The AEGEE, or Association des États Généraux des Étudiants de l'Europe (literally: Association of States General of Students of Europe), known as European Students' Forum in English, is the largest transnational, interdisciplinary student organisation in Europe.
Established in 1985, AEGEE currently has around 13,000 yearly members[1] more than 200 local groups (Antennae)[1] in university cities across Europe, including Russia, Turkey and the Caucasus, with a European board and head office in Brussels. It promotes an equal, democratic and unified Europe, open to all across national borders. Several hundred conferences, training and cultural events are organised across the network every year, and AEGEE also advocates for the needs and interests of European students.
The short name "AEGEE" evokes the Aegean Sea, one of the birthplaces of democracy, and the full name includes the first parliament established in France, the États Généraux.[2]
AEGEE played a pivotal role in the creation of the Erasmus Programme in 1987.[3]
Structure
AEGEE has a yearly elected European board, the Comité Directeur[4] with a head office in Brussels, and a number of European-level working groups.[5] There is a large network of autonomous local groups, the antennae. Active members meet twice a year in Spring and Autumn in a general assembly called Agora, hosted by a different antenna each time. Most candidates for positions at the European level are elected at the Agora, which also ratifies the establishment or deletion of antennae, working groups and projects. There is also a smaller annual European Planning Meeting (EPM), intended to develop projects and campaigns and usually held in late winter: During the EPM, AEGEE also works on developing its Strategic Plan in an Action Agenda for the whole AEGEE network.
The association has no national level, and it does not recognize the current national borders within Europe.
Antennae are supported by the Network Commission, a group of experienced members elected by the Agora to help the network grow and develop. They provide advice, training and practical help, especially with local human resources and event organisation. Each Network Commissioner has responsibility for a number of locals across several national borders, which can be reorganised at each Agora to prevent the creation of any fixed national or regional division.
Each city antenna is a separate legal person under its own local law, not under the direct control of the Comité Directeur. However, to become a part of the AEGEE network, prospective antennae must include the principles of AEGEE's statute within their own, and have them approved by the Comité Directeur and Juridical Commission. They sign a contract called Convention d'Adhésion which allows AEGEE to have an antenna wound up in case of inactivity or serious misconduct.
Membership of an antenna is generally open to anyone younger than 35 living in the local area, upon payment of a membership fee set by the local board. Many antennae concentrate their promotional activities on students at their home university, and are not very visible to outsiders.
Most AEGEE events are open to non-members, however this tends to be poorly promoted except to local students. It is quite common for all participants to be from the host city or other AEGEE antennae. Some activities, most notably the statutory Agorae and EPMs and the Summer University project, are explicitly restricted to AEGEE members who must be approved by their home antenna's board.
AEGEE was founded in France and still uses a number of French terms, but the main working language at European level is now English, which is also defined as the official language of the Agora. Most antennae use their own local language for their local activities, however local board members generally need a working knowledge of English.
Its current board consists of five people. The statutory sixth and seventh board positions remain vacant until the next board takes office.
Agora is AEGEE's general assembly, which takes place twice a year (usually in Spring and Autumn).
Affiliations and platform
AEGEE-Europe is involved in bigger platforms and works with many other international institutions and organizations, in order to bring a students perspective to each one of the processes.
AEGEE-Europe was founding member and currently board members of the European Civic Forum (ECF). AEGEE-Europe has been in the board of the ECF several terms, always represented by the President of AEGEE-Europe.
The association was born the 16 April 1985 as a result of the EGEE 1 conference (États Généraux des Étudiants de l'Europe), when it held its first event in Paris: an assembly of students from Paris, Leiden, London, Madrid, Milan and Munich, organised by founding president Franck Biancheri in cooperation with five Grandes Écoles in Paris. It had the aim to overcome the paralysis of the European integration process at the time. Franck Biancheri led the whole process and soon all students involved wanted to turn the EGEE conference into an organisation being the platform for young Europeans. The aim of the founders was to create a space for young Europeans to discuss European matters and present their ideas to both the European and national institutions.
