Association des États Généraux des Étudiants de l’Europe
AEGEE is one of Europe’s biggest interdisciplinary student organisations. As a non-governmental, politically independent, and non-profit organisation AEGEE is open to students and young people from all faculties and disciplines. Founded in 1985 in Paris, today AEGEE has grown to a Network of 13000 AEGEEans, present in 161 cities in 40 countries all over Europe.
Vision
AEGEE strives for a democratic, diverse and borderless Europe, which is socially, economically and politically integrated, and values the participation of young people in its construction and development.
Mission
AEGEE empowers students and young people in Europe to take an active role in society. It creates a space for dialogue and learning opportunities as well as acts as their representative towards decision-makers. Moreover, AEGEE strengthens mutual understanding and brings Europe closer to young people.
Intercultural Exchange
AEGEE creates a space for members of different backgrounds to meet and learn about cultural differences, in order to foster mutual understanding. AEGEE supports mobility and encourages young people to cross borders and make new friends, to break stereotypes and strengthen tolerance, respect and solidarity.
Summer University
The Summer Universities are on average two weeks long events that take place during summer in most of the cities where AEGEE is present. Understanding and exploring the multicultural dimension of the European continent, fighting for tolerance and creating open-minded citizens who are not afraid to share their opinion in an open discussion about the future of Europe, are some of the reasons why 30 young Europeans come together in each Summer University to taste the diversity of European integrity.
Non Formal Education & Personal Development
AEGEE provides learning opportunities for the development of its members through non-formal education and informal learning. By participating in training courses, workshops, and active involvement in the organisation, our members improve their competences (such as leadership, communication and team management skills) which will be useful for their future.
European Schools and Training Events
Most of AEGEE’s training events are organised by AEGEE Academy, in cooperation with other AEGEE bodies who are experts in certain fields. These training events are called European Schools. European Schools focus on a certain topic, for example, project management, public relations or fundraising. During training courses, participants get a chance to develop their skills. Diverse training methods, which include case studies, simulations and workshops create an environment for fast learning among the trainees. Along with European Schools, AEGEEans can also attend other training courses and develop their skills at events such as Local Training Courses, Regional Training Courses (RTC).
Forum for Discussion
AEGEE provides a space for young Europeans to discuss and exchange different points of view with a European perspective, in order to find a common ground. This exchange of ideas happens in all our activities but a special place for them is our Working groups, conferences and General Assemblies.
Agora
The Agora is the General Assembly of the association, held twice a year, in spring and in autumn, gathering 600-1000 students for three to four days. The Agora is the place where young Europeans gather in one place to build the future of the organisation together. The main discussions and decisions take place during the plenary meetings. The participants of the Agora can also join workshops, prytania (to discuss changes to the statutes of the organisation), progress meetings about ongoing projects, and other programmes.
Agora is Greek for “open place of assembly” and, early in the history of Greece, designated the area in the city where free-born citizens could gather to hear civic announcements, muster for military campaigns or discuss politics.
European Planning Meeting
The European Planning Meeting gathers together around 300 experienced AEGEE members in order to draft the Action Agenda for the upcoming year. Besides working on the preparation of AEGEE’s Action Agenda, participants take part in workshops, panel discussions and round table discussions related to the general topic chosen for the event at the previous Agora.
A new Action Agenda is developed every year to put the thematic focus areas of the Strategic Plan into practice within the Network. In this Action Agenda, concrete goals (objectives) are given for the aims of the focus areas to be worked with in the next year.
Thematic Projects
Thematic projects, both local and international, are initiatives developed by members of AEGEE. They deal with current challenges in the European society, create awareness among young people and propose solutions from a students’ point of view.
Policy and Advocacy
AEGEE gathers the opinions of European students and represents them towards stakeholders through campaigns, lobby actions, conferences and membership in bigger advocacy platforms. In addition, AEGEE informs students and young people about the impact which European policies have in their lives and opportunities they offer.