Alya Vykhodtseva and Viktoria Leonenko are just two of the most active members during Agora Kyïv. Alya was in the PR team and Viktoria was external communication and University team leader. They both learned a lot from this experience and enjoyed it while doing so. Naturally, because they did an amazing job, they were also nominated for Member of the Month, the Agora edition. So, we thought of asking them a few questions to get to know them better. 

The AEGEEan: Hello, let us begin by introducing yourselves.

Viktoria: Hi! I am Viktoria Leonenko, Secretary of AEGEE-Kyïv 2014/2015 and Board Advisor 2015/2016

Alya: I always thought one could easily meet a person like me in the transports or in the street. No, seriously, I’m just an average student from Kyïv. I study psychology, try to do something else aside from lessons – including performances at the university and recently AEGEE, – and I am quite a regular and simple girl, absolutely the same as dozens of people in our city. I think that’s rather good than bad.

How long have you been members of AEGEE?

Viktoria: I joined AEGEE in April 2013, so, it’s almost two and a half years since I am a member of this amazing organisation.

 Alya: Right during the Agora I kind of celebrated my own small anniversary – six  months in AEGEE. I joined the local in the middle of April this year, so I’m perfectly  sure the following years will give me way more AEGEE-experience then I have now.  [she smiles]

 What was your biggest accomplishment in AEGEE so far?

 Viktoria: Organising Autumn Agora Kyiv 2015 and the ReBuilding Democracy project.

 Alya: Then again, I think in future (the nearest future, I believe) I will achieve way  more, but for now I already took part in some events, which definitely were a good piece of experience. After the LTC right after my “initiation”, I was a helper at the Ukrainian SU and it certainly exceeded all my expectations. I never thought it would be such a cool thing, and I’m happy it ended up as such. Later I gave a hand with the organisation of a couple of parties and, of course, almost all the time spent in AEGEE I worked for preparation of the Agora and I suppose it is my biggest achievement so far.

What were your tasks during the Agora?

Viktoria: I was External communication and University team leader. So, I was in charge of communication with the government and I negotiated for Agora location (Kyïv National University Taras Shevchenko).

Alya: Since June I worked in the brilliant PR team, which obviously was an amazing experience. Actually I think every team did a lot for the event, and we are not an exception. Moreover, I’m proud that our team was responsible for creating the image of the Agora, and I think we did well. [she smiles] I was also responsible for the page of ReBuilding Democracy project and later, directly before the Agora, I worked in PR at the Agora Fair team, which also turned out to be a group of amazingly warm, friendly and goal-oriented people. So I hope my small contribution to the overall work was one of the bricks which actually built the Agora.

What was your overall impression of the Agora Kyiv? 

Viktoria: We had been working hard during the year and I hope that participants enjoyed what we have done as for us it’s the most important thing. For me Agora happened too fast, so I even didn’t notice how it was and I didn’t enjoy it as before. By the way, Agora is my favorite AEGEE event. To be honest after Agora I had mixed feelings: on the one hand, I felt finally released from Agora’s headache [she laughs] and on the other hand, I felt empty and I realized that I need to change values and start another page in my life.

Alya: I had waited for it since the first time I heard about it. And I must admit it was even better than I imagined. Just the fact of hundreds foreigners coming to Kyïv and Ukrainian students coordinating everything seemed almost impossible to me. I’m proud it turned out to be not only possible, but also well-organised and of great quality.

Do you have any future plans in AEGEE? 

 Viktoria: Now I am Board Advisor. I will help and advise our lovely new board. For sure, I will support the new Secretary, but she is doing a really great job even without me. [she laughs]

 Alya: Not that I had some certain plans, but I already imagine what would I like to do and for now it seems to be something inbetween PR and organising events. As exams are coming I’d probably spend some time studying in the following months, but after that I’m going to pay way more attention to AEGEE things and maybe offer a couple of ideas for spending time together, for example. As for some long-term plans…well, I never plan those ahead, because nobody knows what can happen and change them all, right? So I have a rough idea, but won’t plan everything in detail. [she smiles]

What are your future plans in life?

