personal encounters in order to create mutual understanding.

Knowing general local realities as well as witnessing the influence of recent years’ global economic and moral crisis in Hungary, we think that such projects are relevant and should be promoted. With the rise of populism and dogmatic thinking, certain minority groups are often falsely blamed for the common bad. Capitalizing on citizens’ lack of knowledge and an increasing xenophobia is pretty frequent nowadays. We hope that we will be able to organize Living Libraries in Debrecen regularly in the future to promote understanding and respect for diversity.

We consciously try our best in keeping our members updated about all the relevant information on the many opportunities AEGEE offers. Weekly local meetings, info evenings at the university, newcomers’ camps, university-based or city-wide cultural and career fairs and summer festivals – these are the regular events at which we promote our local and international activities face-to-face internally and to the external world too. The fact that we have (former) board members currently active on the European Level (Réka Salamon in Public Relations Committee, Liliána Tóth in Events Committee, Diána Leskó in The Euro-Arab Project and Nóra Abdel-Salam in The AEGEEan) makes things a bit more easy when it comes to promotion.

Although the, locally considerable, geographical distances make it quite challenging to have actual joint projects to work on and realize them together, we follow each others’ activities and help each other if we can. As it is one of the largest locals in the entire Network, we regularly have guest trainers from AEGEE-Budapest at our thematic events and at our Local Training Courses for years now. AEGEE-Debrecen members also frequently attend their events. Sharing best practices and striving for a closer national cooperation have also been among the aims of a recent Regional Training Course of Hungarian antennae organized by AEGEE-Piliscsaba in April.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

Recently, a competition took place on the Events Committee’s Facebook page in order to find the best AEGEE event picture of 2012. One of the people who took part in the competition was Balázs Kovács from AEGEE-Debrecen. His efforts in this competition were rewarded by a second place for the head picture of this article. Therefore, The AEGEEan took the opportunity to interview Balázs about the competition.

The AEGEEan: Congratulations for getting the second place, why did you take part in the competition?

Balázs: Thank you. Since the eligibility criteria made the competition available only for a quite limited audience, I thought it was an excellent opportunity to win easily and to thereby promote the past event, the Events’ Committee and AEGEE European Schools in general.  The process of collecting “likes” also shed quite some light on such trainings among our active local members in AEGEE-Debrecen. Last but definitely not least, it also provided the organising antennae with a little bit more publicity.

What do you think about European Level bodies creating competitions in order to increase their visibility? Do you like it?

I think such initiatives are very much needed to build a larger group of (constantly-engaged) followers online.

Concerning the fact that only six photos were able to generate a bit more than 500 “likes” in 10 days, I believe that similar publicity stunts will presumably be able to increase the number of individual followers of the respective bodies to a more remarkable extent in future. The “blue” social networking website is the necessary asset if it is used accordingly.

What was special about the PRES event? Why was it a good event for you?

In terms of its content, our trainers (Pavel Zbornik, Zsófia Komaromi, Mayri Tiido, Katre-Helena Käppa and Eleni Baltatzi) were doing their best to equip us with the most of useful theoretical and practical knowledge related to creative writing, communication skills, public speaking, media relations, handling social media, website building, PR strategy and crisis management.

The beautiful town with the cozy hostel, the sunny October, yet spring-like, weather, the indestructible enthusiasm of the participants and the captivating workshops at the university also all resulted in bringing together AEGEEans from 13 nations through countless memorable moments.

On top of it, the organisers from AEGEE Nova Gorica / Gorizia and helpers from AEGEE Maribor arranged a variety of different social programs from sightseeing and wine tasting all the way to late night parties, European Night and a meeting with an ambitious impersonator.

Take a closer look at the true AEGEE Spirit the whole event was dominated by here.

(…or in some countries rather here.)

It has been a while since PRES ended, do you still keep in touch and work on PR things with the other participants?

Luckily many of us stayed active in AEGEE thus I have already had the chance to meet with many of them again for multiple times. We try to keep in touch online and we regularly help one another with the promotion of each other’s international events.

How has the experience you gained in PRES affected your involvement in AEGEE?

Although I think I have already been quite active beforehand, it was highly-motivating to become more active in the organisation.

If you were to encourage others to take part in a European School event, what would you tell them?

You are an AEGEEan. The simple fact that you are among the 13,000 European youngsters who have had the chance to discover and benefit from some of AEGEE’s non-formal learning opportunities is a privilege. Yet, only a small group of these young people embarks on the intense journey of participating in European Schools. The ones who do so, they literally go for a continent-wide brainstorming with fellow-volunteers, from all over Europe.

It is almost like a global fair of brains for free. The diversity of the individual participants based on their different cultural and personal backgrounds offer an incredibly precious insight into different realities and coping techniques with the discussed tasks. The difference between formal and non-formal education is that during the latter one, the trainers and the participants are all there for learning from each other by contributing to the common good.

