Like every year, The AEGEEan is giving a platform to candidates for a position in the European Level boards and commissions of our association to answer to some questions in order to present themselves. This year, we established a cooperation with the Golden Times and, together with his Editor Gunnar Erth, former and current journalists of our magazine will interview the candidates for the upcoming Agora in Krakow. For the very last edition, we present you with the candidates for the position of President of AEGEE-Europe: Matis Joab (AEGEE-Tallinn) and Spyros Papadatos (AEGEE-Ioannina).

One of the two candidates is Matis Joab, former president of AEGEE-Tallinn. The 28yo brings to the elections skills a strong focus on locals and Network management and the goal to reduce bureaucracy in AEGEE.

Know him better with the interview here.

You can read Matis’ full candidature here.

One of the two candidates is Spyros Papadatos, current speaker of the Network Commission. The 23yo member of AEGEE-Ioannina made members the core of his program, wanting to implement the Strategy for Learning and Training of AEGEE (up to approval in Krakow).

Know him better by reading the interview here.

You can read Spyros’ full candidature here.

Like every year, The AEGEEan is giving a platform to candidates for a position in the European Level boards and commissions of our association to answer to some questions in order to present themselves. This year, we established a cooperation with the Golden Times and, together with his Editor Gunnar Erth, former and current journalists of our magazine will interview the candidates for the upcoming Agora in Krakow. Today we present you with the candidate for the position of  Youth Development Working Group Coordinator Desireé Van Lagen (AEGEE- Amsterdam) and  Antonis Triantafyllakis (AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca). Also, we are presenting you the candidate for Secretary General until the 31st of July Julia de Lange (AEGEE-Utrecht) and the candidate for Comité Directeur until the 31st of July Ksenia Lupanova (AEGEE-Moskva). 

Desireé Van Langen from AEGEE-Amsterdam is already a member of the Youth Development Working Group (YDWG). At the Agora in Kraków she wants to run for the position of Coordinator of the YDWG. Among her plans is more collaboration with the other Working Groups, the AEGEE-Academy and other European bodies – and she expresses her opinion about the locals’ awareness of the Focus Areas.

You can read Desireé’s application here.

Check her interview here.

After the Open Call for Interim Communications Director, Ksenia Lupanova was chosen as the new person to take care of AEGEE-Europe communications. Now, the AEGEE-Moskva member and former Speaker of the Public Relations Committee will present herself to the Agora as candidate for the same position, taking care of the portfolio until the end of this Comité Directeur’s term.

You can read her full candidature here.

Check her interview here.

Antonis Triantafyllakis from AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca is one of the best-known people in AEGEE. Not only because of his work as Academy Speaker or member of the Summer University Coordination Team. You can basically meet him at every corner of the Network and he knows AEGEE inside out. Now he wants to put his knowledge and skills in the service of the Youth Development Working Group (YDWG) – as its new Speaker.

You can read his full candidature here.

Check his interview here.

After the Open Call for Interim Secretary General, Julia de Lange was chosen as the new person to take care of the tasks. Now, the former AEGEE-Utrecht President will present herself to the Agora as candidate for the same position, taking care of the portfolio until the end of this Comité Directeur’s term. 

You can read her full candidature here.

Check her interview here.

Like every year, The AEGEEan is giving a platform to candidates for a position in the European Level boards and commissions of our association to answer to some questions in order to present themselves. This year, we established a cooperation with the Golden Times and, together with his Editor Gunnar Erth, former and current journalists of our magazine will interview the candidates for the upcoming Agora in Krakow. Today we present you with the only candidate (so far) for the position of  Equal Rights Working Group Coordinator Julia Roshan Moniri (AEGEE- Frankfurt am Main) and  three members, all running for one of the six positions available for the members of the Network Commission: Brian Brands (AEGEE-Tilburg), Novak Simin (AEGEE-Novi Sad), Refik Barış Özçelik (AEGEE-Izmir).