Viktoria: I prefer to keep in secret my future plans and to only show results. [she laughs]

Alya: Difficult to say for sure as well, but I have some general aims and directions. To start with, I’m thinking about getting a master’s degree abroad – most likely  in the Netherlands, so for now I consider possible variants and study languages. Besides, I’d really love to get some experience in working with human resources, so as soon as education allows me (in Ukraine it’s around the third year at university), I’m planning to put it in practice at a job. But aside from that, I’ve also always loved writing and have some experience in writing articles, so I think trying journalism can be a good idea as well – really, why not? What I’d love to be a part of my future is travelling. I already know that as soon as I can afford it all by myself, I’ll visit Iceland – always dreamed to see the land of ice and fire with my own eyes. I have an amazing example in my family – a person, who inspires me a lot and who visited almost all European countries, a couple of Asian countries and the USA, so I sincerely hope to overcome this amount of countries. [she smiles]

What hobbies do you have?  

Viktoria: I love riding the bicycle, reading dystopian novels, hitchhiking and, of course, travelling!

Alya: When I’m asked this question, I understand everything I do as a hobby is very amateur, but still, I love it. Probably my biggest love is music – I can hardly imagine a day without singing, playing or at least listening to my favourite tracks. Maybe if in my early childhood I had decided to dedicate my whole life to it, I would be a music student now, but I happen to play just for my own pleasure and I’m not complaining about it. Anyway, I always loved the feeling of getting myself lost in music and I think it will always take a special place in my heart. Another thing I love is writing and I’m used to write poems and stories since I wrote a fairytale when I was 5 and my mom said I will be a great writer. But then again, it is still a hobby and writing helps rather to splash out some emotions. I also have a couple of hobbies people sometimes consider to be unusual for a girl. For example, as almost all men in my family work with computers and electronics, I watched it since childhood and, of course, I was extremely interested in it. So, now I’m able to fix some small problems with my computer by myself, but somehow it surprises or even scares people – I honestly have no idea, why! Also, I have always loved cars and recently I took the course of traffic rules and engine building, and while others are listening to music or talking while sitting in the car, I watch the road from the front seat, rate the passing cars and discuss the new Hyundai and the last generation of Ford Fusion. On top of that, I love watching football and can name all the players of FC Bayern München. I have absolutely no idea why people say these are not things for girls – I think they just don’t know too many girls. [she smiles]

Written by Gabriela Geană, AEGEE-București

Because Svenja van der Tol, former Secretary of the Agora, was elected as Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe, the Chair Team opened applications for the Secretary of the Agora for the upcoming Autumn Agora Kyïv. Jeanine Ossentjuk from AEGEE-Groningen was selected as new Secretary of the Agora. Let’s find out who the new girl on stage is!

The AEGEEan: For those who don’t know you, can you please introduce yourself?
Jeanine: Hi! My name is Jeanine, I’m 21 years old and I study Human Resource Management. Last year I was Secretary and PR-responsible in the board of AEGEE-Groningen and this year I am in the advisory board and in the travel committee of my local.

Why did you decide to apply for Secretary of the Agora?
AgorAsturias was my first Agora and I really loved it. At the end of the Agora I was determined to become active in AEGEE-Europe. I knew that there had to be an interim Secretary of the Agora since Svenja got elected for CD, and since I really liked my tasks as Secretary in the board of AEGEE-Groningen, it was the perfect opportunity for me to take this experience to the next level!

Not everyone might know what your work looks like. How would you define your work as Secretary of the Agora? 

My main responsibility is taking minutes during the plenaries and some of the prytania at the Agora. Another important part of my work is coordinating my secretary assistants. I’m very lucky to have five amazing assistants for the upcoming Agora. They will take minutes during the prytania and it’s my job to assign them to the prytania and prepare them for their work so they will know what they are expected to do. But apart from these specific ‘secretary’ tasks, I’m also a member of the Chair Team which means supporting Tom Simons and Andrea Ugrinoska wherever I can, for example with drafting the agenda, selecting participants, sending emails, keeping track of everything that is discussed and doing some random small things that come up.

What is your favorite part of your work? 
I love to get a look ‘behind the scenes’ of the Agora. Being part of the Chair Team means that you’re very involved in the whole process of Agora preparation and it’s interesting to see all the things that have to be taken care of. Also, working together with the other members of the Chair Team and with Svenja is awesome. We’re a super-efficient team and we get along really well, which obviously makes working a lot more fun.

Do you have any specific aims for the upcoming Agora?

Since my tasks mainly take place during the Agora, I’m very excited to finally really start ‘working’! I’m also looking forward to visit Kyïv and of course to meet a lot of new people.  I don’t have any specific aims, but I just hope everything will go well and that this Agora will be the best!

Is there anything you want to add?