Due to the uniqueness of the idea at that time, EGEE was able to stimulate many students to establish antennae in their cities.
1986
Three EGEE working groups were formed: Sponsoring, Traineeships and Language Study.
EGEE hosts a conference on cross-border developments in Nijmegen.
By the start of the academic year, EGEE has 26 branches and 6,000 members.
EGEE organizes in Heidelberg, a conference on relations between the Far East and Europe.
EGEE organizes in Toulouse, the first European Space Weekend.
EGEE organizes, together with the newspaper Le Monde the Night of the 7 European cities, broadcasting political debates about the future of Europe between students and high level politicians in seven different cities.
EGEE organizes in Madrid a European Week to mark the first anniversary of Spain and Portugal joining the European Community.
1988
The association changes its name from EGEE to AEGEE following a trademark dispute.
The Summer University Project was launched. It allows young Europeans to have an intense European experience in a city in Europe for 2 weeks, providing them with a real intercultural experience and opening them the doors to Europe.
Georgina von der Gablentz, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe for her work with the "East-West WG" and her initiatives to open AEGEE to Central and Eastern Europe.
Vittorio Dell'Aquila, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe for his contribution to the development of the Summer University project.
Jeroen Hoogerwerf, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe for his extensive contribution to the Network through many of his positions.
Michael Merker, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe for his involvement in the expansion of AEGEE to the East and founding the first local over the Iron Curtain.
1994
AEGEE develops its first website.
1995
Ankara and later several other Turkish antennae join the network.
10 anniversary of AEGEE´s foundation.
AEGEE strongly advocates against nuclear tests in Europe.
Zsuzsa Kigyos, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe for her role in establishing AEGEE in Central Eastern Europe, and being the first female president of AEGEE-Europe.
1996
More than 1000 students are actively involved in the conference series Find Your Way... explaining what students can do in the emerging civil society in Central and Eastern Europe.
AEGEE moves its head office from Delft, to Brussels.
Philipp von Klitzing, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe for introducing the strategic planning to the Network and his endless support in the management of the IT infrastructure.
1997
AEGEE organises its first visit to Cyprus. Following this, in 2001 an antenna is created in Famagusta.
AEGEE carried out its Socrates Project contributing to improving all the student mobility initiatives in Europe.
Launch of Europe and Euro project in 1997, raising awareness of the new European currency five years before its introduction.
Stefan Recksiegel, receives the Honorary Membership from AEGEE-Europe for innovating and developing instrumentally AEGEE's IT infrastructure.
2000
"Education for Democracy", a new scholarship programme helping students from war-shattered Kosovo to study at universities abroad.
During the autumn, AEGEE-Beograd members took part in the public assembly that learns of Milosevic's defeat.
AEGEE launches EURECA, a contribution to the design of a new educational programme for the enlarging European Union.
2001
AEGEE organises several major projects focusing on peace and stability in southeastern Europe and the Mediterranean region under the Education for Democracy project.
Markus Schonherr, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe for his activities in Central and Eastern Europe, Case study trips to Moldova and his work to abolish visa in Europe.
2002
AEGEE launches one of the biggest and most successful projects: the Turkish-Greek Civic Dialogue between 2002 and 2005. With the establishment of AEGEE locals in Turkey in the 1990s, AEGEE realized the necessity of establishing a dialogue between the neighbors in conflict. Based on its own experience and the tense relations between Turkish and Greek AEGEE members in those first days, AEGEE focused its activities on peace-building between two countries as an organisation acting for peace and stability, proving at the AEGEE scale that cooperation was possible and that the dialogue between people can happen much more easily that the dialogue between the political level.
Michiel Van Hees, receives the Honorary Membership award of AEGEE-Europe for his long contribution to AEGEE and his role in the projects Find Your Way and Europe and the Euro.