One of the Focus Areas of AEGEE is Equal Rights, with the aim to acknowledge and tackle discrimination based on gender identity, expression and sexual orientation, and to promote equality from an intersectional perspective. Contributing to that is the Equal Rights Working Group, which supports the Network in organising activities and sets up its own related activities too. Julia Roshan Moniri, member of AEGEE-Frankfurt am Main, is motivated to take on the leadership of this Working Group for the next term, starting on the 1st of August. About time that we get to know her!

Check her interview here.

Find Julia’s complete candidature here.

Refik Barış Özçelik took his first steps on the European level of AEGEE as Content Manager of the Events Quality Assurence Committee (EQAC). The 19-year old member of AEGEE-Izmir will present his candidature as Network Commissioner at Agora Kraków.

Check his interview here.

Find Refik Barış’ complete candidature here.

Getting inspired by AEGEE’s greatest events ever as well as creating new ones: this is one of many things that Novak Simin from AEGEE-Novi Sad wants to do if he gets elected Network Commissioner at Agora Kraków. “I would also like to see more locals cooperate on a joined project or joined event”, he says. The 22-year old engineering student currently serves as Subcommissioner of Marina Klanjčić and is also member of the Action Agenda Coordination Committee (ACT).

Check his interview here.

You can read Novak’s full candidature here.

Brian Brands, student of Supply Chain Management in Tilburg, discovered AEGEE two years ago. After more than a year in the board of AEGEE-Tilburg, the 26-year old is ready to take a step further and to contribute to the development of locals from the Netcom perspective.

Check his interview here.

You can read Brian’s complete candidature here.

Like every year, The AEGEEan is giving a platform to candidates for a position in the European Level boards and commissions of our association to answer to some questions in order to present themselves. This year, we established a cooperation with the Golden Times and, together with his Editor Gunnar Erth, former and current journalists of our magazine will interview the candidates for the upcoming Agora in Krakow. Today we present you with the candidature of  Luca Bisighini (AEGEE-Brescia) and Oğuzhan Ayhan (AEGEE-Ankara) who both run for the position of Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe; and Lila Quaile (AEGEE-Paris) and Maria Smirnova (AEGEE-Moskva) who are running for the position of European Citizenship Working Group Coordinator. 

At Spring Agora Kraków 2018 there will be two candidates for the position of Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe: Luca Bisighini and Oğuzhan Ayhan. Luca Bisighini from AEGEE-Brescia is best known for being President of the Audit Commission, for founding the Migration Interest Group and his love for cats.

Check his interview here.

Read Luca Bisighini’s programme here.

At Spring Agora Kraków there will be two candidates for the position of Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe: Oğuzhan Ayhan and Luca Bisighini. Next to having been President of AEGEE-Ankara, Oğuzhan also already gather European-level experience in the Audit Commission.

Check out his interviews answers here.

Read Oğuzhan Ayhan’s programme here.

One of the Focus Area closely related to AEGEE’s existence is European Citizenship, with the aim to empower young people to become active Europeans. Contributing to that is the European Citizenship Working Group (ECWG), which supports the Network in organising activities and sets up its own related activities too. Lila Quaile, member of AEGEE-Paris, is motivated to take on the leadership of the ECWG for the next term, starting on the 1st of August. About time that we get to know her better!

Find Lila’s complete candidature here.

You can read her interview here.

Maria Smirnova, current HR Responsible of AEGEE-Moskva, will present her candidature for the role of European Citizenship Working Group Coordinator at Agora Kraków. The 23-year old already gained experience on European level as member of the Action Agenda Coordination Committee (ACT) and Speaker of the Events Quality Assurance Committee (EQAC).

Read the interview here.

Check Maria’s programme here.

Like every year, The AEGEEan is giving a platform to candidates for a position in the European Level boards and commissions of our association to answer to some questions in order to present themselves. This year, we established a cooperation with the Golden Times and, together with his Editor Gunnar Erth, former and current journalists of our magazine will interview the candidates for the upcoming Agora in Krakow. Today we present you with the candidature of the three candidates for Juridical Commission Veronika Chmelárová (AEGEE-Berlin), Lisette Kunst (AEGEE-Groningen), Giuseppe Aquilino (AEGEE-Catania), and the candidate for Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe Monika Mojak (AEGEE-Warszawa). 