The three things I like most in life are travelling, Spanish music and doing shots. So if you want to make me happy during the Agora, try playing some Spanish music or offer me a delicious Ukrainian shot [she laughs, ed.] Looking forward to meeting many of you!

Written by Wietske Jousma, AEGEE-Enschede

During Autumn Agora Kyïv, several workshops will take place, divided into four sessions. The first three sessions will take place in the second day of the Agora, and the fourth one will be on the fourth day.

In the first session of workshops, which will be on the 15th of October, from 12:00 to 14:00. There will be one workshop called ‘Identity’ and Liberation, held by Dr. James M. Skelly, Director of the Center on Critical Thinking. With this workshop, he will try to show participants how the socialisation process to an identity is similar regardless of in which social environment it happens. Everyone has their own identity, but in the end we all identify with being “humans”, and we all have a common fate.

Second session of workshops, which will take place in parallel from 15:30 to 17:30, are Refugee crisis – what can you do, and what can AEGEE do? and How to support youth participation: e-tools for democracy.

The first named one, is going to be held by Thomas Leszke from AEGEE Election Observation regarding the European refugee crisis. “It aims to create a basic understanding of what is happening, and to generate ideas how AEGEE and its members could respond to it”. The workshop will have two parts, the first one about the Common European Asylum System, an introduction, and the second one will be “brainstorming and developing ideas for concrete action by AEGEE-Europe, its Locals and its individual members”.

The second one, How to support youth participation: e-tools for democracy, will be held by Andrea Ferrara, Project Manager of the EUth project, and Nils Altland, Liquid Democracy e.V. During the past years, technology changed our lives. We can communicate and get to know people really easy nowadays. With this workshop, participants will be challenged to take advantage of all the tools so they will have their voices heard. In the same time, thoughts and opinions on how e-tools can support youth participation will be shared.

The fourth, and the last workshop session will take place on the fourth day of the Agora, from 12:00 to 13:30, called How do YOU think and feel about Europe and its future? and it will be lead by Maarten de Groot from Your Vision for Europe. In order to give an idea on what will happen at this workshop, he said that “we will discuss questions related to the future and the identity of the European project in an open, personal, (interactive) and accessible manner. Let me give you an idea of what type of questions will be discussed: do you consider yourself a European? Is your European identity stronger than your national identity? Do you feel informed about European political issues? Are you worried about the future of Europe?”. They aim to trigger the curiosity and imagination of the participants, by changing stories and experiences among them. The workshop is the kickoff activity of the project, Your Vision for Europe. During this one, “AEGEEans will be able to enter the discussion on the identity and the future of the European project in an accessible manner”. Divided in two parts, the workshop will make use of the “cross the line” method, and the participants will also work in groups in order to identify the main challenge that Europe is facing lately and have a discussion about it. For the ones that want to learn more, but in the same time want to practice their skills in public speaking, critical thinking and open, inclusive communication, this workshop will be one of the best place they could be at that time.

Written by Raluca Radu, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca

Just like we did for the last Agorae, for Autumn Agora Kyïv we want to provide you again with a short and easy summary of the proposals submitted. In this fifth and last round, we will be explaining you three proposals, namely ‘Presenting proposals only at the Autumn Agora’, ‘Electing the Working Group Coordinators’ and ‘Financial Rules: AEGEE Social Responsibility Fund’.

Each Agora, we modify our statutes with proposals, which are discussed in prytania. The number of proposals submitted changes each Agora: in Autumn Agora Kyïv there will be 15, in Spring Agora Asturias there were also 15, in Autumn Agora Cagliari there were 8 and in Spring Agora Patra 12. According to the proposers Gloria Llopart, Claudio Gennaro and Salvatore Maraventano on behalf of the Juridical Commission, having so many discussions about proposals are taking away a lot of time that can be spent on discussing our external impact: projects, position papers, etc. The proposals ‘Presenting proposals only at the Autumn Agora’ will therefore change the moment that AEGEE members can submit their changes to the statutes and make it only possible for the Autumn Agorae and Extraordinary Agorae

You can read the full proposal here.

In Spring Agora Asturias, AEGEE-Europe has adopted a big change in its thematic structure: the Working Group Reform. Now, there are only four Working Groups, related to the Focus Areas of the Strategic Plan (SP) in order to enhance the thematic work and the implementation of the SP within the association. Each group is lead by an appointed member, the Coordinator, who chooses the Policy Officer along with six other AEGEE members (at least 4 locals should be represented). The group will present an Activity Plan during the Autumn Agora, an Interim Activity Report during the Spring Agora and an Activity report during the following Autumn Agora. Wilmer Bouma on behalf of AEGEE-Enschede presents the proposal ‘Electing the Working Group Coordinators’ due to the extreme importance that the Working Groups have for the thematic work of the association. At the moment, the selection of the coordinators is done by the Comité Directeur after launching an Open Call to the Network, but if the proposal will be accepted, coordinators will be elected at each Spring Agora.

