AEGEE

  Summer University

  Summer University

SUMMER UNIVERSITY

A totally different, new kind of summer event is offered by AEGEE. It is the ultimate experience, an adventure into the wilderness of an unknown country, an exposure to a new culture and language! The most famous and old project in AEGEE is the Summer University Project. The project, started in 1988, takes place each year and it involves more than 150 locals and 4000 students in 30 different European countries. This mobility enables our members to overcome physical borders as well as to broaden their intellectual mobility by achieving a higher level of intercultural understanding.

Aims: A Summer University it is usually a two-week event organized by an AEGEE local when between 20 and 60 students come together from all over Europe. The activities carried during a Summer University range from academic activities: classes to learn a foreign language, different courses on technical themes to multicultural activities: get familiar with Finnish culture, Spanish history and Greek mythology. Preparatory activities Each local group prior to the start of the Summer University application period organizes several presentations, promoting the Summer University events among students. Implementation A Summer University it is usually a two-week event organized by an AEGEE local when between 20 and 60 students come together from all over Europe. The Summer University Booklet is the main information tool of the project. It contains a detailed description of every Summer University taking place in the framework of the project. Each event carries an English description as well as a second language description. Based on the information provided in the booklet, AEGEE members can apply for a place. The web page will contain an on-line version of the SU Booklet, as well as all the necessary information for both participants and organizers and latest news.

Types of event/activities: The activities organized during a Summer University are so diverse that hundreds of pages have been written to describe the impressions of the participants, after a summer university full of life-time experiences. The event, where you have the chance to meet more than 25 different nationalities, offers you the chance to practice your language skills, experience traditional food, enjoy a European Night party, learn about other cultures and even discover yourself. Active debates, music and youth spirit are traditionally part of the programme of a Summer University. One of the project’s keys to success is its effort to involve as many people as possible in a multi-cultural environment. The strength of the project lays in the low participation fee. With approximately 120 euro, a student can attend a 2 weeks Summer University event in a foreign country. The project has been several times nominated as NGO example of Student Mobility across Europe. The high number of students involved over a three months time-span in more than 100 events makes the project management a challenge even for a large company. One of the most successful cultural exchanges projects organized in Europe, the project organized by AEGEE-Europe has shaped more than 15 generations of Europeans.

Target group: Students from all European countries.

Expected results: A summer experience, the event opens the perspectives of the participants over the multicultural dimension of the European continent, promoting understanding among European students, removing national borders and promoting an European feeling.