Veronika Chmelárová is very young, but she has already experienced a lot of thing in the association, such as Local Board and Home-based CD assistant. Among her tasks, she is also a member of the Juridical Commission (JC) for the term 2017-2018. After successfully running in Enschede, the 20-year old AEGEE-Berlin member is ready to run for a second term during Spring Agora Krakow.

Check her interview here.

You can read her full candidature here.

Lisette Kunst is a 24-year old law student from AEGEE-Groningen. She has been a member of the Mediation Commission for the term between Agora Kyïv and Agora Chisinau, and, after a term as subcommissioner of the JC, she is ready to be part of it. We asked her some questions to get to know her and her candidature better right before the Agora.

Check her interview here.

You can read her full candidature here.

In Spring Agora Enschede, he was torn between applying for Juridical Commission and Comité Directeur. Even if he chose to run for CD, Giuseppe Aquilino still had the dream to join the Juridical Commission (JC). In Agora Kraków he will try to make his dream come true, running for a place in the commission.

Check out his interview here.

You can read his full candidature here.

At Spring Agora Kraków, so far there will be only one candidate for the position of Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe for the term 2018/19: Monika Mojak. “I have all needed qualities to serve as mediator of the team, be the ‘mother of the headoffice’ and the ‘good spirit of the house’, says the AEGEE-Warszawa member, who is currently President of the Juridical Commission.

Check her interview here.

You can read her full candidature here.

If you never heard her name in AEGEE, you might have been living on a different planet. Suzan Dilara Tokac from AEGEE-Eskişehir has been very active throughout the nine years of her AEGEE life, going from PRC to being PR for two editions of the AEGEE Day to a term in the MedCom starting at Spring Agora Enschede. She still feels she has a lot to learn in AEGEE, and that’s why she’s candidating again for a full term with the Mediation Commission. 

The AEGEEan: Everyone in the Network must have heard about you at least once, but for those who haven’t, who is Suzan? What drives you to still contribute to AEGEE after nine years? Do you have a secret to keep your motivation always up?

Suzan: Suzan is dinasour member  from AEGEE-Eskisehir and also became a member of AEGEE-Groningen last year, she is 27 years old and just started her phd in Neurolinguistics at University of Groningen this year. She has been participated and contributed to many events, projects, groups, teams, committees with great love and dedication and I am happy to be that person. Actually I am celebrating my 10th year during the Agora, on the 27th of September. However, I have to be honest about one thing, I wasn’t an active member for ten full years. I was active at the beginning and I attended a few agorae and events then I was lost for a while (not very proud of it, though), then my comeback was on November 2012 with the LTC and since then I am doing the best I can to improve the organisation and myself within it. The secret of my motivation is my belief and trust in the value and the structure of this organisation. I always see AEGEE as an association way ahead of being simply a students’ organisation, AEGEE is much more mature and advanced when we know how to make use of it.

You applied to the MedCom at Agora Enschede. Why did you choose this body in particular and what have you experienced there that made you want to continue your work?

From the day that I was chosen as a MedCom member till this day it has only been four months and when you compare it to a proper working period of a commission member, which is usually a year, it is not enough at all. The amount of task and needs of the Mediation Commission need first a lot of time to read and learn; second, concrete planning and action for improvement and resolution. I like to help people and solve conflicts and in order to be a part of the solution I chose this commission. I also believe that my professional background is helping me to understand human nature and psychology, which is very crucial for mediation.

You mention that there are “serious communicational problems” in AEGEE. How do you think this relates to the “lack of interest in AEGEE events, human resources and public relations”?”

It’s a “cause and effect” relation. If you just think about it in this approach you will all remember some personal memories or stories of your friends. My point of view as a MedCom is that we receive many e-mails from individuals, bodies or locals and at a certain point they all stems from communicational roots. When people do not have a healthy environment to develop and participate, they just exclude themselves out and this results in decreased member numbers, thus in less human power. From another perspective, as an experienced member I can say that when people are experiencing some personal issues of course they are sharing this with their friends out of human nature, however sometimes this sharing is turning into influencing and bush telegraphs emerging within and outside of the organisation; this results in negative promotion.