You can read the full proposal here.

The last proposal is ‘Financial Rules: AEGEE Social Responsibility Fund’, which is proposed by Ander Guerrero Ruiz on behalf of Comité Directeur. The Social Reponsibility Fund (ASRF) is a special fund created to help members who have a difficult financial situation to go to statutory events. This fund is already a praxis, but was never regulated in the CIA. The proposal therefore aims to clarify the rules and criteria to be eligible for receiving the fund. A whole new section will be added to the General Financial Rules in order to explain the correct funcioning of ASRF. Every member of an Antenna or Contact Antenna as well as members of Contacts travelling to the Agora where they will sign the Convention d’Adhésion can apply by filling in the form to cover the costs of Visa, Agora or EPM fees and a partial reimbursement of the travel cost (that can reach 100%). Delegates will not be allowed to apply, unless it is proven that the local cannot cover the trip. The same goes for members of commissions that are eligible for travel reimbursement according to the CIA. Applicants need to send to the Financial Director, after an Open Call is issued, a series of documents to prove their financial status with a letter signed by the president of their antenna and the financial status of the antenna. Applications will then be reviewed by the Financial Director with the collaboration of the Speaker Team of the Network Commission and the Network Commissioner of the Antenna, Contact Antenna or Contact where the applicant is member of, and by the FATF, which will be the responsible for the final decision. Applications will be reviewed based on a point system and in order to be eligible, applicants need to receive 12 points or more based on criteria such as the events visited, the number of years in the association, the income etc.

You can read the full proposal here.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

Just like we did for the last Agorae, for Autumn Agora Kyïv we want to provide you again with a short and easy summary of the proposals submitted. In this fourth round, we will be explaining you three proposals that focus on different topics, from the selection of visitors to the number of votes for locals and LTC and RTC, namely ‘Number for votes for antennae with less than 10 members’, ‘Visitors selection procedure’ and ‘Changing the LTC as Antenna Criterion from organisation to participation’.

Currently the minimum number of members for locals is 10, but, in some occasions the Comité Directeur can grant an exception and we may find Antennae with less than 10 members. Those Antennae, when at the Agora, do not have any vote, while those with at least 10 members have one vote.

Damien Latacz and Philipp Blum on behalf of AEGEE-Aachen questioned this system and proposed ‘Number for votes for antennae with less than 10 members’. They state that any local that is an Antenna should have the right to vote, so their aim is to change the part of Article 17 that enlists the number of votes according to the number of members in a local, decreasing the number from 10 members to 1 in order to be able to vote.

You can read the full proposal here.

The second proposal is the ‘Visitors selection procedure’ by Damien Latacz and Philipp Blum on behalf of AEGEE-Aachen and Lucia Gavulová on behalf of AEGEE-Bratislava. In the past few years the Visitors selection procedure raised some eyebrows. In fact, at Autumn Agora Zagaroza 2013 a proposal was approved to add board comments and to invite the Chair Team and the Comité Directeur to follow the ranking decided by locals. Since then, visitors were selected based on the capacity of the facilities, the motivation letter and, then, the ranking. The proposers think that the mechanism is still not clear and the ranking in the system should be taken more into account since normally locals have a larger and better view of applicants. The change to the Working format of the Agora will affect the selection in the sense that the Chair Team will need to follow the ranking provided by locals, with the due exceptions. Moreover, exceptions need to be explained upon request and the Chair Team has to present a short report about them (without any indication of sensitive data of the applicants).

You can read the full proposal here.

During Spring Agora Asturias, we approved a new criterion for locals: organise a LTC  yearly, bringing criteria from 10 to 11. Already during the discussion in the prytanium, it was suggested to change the word ‘organise’ into ‘attend’, due to the fact that not all the locals might have the capacity to organise a LTC each year. Damien Latacz and Philipp Blum on behalf of AEGEE-Aachen are bringing up again this topic with the proposal ‘Changing the LTC as Antenna Criterion from organisation to participation’. To be validated as criterion, a LTC must be attended by at least the 50% of members who joined the local between 3 and 15 months prior the criterion is checked.