2003
AEGEE launches Discussing Bologna Process project getting ready for the start of the harmonization of higher education in Europe and bringing a strong student perspective to it.
AEGEE's first study trip to the Caucasus.[9]
AEGEE organises the first international student conference in the buffer zone on Cyprus.[10]
AEGEE celebrates its 20th anniversary in Prague and publishes a special edition of its "Key to Europe".[11]
AEGEE is one of the founding NGOs and becomes member organization of the Lifelong Learning Platform (LLLP).
Olivier Genking, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe for his involvement in the EU & Europe project, his role in establishing many new locals, creating new projects and constant support to the Network.
AEGEE launches its Youth Globalization project, getting young people closer the global frameworks of youth and cooperation and development.
AEGEE launches its The BRIDGE- Connecting Mobility and Disability project, dealing with the mobility problem of disabled youth.
AEGEE launches its Take Control project, organizing a series of training events, conferences, political campaigns, educational and media activities all intended to increase the involvement and engagement of young people in the (European) political process.
AEGEE introduces the Study & Career Fairs during the General Assemblies Agora.
Silvia Baita, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe, for being a prime example of female leadership for many years.
Kamala Schutze, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe, for her long term devotion to the Summer University project of AEGEE.
AEGEE adopts Beyond Europe: Perspectives for Tomorrow's World as flagship Project for 2009–11, with Case-study trips to India and South Africa and a focus on the role of Europe in the Global challenges, with special attention to the Millennium Development Goals.
2010
AEGEE organises the UN Millennium Development Goals Conference within the framework of the project Beyond Europe Perspectives for Tomorrow's World.
AEGEE becomes partner organisation of BEST (Board of European Students of Technology).[12]
AEGEE launches the Where Does Europe End Project.
AEGEE launches its Youth Unemployment Project.
AEGEE gets involved in the Structured Dialogue process on Youth of the European Union.
2011
AEGEE initiates the Eastern Partnership Project to give youth a voice and to strengthen civil society in the wider neighbourhood countries.
The AEGEEan[13] the online magazine of AEGEE-Europe is launched.
AEGEE re-defines the concept of European Boards' Meeting into a thematic conference.
2012
AEGEE launches its project Europe on Track, sending ambassadors by train all over Europe to gather the opinion of the European Youth on the future they want for the continent.
AEGEE launches its project Health 4 Youth aiming at providing information about health to students to allow them to take informed decisions about their lifestyle.
AEGEE launches its project Europe in Exchange aiming to enhance the mobility possibilities of the European youth.
AEGEE launches its EuroArab project, creating bridges between young people from Europe and the Arab countries.
AEGEE carries out a big advocacy campaign with other youth NGOs and the European Youth Forum for the new Education, youth and Sport programme of the European Commission (Erasmus +)
Burcu Bercemen, receives the Honorary Membership of AEGEE-Europe for the devotion to the AEGEE Network and her extraordinary performance with the Turkish-Greek Civic Dialogue project
2013
AEGEE introduces a new Visual Identity with the current logo.
AEGEE launches the EurStory project dealing with analysis of the history textbooks around Europe
AEGEE launches the Y Vote 2014' campaign encouraging students to go and vote in the European Parliament Elections of 2014
2014
AEGEE organizes its two first election observation missions to Bosnia and Hercegovina and Moldova.[19]
2018
Between 8-12 March 2018, AEGEE Yerevan hosted the "European Planning Meeting" (EPM). EPM Yerevan 2018 was the largest European youth event ever organized in Armenia. It was also the first time that an AEGEE meeting was held in the South Caucasus.[20] Topics included cooperation between Armenia and the EU, EU relations with Eastern Partnership members, visa free travel within the Schengen Area, and youth participation in the Erasmus Programme.[21] The slogan for EPM Yerevan 2018 was Borderless Europe.