You want to raise awareness about the MedCom. Do you already have some specific action in mind?

Members in need of help may forget or don’t know about our existence. Existence of a single entity whose only aim is to help or support when asked! I am planning to prepare, with my team members, a “How to Use the MedCom” booklet. This will be a really basically depicted booklet of the work and use of Mediation Commission, supported by pictures, examples and caricatures. Moreover, to attend as many events as possible to present the MedCom and give presentations about the commission and related subjects would be really useful to make the Network familiar with the MedCom.

One of the hot topics for the MedCom is data privacy, and you mention it in your candidature. Did you have an occasion to explore the subject in the past months in the MedCom? How would you expand the Network’s knowledge about this issue?

As I mentioned above, this four months were mostly a learning and observing experience for me and I have done my best to learn and read about it. In our MedCom archives there are thousands of pages of documents related to Data Privacy, that’s why I need more time to explore those pages. When it comes to informing the Network of course not everyone has to know about all the jargon and history of the issue. What can be done is to prepare small texts supported with pictures and diagrams and included in the “How to Use MedCom” booklet so that people can be informed properly about their and others’ rights and limits.

Lastly, why should Agora vote for you?

In the end, it is of course Agora’s final judgement to decide if I will work on that position or not but I believe my contribution to this association so far and my AEGEE resume would affect their decision positively. In every position I have been responsible of, first I learnt from it, then fed it and then offered it to the other members. Regardless of years passed and the burden of my professional life, I always give AEGEE the priority and I have never regretted it.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Federica Soro, AEGEE-Cagliari

One more application for the Mediation Commission was made by: Matteo Lai. He, amongst other things, has been the IT responsible for AEGEE-Cagliari and an active member of The AEGEEan. Now he wants to give back to our beloved association by joining the Mediation Commission with his juridical knowledge. 

The AEGEEan: Hi Matteo, please introduce yourself for our readers!

Matteo: I am Matteo, from Quartu Sant’Elena, a town very close to Cagliari, capital of Sardinia. I got a master’s degree in law and currently I am an employment and labour lawyer for a very famous law firm in Cagliari centre. Although I have such a serious job, I have a lot of hobbies like dancing, reading Italian literature books, playing football (I was a referee for some regional championships some time ago) and hanging out with friends. In April 2015 I saw some Facebook links about Summer Universities. I did not know what they were, but I had heard somewhere about some holidays only for students and young people. The issue was that I was not a student anymore but a trainee-lawyer. I understood it wes a project of a students’ association, AEGEE. I was not really sure about what I was doing but I decided to approach my University and to get more information. I became an AEGEE member and, until today, joining AEGEE has been one of the best choices in my entire life. Even if I was rejected for the first SU, this association has allowed me to meet new people which have really changed my opinion about Europe and made me help to delete lots of stereotypes. I am one of the AEGEE-Cagliari members who attended more local and European events in a little more than two years. Furthermore, in AEGEE-Cagliari I discovered my second family. Already the first SU as organiser encouraged me to be an active member and that’s why in December 2015 I became the new IT responsible of my antenna.

Why did you decide to run for a position in the Mediation Commission?

AEGEE is one of Europe’s biggest youth organisations where you can talk with people of several faculties and disciplines and, maybe also because of their cultural background, they are not well aware of the legal aspects of the association. I met lots of AEGEE friends that have never heard about the CIA and I would like to transmit them the knowledge of the Statutes, the rules that govern the life of AEGEE and this could be realised especially when the Mediation Commission is addressed to act as a mediator by any person or body in AEGEE. Very often it happens that people violate rules because they don’t know them. Because AEGEE strives for a democratic, diverse and borderless Europe, which is socially, economically and politically integrated, we can get successful in this task if we also respect the rules. Without rules, we would live not in civil society but we would stay in a state of nature where the condition of each person is “bellum omnium contra omnes” (meaning war of all against all), as the philosopher Thomas Hobbes wrote. I would be pleased to do my best, after two years of hard but very satisfying work in my antenna (I also was organiser for the first Network Meeting of AEGEE-Cagliari), in a European body because I believe in the functions of the MedCom and I think both my juridical culture and my previous experience in other organisations could be helpful for the MedCom. I don’t want to impose my personal ideas to the other MedCom members but I want to contribute to find the best solution for all cases that we will deal with.