The proposal also changes who approves the LTC, that can be the Network Commission or an Ordinary member of AEGEE-Europe approved by the Comité Directeur.

You can read the full proposal here.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

23 years old Lavinia Țole is an AEGEE enthusiastic girl from AEGEE-București who aims to take one of the six free spots in the Network Commission. She joined AEGEE in 2013, and after six months as Tekla Hajdu’s Subcommissioner, she is ready to take up the job. We asked some questions to get to know more about her and her program.

The AEGEEan: Please, introduce yourself to the Network.

Lavinia: Hello AEGEEans from all over the Network, I’m Lavinia Țole and I have been a member of AEGEE-București for almost three years now. Like most of the AEGEE members, I love to travel, meet new people, listening to their stories and I’m always up for new challenges.

Sometimes, I like to live the moment and do crazy adventurous things, like couchsurfing after buying tickets for a last-minute trip, but when I commit to a project I believe in, I give my best and I don’t hesitate to put all my time and energy into it.

Why did you decide to run for the position of Network Commissioner?

As I’ve already stated in my application, running for the Network Commission seemed like the next natural step in my AEGEE life. Being a Subcommie also contributed a lot to my decision, because after my term I had a clearer idea about how the Network Commission works, about the struggles, but also about the rewarding experience of this position.

Moreover, this is the last year I can dedicate so much of my time to AEGEE and I want to make the most of it, by sharing my knowledge with the locals and by offering my support in every aspect concerning the development of the antennas and the cooperation within the Network.

How do you think that your term as Subcommie prepared you to be Netcom?

Since I already got to know and interacted with members of the local boards in our area as a Subcommie, I know how antennas deal with the Antenna Criteria and what problems they sometimes encounter. Having a clear image about how things work and where we stand, makes me feel more confident in applying for the Network Commission.

In your candidature you stated that you want to continue the work of Brigitta and Tekla. What do you think are the issues of that area? and what are the strengths?

Well, I think the situation of the locals in our area is very diverse: there are some very strong locals, but also newer and weaker antennas with different needs and the Network Commissioner has to develop a program that supports all of them, which is not always easy. The strengths also lay in this diversity: we can learn a lot from each other’s best practices (like Czechoslovakian weekend, the collaboration between the Romanian and the Moldovan locals, etc.). But I believe the antennas shouldn’t stick only to each other; locals should be able to learn from the whole Network and that’s why I’d like to facilitate the cooperation and knowledge transfer among them.

In your program you didn’t mention ACT or Strategic Plan. How much do you think it is important for locals to know it and to develop activities accordingly?

Without any doubt, every local should be aware of the Strategic Plan and Action Agenda. Not only because organising events that contribute to the Strategic Plan is one of the Antenna Criteria, but also because each local should know in which direction AEGEE is heading. Moreover, the objectives to focus on, stated in the Action Agenda, can come in handy when locals have difficulties in implementing the Strategic Plan into their projects.

That’s why, during my term, I’d like to put more emphasis on educating locals about the Strategic Plan and Action Agenda.

You stated “I support the direction the Comité Directeur is planning to go”. Which direction exactly? In which field? And how will you explain it to the Network?

This summer, I read the Activity Plan for 2015-2016 developed by Comité Directeur and I want to spread the message about their initiatives and to bring my contribution to the growth of AEGEE. For example, I liked that they brought the organisational culture of AEGEE and the need to improve the education of members on fundraising possibilities in discussion. I believe Network Meetings are a great opportunity to work on these aspects. Also, ensuring a good quality and impact of Network Meetings and developing a good strategy to strengthen the connection between locals was another subject that caught my attention, and as a Netcom I could definitely help to achieve this goal.

Why do you think people should vote for you?

I consider I have that “AEGEEness”, the ability to stay optimistic and to have fun while working hard on goals I believe in. And I do believe in a stronger connection and collaboration between antennas. Furthermore, I have the energy and the enthusiasm to be the bridge between the Comité Directeur and the locals and to bring my contribution to the stability of the Network.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

You can read her full candidature here.

Today, The AEGEEan is meeting another enthusiastic member, who is running for the position of Network Commissioner: Malwina Zielińska (AEGEE-Torun). Malwina had a chat with us regarding the attributes that, according to her, a netcommie should have.

The AEGEEan: Who is Malwina Zielińska?

Malwina: I would say that Malwina is a girl full of energy, who is not afraid of challenges. In addition, she never gives up and puts a lot of effort in what she does. She loves meeting new people and hates sitting in one place.

