Hey… what the fuck?
This is the first question that comes up when talking about Aegee.
AEGEE is a French acronym
A ssociation of E tats G énéraux des E tudiants de la E urope
(which in Italian translates to European Students Forum )
The name is deliberately inspired by the name of the Aegean Sea , a symbolic place of the birth of democracy and the first parliament established at the beginning of the French Revolution, the ” Etats Généraux” (General States).
AEGEE is currently the largest interdisciplinary student association in Europe.
It promotes a united Europe, cooperation between countries within and outside the EU, integration of minorities, and strives for an open and tolerant society. AEGEE is a non-profit association composed of volunteers and is not tied to any political party.
AEGEE => Some Data
- It is present in 40 European countries
- Its offices are located in more than 200 cities
- It has more than 13,000 members
- Without AEGEE there would be no ERASMUS project
- Organizes more than 500 events throughout Europe during the year
How does AEGEE work?
The reason why AEGEE, unlike many other associations, is truly European, is that there are no national levels. In fact, AEGEE is located at a local level (the Antennas ) in many European cities that are home to a university. Thanks to this decentralized structure, where the antennas are self-administered, there are no physical, political or any other barriers. Naturally, in addition to the antennas that make up the so-called AEGEE-Network , there are commissions that coordinate and supervise the work of the antennas, among which the one composed of the Comité Directeur (the Board of AEGEE-Europe) stands out. There are also Working Groups whose purposes range from non-formal education, to the discovery of culture and relations with the East, ending with European public relations.
Each antenna is composed of a variable number of members and a management committee (the Board ), elected annually by all members in a completely democratic way, which, without any economic benefit, works to ensure that the antenna satisfies the criteria imposed by AEGEE-Europe.
What does AEGEE do?
Each antenna usually organizes events of various kinds, some of which are intended for local members and/or Erasmus students visiting the city, others are open to members of any antenna. Of course, since antennas often collaborate with each other, it is not uncommon for events to be organized by multiple antennas together.
Events can be of various types:
Congresses : AEGEE promotes meetings between young people of different nationalities and, for this reason, congresses are organised with various themes, usually belonging to common projects.
Summer University : It is definitely one of the key events of AEGEE. Every summer, almost all antennae organize courses in languages, creativity, history and other topics at very low prices. The courses are usually held by student volunteers and are not limited to the provision of lessons, but include cultural visits, trips, parties and many other activities that make this event the most awaited by all AEGEE members.
Working Groups : formed by AEGEE members from different antennas. Their objectives are to implement the relevant aspects of the association’s vision.
Other events : Throughout the year a myriad of events with cultural and informative themes are organised
Each of these is linked to one or more of the five fields of action of AEGEE: Cultural Exchanges, Personal Development and Non-Formal Education, Thematic Projects, Youth Advocacy, Discussion Forums. All these events are accompanied by a very friendly atmosphere and parties that border on legend.
Finally, AEGEE participates in the activities of the Council of Europe, has a consultative role at the United Nations, an operational role in UNESCO and is also a member of the European Youth Forum . The organization also has several famous people as its partners: Mikhael Gorbatchev , winner of a Nobel Peace Prize; Eric Froment , former President of the European University Association, Romano Prodi, former Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Commission, Martin Schulz , former President of the European Parliament and Antonio Tajani, current President of the European Parliament.
Who is AEGEE aimed at?
AEGEE is simply an association of students from all over Europe whose only requirements to be part of it are the desire to travel, to know new cultures and to show your own to students visiting your city, all accompanied by a broad open-mindedness.