What do you think it’s the main job of the MedCom?

The main job of the MedCom is to strive for an amicable settlement among the parties involved before considering further actions, serving as mediator. If this is not possible, the MedCom has to take a neutral and transparent decision without being subject to business and friendly relations or love affairs. So if one of the MedCom members cannot be objective, has to abstain for the specific case. Furthermore, the MedCom has the role to make an AEGEE member the future best European citizen with its “punitive” competence to make know and respect the law. Obviously, the MedCom deals mainly with the observance of the statutes but some principles in the statutes are shared in every European state, such as “in dubio pro reo”.

According to you, what do you think is the most important quality to be in the MedCom and why do you see yourself as the perfect person to fulfill the position?

The MedCom requires a lot of observation and knowledge about AEGEE in general and the CIA procedure. I think I gained both of them during my first two years and six months in AEGEE. I like to treat juridical cases and I would like to share this passion with other AEGEE members. Even if there is a psychological side in cases analysis that I have acquired as very active member in my Antenna and in European projects because I know many dynamics that can determine, even just accidentally, the violation of some rules. I am a person that wants to dialogue with members and not just directly to punish them. Even if every final decision, I would like to remind, has to be ratified by the Agora.

What is your idea to strengthen the communication and the cooperation within and between the AEGEE bodies?

The Mediation Commission is expected to co-operate fully with the other bodies of AEGEE-Europe and to use their experience and knowledge. Social networks could be helpful. For example, a Facebook secret group could be created in order to share some cases with some members of the European bodies so that some members not involved in Medcom can express their opinion and offer another point of view. Obviously, the active participation in this Facebook group would be not obligatory as well as uploading all cases by the MedCom. Also some Skype meetings can strengthen the communication between the AEGEE bodies.

Could you sum up your programme in a few clear bullet points? 

I will tell you with some key words: prevention, impartiality and knowledge of the rules. Prevention means that the MedCom should help to avoid conflicts between Locals, in its advisory function, but this is possible only if the MedCom gets a request by any person or AEGEE body. Instead, I think the MedCom can, at least, make some investigations, or also express the advisory function if just one of the MedCom members hears something, or somehow gets some rumours (but not fake news), about any issues between locals, without any request needed.

Impartiality means that the MedCom should take a decision without being influenced by any external element. Every member of the MedCom knows that is working for the good of the association and has to abstain if he/she cannot make the decision.

Knowledge of the rules means that the MedCom should promote the knowledge of the rules by the AEGEE members with its advisory and “punitive” functions, that could be facilitated through spreading the content of the CIA and its practical applications via a new Facebook page, after every decision is ratified by the Agora. In the eventual Facebook page I want to insert some posts about the normal day of the MedCom member, without, obviously, spreading information about the cases. The website of the MedCom has to be updated I would like to take care of it, considered my experience as IT responsible of my antenna and the Your Vision for Europe project.

In you task related experience, you mention mostly your legal work and team experience. Though you also have a lot of experience as the IT-responsible for AEGEE-Cagliari.  Will it help you in the Medcom, which covers tasks concerning data privacy policy?

I will do my best for the issue you mention and I will discuss about it with the team. For sure, my experience will help me in the MedCom for data privacy policy. We can’t use personal data for spamming, selling or giving them to others without consent or abuse them in any other way. This is a rule that is reproduced also in many national laws and so the MedCom has to continue the protection of the personal data. Unfortunately, many companies can spend much money in order to get personal data and there is not a person, in this world, that snubs easy money.

You can read Matteo’s full candidature here.