When did you join AEGEE and why?

Officially I joined AEGEE on 09.11.2012. This was three weeks after I started college. I wanted to develop Public Relations theory and meet new people. When I decided to join AEGEE I did not think it would be the best decision of my life. In this network, I did not only meet real friends but also people who are motivated to believe in you and want you to grow. Here, everyone believes in another human being. It’s wonderful!

What is your experience in our network?

At first I was a member then I was the public relations responsible and this year I was president of my antenna. It was a very difficult term, because the antenna was in crisis, however, it managed to stave off. Moreover, I went to all Network Meetings (NWMs) in which I took an active part and I was also a delegate at the Agora in Patra. Undoubtedly, the most connected event with my studies was the participation in the PR School, where I met many wonderful AEGEEans from all over Europe.

Define the role of the Network Commission in your own words.

Supervise and support an antenna but also motivate, help and believe in the possibility of the AEGEEans.

Which attributes should a Network Commissioner have?

A Network Commissioner should be:
friendly
outgoing
communicative
a good listener
be able to respond quickly
share his/her experience
helping
honest
but also should be able to plan and seek help in every possible place for him.
Last but not least is that he/she should believe and motivate AEGEE members.

Do you really see yourself in this role?

Yes [she smiles, ed.]

If you were elected, what would your programme as a netcommie be?

I would like to continue the development of the Network Meeting-format in a way that they answer local needs in the most efficient way and bring benefit to the Network, but also continuing  what was started by my precursor. I would like to create a strong team of subcommies so that they will be more empowered and prepared for further work in the Network Commission. I would give advice in the areas of IT, PR, HR and FR to help the locals develop in those fields. I would like to supervise the quality of the implementation of Local Training Course (LTCs) by the antennae in the area. I would like to put a special accent on recruitment of new members by creating a recruitment plan and put a greater focus on knowledge transfer between the boards of locals, by creating more possibilities for dialogue and exchange of best practises between them. I would be in regular contact with representatives of the locals and also visit each antenna in my part of the Network and meet them face to face to see how they work and in which parts you can still help them. But most of all, I would like to create a fair and friendly atmosphere, because I believe that only people who like to be with each other are 100% honest [ she smiles, ed.]. To reach this last purpose, the creation of a method to exchange information within locals is important, follow closely and help young and small antennae to strengthen their full potential, foster collaboration beetween antennae, essencially between strong or expericed and weak or new ones for the creation of common initiatives and projects.

Written by Larisa Smajlagic, AEGEE-Verona

You can read her full candidature here.

Lucia Gavulová is a 25 years old Slovakian born, now living in Aachen. President of AEGEE-Bratislava, she joined AEGEE more than three years ago becoming an active member (as well as board member) very quickly. She has a master in Molecular Biology, but now she is working for one of the biggest IT companies in the world (she still enjoys travelling, food and AEGEE). She decided to run for the position of Project Manager (PM) of the Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT). We asked her some questions to learn more about her plans within the project.

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to run for the position of Project Manager of SUCT?

Lucia: First of all, I wanted to be part of SUCT since I learnt about this project, because I think Summer University has really big potential to become an even bigger project (e.g. to win Charlemagne Youth Prize), but so far it was unused. Secondly, with my experiences and my type of organised personality, I think I would be suitable mainly for Project Manager.

You are the only PM candidate to mention fundraising (FR). How do you think it can be implemented?

Well, there are two directions of where to make some changes and implementations – SUCT and local level. As SUCT, we can try to fundraise support from companies present in all the European countries and later give it to locals – e.g. by issuing some cool competitions to visit headquarters of these companies, to get their products, to have them as sponsor of specific Summer Universities etc. We have what to offer, since SUs have around 5000 people participating ever year.

For locals we can also create a simple booklet, based on previous experiences, and provide each of them with specific examples of how and what to fundraise. I know many locals struggles with FR and often it is a reason no to organise any Summer University. With both means of FR I would like to also motivate those locals to organise SU, where it wasn’t possible because of budget.

Among your idea of promotion, you want to organise “SU nights”. What exactly are they? How will they work?

“SU nights”, as I unofficially called them, are very simple evenings organised by locals in their city (university or just in a pub), directly after recruitment (before SU deadline), to explain all newbies and interested people what a SU is, help them to find SU tailored for them, help with writing motivation letters and advise what to expect, how to pack and mainly to keep them active after they return (post-SU meeting). Of course, recruitment process beforehand is essential and is also part of my program.