During European Schools everyone gets inspired and even more motivated. They have an indescribably unique atmosphere, one can only understand once (s)he has already attended one. Skipping these events will leave you never realize what you have been missing out on. If you participate though, you will wish for more ESs so make sure to do yourself a favor, go grab the opportunity and apply for an upcoming ES.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

Borrowing and having quality conversations with living books? Even though it sounds quite unrealistic this was exactly what AEGEE-Debrecen put into practice – presumably for the very first time ever – at the University of Debrecen.

A short history of Human Libraries

Having been invented for its visitors and also organised for the first time at the famous Danish Roskilde Festival in 2000, the “Human Libraries” (also called “Living Libraries”) have always aimed at helping to build social cohesion and a greater understanding for diversity in the community, locally as well as on a global level.

One week before our European School Summer University (ESSU) had started, a strange thought occurred to me; are we really ready to face this challenge? I heard our last Summer University (SU) took place years ago (ending in a scandal!) and now not only I do not even know everyone in the team, but also we are planning to implement the concept of a European School – well, not fully aware of what the latter means.

This surely sounds like a good recipe for a disastrous event… so let’s do this!

Preparations for the arrivals started early in the morning and the curious waiting began to finally meet the people whose names and faces we were trying to memorise for days. After some awkward introductions and occupying their spots in the gym, the ice-breaking games began soon and the louder the laughter became, the more we grew to understand; the following 11 days would probably be the most exciting and exhausting period of our summer.

“Look at the happy faces of the children!” – some of us kept saying. Does it sound like as if we were guiding a bunch of kindergarten kids? No surprise, if you are trying to look at the whole event from an organiser’s perspective. From the city tour to the Hungarian folklore games, through the lectures at the University and the home-made Hungarian dishes, we were trying to keep them happy, well-fed, in a safe environment, and above all, entertained; doing our best to make this ESSU unforgettable.

And now, without further ado – and other borderline-derogatory remarks (“We are not children!”), let’s hear it from one of our participants, Paolo Ghisleni, President of AEGEE-Bergamo:

To tell you the truth, one week before my flight to Budapest I was still wondering why I had to spend two weeks of my summer in a no-man’s land, somewhere in Hungary.
As a matter of fact, my knowledge of Hungary was limited to the Budapest-Goulash Soup-Olympics 2012 trio. (It was early August and Hungary was fighting to get more medals than Italy). All I knew was just a few elements – barely enough to have a proper image about the whole country, and definitely not enough for me to be aware of the amazing adventure I was trying to miss. Luckily, being tired of everyday life pushed me to that gate at Bergamo Airport.

The first moments when we got to Debrecen were surreal: after travelling three hours by car from Budapest, surrounded by green hills and sunflower fields on the road, we found an empty city. (organiser’s note: Debrecen has a lively city life throughout the active semester at the university, but is turning into a ghost town during the summer.) Our GPS told us that our accommodation was supposed to be a church, so my mates and I felt a bit confused.
These moments of deep concern were perfectly matching with my first pre-departure mood, creating a bubble of bad thoughts which suddenly exploded when a bunch of organisers arrived, shining and smiling, to welcome us to our new accommodation.

I have to admit: we did not sleep between saints and altars. Our real accommodation was a gym next to the church, but this first surprise was a perfect sample of all the unexpected things waiting for us in the following 12 days. Do you want to have an idea? We had a relaxing day in one of the most famous Hungarian spas, we had the chance to enjoy the National Day’s Flowers Carnival and the world heritage landscape of Hortobágy, we were fighting to be the best team in the city rally and much more. We had the chance to enjoy and benefit from plenty of leisure activities and, of course, also many interesting workshops and simulations to be more effective within our antennas. This latter part was the most relevant part of this SU though, since it was a European School Summer University, the first one co-organised by AEGEE-Debrecen and AEGEE-Academy, as well as one of the first ones within the entire Network. It represented a responsibility that could shake the knees of even the most experienced AEGEE members, but that did not frighten the organisers since they gave us one of the best experiences of our lives.

Altogether, we were 20 participants and some organisers living in such a great mixture of different cultures, daily enriched by new tasty “ingredients” – thanks to the organizers and our trainers. This created a really positive mood that, paired with the newly-acquired knowledge from the workshops, has turned us from regular tourists into powerful and even more enthusiastic youngsters with pure European spirit.

Now, after my very first SU, I can officially ask myself: How could I have missed out on this experience so far?!?

Written by Paolo Ghisleni, AEGEE-Bergamo & Réka Salamon, Balázs Kovács, Nóra Abdel-Salam from AEGEE-Debrecen