Written by Mireille Voorendt, AEGEE-Utrecht

When you meet Francesca Zorcolo from AEGEE-Cagliari, you can tell straight away that she is an active member of our association. She was vice-president and president of her local, main organiser for NWM Cagliari 2106, subcommie for the Rainbow for Netcom Gabriele Scollo. Now candidating for the Network Commission. 

The AEGEEan: How would you describe yourself?

Francesca: My name is Francesca, but I love to be called  “Zorci”, I currently study Economy and management at the University of Cagliari but I’m going to finish soon –luckily- ahahah. I’m 24 and I’m from AEGEE-Cagliari. I have been a member since 2014 and from the very first moment I’ve always been an active member, I’ve been for two years on the board and now I’m subcommie for the Netcom Gabriele.

Why did you choose to candidate for the Network Commission?

As I said before, I have been in AEGEE since 2014 and in these past years I’ve gained experience, I’ve learnt a lot about what locals need and how to support them and that’s exactly what I would like to do: support locals, make them shine and be present for everything they could need, giving them my time and the resources they need.

What would be your main objective as a member of NetCom?

Certainly, I would like to work together with the Netcom team to study and put in action a recruiting strategy to spread among our locals in order to solve the problem of decreasing numbers in memberships that AEGEE is facing now. Then I would like to create a strong collaboration among locals and between locals and European Bodies, in this way the right field to share best practices, resources and opinions can be created.

Who would you say is your best source of inspiration in AEGEE?

Aww I didn’t expect this question! I cannot nominate just one, so I answer with Lisa Gregis, because she’s a hard worker and she has inspired me to dream big and to realise bigger! Marina Klancic, because I love the way she works and she keeps me motivated to give my best to the Network Commission and of course Mattia Abis, because I think he had a great impact on the Network when he was Netcommie and his feedbacks are still for me the most important I can receive.

You mention in your application that you would you like to create a strong cooperation spirit among locals. How do you plan to achieve this result?

First, I would like to create chances to get to know each other: through live meeting at events, but even through hangouts, challenges, inviting them to introduce themselves in the locals group and creating focus groups about common interest issues. Then, I would like to invite them to share their best practices filling jointly folders about different subjects, like PR, HR, FR and so on. And lastly inviting locals to organise events, such as Summer Universities or RTC or Promotion Days, together, in this way even those locals which suffer from a lack of members could organise something to involve new ones.

But I would like to know the opinion of the Netcom team and the Subcommie team for building a well-studied strategy together.

You live in Sardinia. Do you think this might be an obstacle for you when you need to visit your locals?

I think not, Sardinia is well-connected with everywhere by plane and by ferry, we have low-cost companies and special offers that connect Sardinia to Italy, so definitely it won’t be a problem.

How do you envision cooperation with your fellow NetCommies?

I think we will set up common projects and go on with those that are currently working, and I imagine our cooperation will be like a constant sharing of opinion and points of view. I hope we will support each other in case we would have any problem or doubt!

Do you already have an idea about your SubCommies team, in case you were elected?

I would like to collaborate again with some people I met this year, but I don’t have a clear idea about it yet. I just know how I would like to work with them, I’d like to structure the subcommie team as Gabriele did before, giving them general tasks for help locals about different fields and giving them specific locals to support.

Questions from the Network

You have experience with Gabrielle’s locals. Would you have a problem if you were assigned to other locals?

I’d say no, because if I will be elected I can count on the previous Netcom’s knowledge transfer for those locals, probably I would choose subcommies who already got experience with some of those locals and of course, I would organise a meeting with all of the locals assigned to know them better

What’s your opinion about cutting a wide series of useless Netcom criteria which just create useless bureaucracy?

As we have seen from the last email about the “possible changes in the Network”, there is of course a problem regarding the Antenna Criteria, but now I cannot says what. Of course, this issue will be discussed with the Netcom team and our Network Director in order to find a solution that it’s suitable for the locals and our network in general.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Firdevs Cazim

Laura Garcia Rueda is a very energic and positive girl from AEGEE-A Coruña, she has a lot of experience on the local level ( she is currently the secretary of her local) and she has already worked with SUCT becaming a SUpporter for it this past year.