Deadlines are one of the worst enemy in AEGEE since we set them, but nobody really respects them. How would you ensure they are going to be met?

Yes, I am aware of the fact that this is a really challenging point of my program, and it might fail to be fulfilled. But I really do respect deadlines, and I always demanded all my team members to do the same. I could simply say – if you don’t respect the deadline, you are not in!

To motivate those participants who apply on time, we can make a simple change in the application algorithm which prefers them over those applying later. Of course, there are always technical issues which we cannot predict and individual requests can be always solved. If not completely ensuring deadline following, I at least want to show the network that we mean it. And I can be really strict, when it comes to deadlines.

How would you encourage members to apply for, or organise a Summer University?

As I already stated above, my FR ideas are one of the means of motivating locals to organise one. I would motivate members to apply by providing them more info about SUs than are provided now and also by clearly stating what can you gain after leaving home.

Right now it is not really clear what does a specific SU offer, and this is another thing included in my program, which directly motivates more people to apply – e.g. if I want to learn a language, I don’t apply for party SUs, but if I need to relax after graduation, I can find party/relax SU and everybody will benefit: organisers will have party people and participants will get what they were looking for.

You are currently working. How would you fit the work of PM of SUCT with your daily job?

I am always online. That’s one of my features. You can reach me basically anytime and also during my work I reply to all e-mails, messages and calls. Besides, my work is very flexible and I can dedicate time to my free time activities as much as I need.

Why do you think people should vote for you?

Because I have been Min Organiser of SU twice and Vice-Coordinator once, which provided me with loads of experience and knowledge about SUs. Because I want to play an honest game, and I expect this from locals as well – to state what kind of SU they are going to have. Because I suffer from “organiser complex” and it makes me to not give up on tasks. Because I want to share my knowledge and make it possible for all locals to organise a SU. Because I am worth it.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

You can read her full candidature here.

Just like we did for the last Agorae, for Autumn Agora Kyïv again we want to provide you with a short and easy summary of the proposals submitted for the Agora. In this second round, we will be explaining you three proposals that focus on improving our biggest project to date: the Summer University project. These proposals are called ‘Improving SU (I)’, ‘improving SU (II)’ and ‘SC+ criteria reform’.

 
The Summer University project was established in 1988 and has been involving more than 2000 young people every summer ever since. Students from all over Europe spend on average two weeks together in different places, learning new cultures and languages and sharing great experiences. Since its establishment, the Summer University project has been one of the most successful projects and it has been shown how much AEGEEans cares about it. The Summer University Coordination Team is the body that runs the project, of which the members are elected during the Autumn Agora.

The first proposal is called ‘Improving SU (I)’ and was proposed by Ander Guerrero Ruiz (Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe) on behalf of the Comité Directeur. This proposal aims to ensure a better use of the finances of the SUCT, which are currently administrated by one of the four members who composes the team. Right now, the SUCT is free to use their budget in a way they find most suitable for the project and the team itself, but the first change the proposal wants to make is that they will need the approval of the Financial Director, who will give advice on drafting the budget. Also, a new role will be added to the ones already existing (Project Manager, IT responsible, PR responsible, Treasurer and Publication Responsible): the Fundraiser. Another thing that will be added is that during the Autumn Agora, where the SUCT will present their report, also a report about expenses and trips must be presented. Moreover, if a member of SUCT is attending the Spring Agora, an interim report, a presentation of the budget and an update of the status of the SU project has to be presented as well. Lastly, big expenses need to be announced one month prior to the Financial Director who can reject them on a mutual decision with Comité Directeur.

Here you can read the full proposal.
‘Improving SU (II)’ is also proposed by Ander Guerrero Ruiz (Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe) on behalf of the Comité Directeur. It aims to raise the daily fee for the SU Course/SU Course+. Currently, Summer Universites are divided in three categories: SU Course, SU Course+ and Travel Summer Universities and the fees are divided in two categories: 12 euros for SU Course and 14 euros for SU Course+ and TSUs. According to the proposer, in fact, organising a SC is not cheaper than organising a SC+ or TSU and maybe this discourages small locals to organise a Summer University. This may be the reason why the amount of locals organising a SU has been rapidly decreasing in the last few years. By unifying the costs of the fee, we can see if  this decrease is because of financial problems of the locals or there are other reasons to be detected.
Here you can read the full proposal.
The last one is ‘SC+ criteria reform’, which is proposed by Matthijs Overhaal and Jorge Miguel Vielva on behalf of the AEGEE-Academy. This proposal aims to change the approach towards the SU Course +. Currently SC+ has a duration between 14 and 28 nights with at least 20 hours of tuition per week and a minimum of 15 participants. The proposers believe that the potential of this type of Summer University is not exploited to the fullest, so they would like to decrease the minimum of nights to 11 and have at least 36 hours of tuition in total. One of the requirement to organise a SC+ is to have the support of the university where the Summer University is taking place and lessons must be thought by professional teachers. The proposer are adding The AEGEE-Academy to the academic support to foster Non-Formal Education with their qualified trainers, which can allow more flexibility and, according to Matthijs and Jorge Miguel, might encourage more locals to decide to organise a SC+.