The AEGEEan : Can you introduce yourself for those who don’t know you?

Laura : I’m Laura from A Coruña, a beautiful city in the northwest of Spain. I studied oceanography and now I’m going to start my masters’ in environmental management. I really love music: Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Blur, The Beatles… Brit pop and alternative music in general (also Spanish music). I like to go to music festivals and enjoy the beauty of music having a good time with friends. I’m a cinema lover, a supporter of my Deportivo de La Coruña, always with a smile in my face, positive, and someone who never gives up. Contact me if you are interested to know more about me.

What valuable lessons did studying the ocean give you, that you would apply in your work for SUCT?

After several years studying, I think I have acquired a working methodology that is very necessary when you have to get involved in a project like this. Not only the habit of studying and working that the bachelors’ can give you, but it’s the amount of teamwork that I have done which has prepared me to know how to work on a team. Taking care of the ocean, of the animals, the samples to make measurements is like taking care of all our organisers, you have to be concentrated, be very careful in order to have the best response from them.

Why did you apply for SUCT? Especially, can you tell us why did you decide to run as Project Manager?

I’ve applied for SUCT because for me the SU project has a lot of potential to make the association more known, get and motivate members. A unique experience which brings the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and, finally, develop more skills once you’re involved in AEGEE. I have chosen project manager because I consider that my experience (being main organiser, helper and participant of different SUs) has gave me a clear understanding of the project. Furthermore, after being participant in some training events (such as Develop Yourself 3 and SUPS in Skopje, among others), I have gained the necessary skills to be a good leader, be able to work within a team and manage it and also to solve conflicts.

In your programme you said that you want to improve the collaboration between SUCT and AEGEE-Academy, in which way?

As main organiser of a SU and having contact with many experienced members from my local and others, I could learn that there is a lack of good trainers and, for this reason, trainings in the Summer Universities. So, I would like to keep more in touch with them and, as much as we can, try to have some agreements to motivate more locals to ask for trainers and, also, more trainers to attend SUs and deliver sessions. We can also work together in the compulsory content for the SUs to make it more attractive for everyone and be able to give content and fun to the participants and organisers. If we are able to give that, the result will be that more people will want to join AEGEE after their SU.

How do you envision the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of SU? Not every day is the 30th aniversary of someone, so why not celebrate it?

I think is a good opportunity to make a great tribute to the Summer University Project and we all know that the current SUCT is preparing something special, so wait a bit and give me the opportunity to surprise you a bit! I can promise that it will be something unforgettable!

If you could choose just one big aim to improve SUCT, what would you choose and why?

The most important thing that SUCT needs to improve is being closer to the locals and other European bodies, in order to help them in a better way, and have more comunication with the European Bodies in order to have more quality in the Summer Universities. They were improving a lot in this sense but, as main organiser this year, I can say that there is room for more improvement.

What are your aims and hopes for SUCT?

I hope that we can continue doing a very good job inside SUCT, rather improving it, achieving all the proposals in ours programmes, or at least letting them have a start. Combining the knowledge, experience, motivation and good relation that we will have in our team, I think that we’ll be able to make a huge work, to contribute a lot in this project and to help organising, once again, the summer of the life of hundreds of young people.

Questions from the Network

You said in your application that you want to keep SUpporters and activate them more. Do you have a programme for that? What exactly, and how can they support you? In your opinion, why right now SUpporters are not so active?

About SUpporters, I was thinking about some improvents to include in our programme: organise more Skype meetings with them, use the survey to the Network that I also want to implement to make guidelines and useful documents in order to make those task more easy. They can support us in a different ways. Working as a team, sharing tasks, or they could even contribute with their own experience and knowledge, in case they have it. If they won’t have enough yet, the knowledge transfer will be fundamental in order to involve them in our work with more confidence. I think that now they are not very active because they are not enough motivated. We should motivate them more, being more communicative and interactive with them.

You can read her full candidature here.

Written by Paola Letizia Murru, AEGEE-Cagliari