Here you can read the full proposal.

You can read the CIA here.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

From the 14th to the 18th of October, one of AEGEE’s most important events, the Autumn Agora, will be held in Kyïv and as any seasoned AEGEE member knows: an Agora seldom comes alone. The main event is always accompanied by several pre-events that are organised  especially by dedicated antennae. This years participants had the opportunity to choose from five creative events in four different countries and a thematic conference that addresses the recent political and economic events in Ukraine.
Follow the AEGEEan on a quick tour through Eastern Europe’s most interesting locations and best autumn events.

Our first stop is “AEGEE-Warszawa: Tear Down this Wall”, where a group of lucky participants will be able to pledge freedom and transparency by tearing down past and present walls. As they find themselves travelling through time, the participants will discover the historic roots of Warszawa, full of charming places, Polish dreams and unique cultures. Back in present time, where modern youth spirit meets old traditions, the organisers are planning to take everybody on a stroll through old Warszawa in search of the most potent shot bars.
With no walls left to stop our journey, the next halt is with AEGEE-Lublin in a city that participants are definitely going to fall in love with. The organising team of “LUBLINove LOVE – Fall in Love in Lublin” is hoping to make everybody feel the magical atmosphere of the city where different people, cultures and religions mix into a unique style of living. A highlight of the event will be the Slavic night with traditional music, dances and a fiery bonfire that will warm up the coldest hearts.

Tea sceptics within AEGEE will definitely acquire a taste for the diverse drink after participating in AEGEE-Moskva’s pre-event “Moscow Tea Time: A Hidden Part of the Russian Soul”. In a traditional Russian tea ceremony with legends to spice things up, participants might awaken their hidden Russian soul within their bodies. AEGEE-Moscow will then introduce the attendants to traditional Russian culture, crazy spirits and other strong drinks in a city that never sleeps. The organisers are particularly proud to offer a workshop on lifehacks for surviving in a Russian train. A course that no AEGEE member should miss.
The event by AEGEE-Chișinău “Taste the Moldavian Hospitality” is going to be a definite treat for neglected taste buds. According to the organisers the participants will experience the tastiest pre-event of Autumn Agora Kyïv that will lead them on a discovery trail through Moldavian culinary culture by tasting delicious wine and traditional food such as Placinte. On a visit to the Orheiul Vechi monastery AEGEE members might trace back ancient civilisations.
Before arriving in the heart of Ukraine, Kyïv, let us make a last stop in the soul of Ukraine with “Oops! We Lviv it again!” organised by AEGEE-Lviv. As the cultural capital of Ukraine, Lviv has a lot to offer its visitors. From the local musicians to its unique streets and cozy coffee houses, with this event the participants have a chance to experience the true spirit of the city and to get to know the Ukrainian culture through its language, cuisine and traditions.
For members who just cannot get enough, AEGEE-Kyïv has planned a special thematic conference on October the 13th, just a day before the start of Agora Kyïv 2015. “The #YoungUA Conference: Defending, Acting, Investing” marks the successful conclusion of the project “reBuilding Democracy” that was launched by AEGEE-Kyïv six months ago and encourages participants to dicuss the political, economic and social future of Ukraine within Europe. The event is divided into three panels with high-profile speakers discussing European values, economic investments and youth participation within transformation movements in Ukraine.
The conference aims to boost cooperation on youth policy matters between the Ukrainian and youth organisations by creating a memorandum at the end of the conference that will be sent to important stakeholders in Ukraine as well as abroad. According to main organisers Alla Resheten and Armenak Minasyants, the conference is a perfect opportunity for AEGEE members to get engaged in an explicit thematic context that has been missing during Agoras.

Which pre-event will you be visiting?
Written by Alev Özdemir, AEGEE-Frankfurt