2 minute read
The Summer University Project Doesn’t Take Breaks
Written by Hanna Alajõe, Francesca Bianchi, Daniel Sedlák, Wouter Boerjan and Antonio Castiello Marleen Talve Members of Summer University Coordination Team 2019-2020
You join SUCT because you really believe in the power of this project. Because every week, since you joined the team, you already can see thousands of youngsters travelling around Europe, starting new friendships, discovering new cultures and new aspects of themselves.You pass through all the process: dates, submissions, titles, topics, fees, graphics, meetings...
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At the beginning of March, the Coronavirus was already scattered among the majority of our network. Some countries started to close their borders and to implement important restrictions. mean just SUCT, it’s a result of the synergy of the whole network. This is why the weeks before the final decision were not a private discussion between us but rather a dialogue with the whole network during which we gathered feedback and as many opinions as possible. Local organisers, Comité directeur, members from the whole network of AEGEE contributed to the decision process.
The impact of this pandemic is dramatic and for sure our final decision was not the saddest thing that happened during this period. However, the cancellation of all the work done for months can do nothing else than kill your mood. After 31 years the Summer University Project had to take a break from its natural course. The image of thousands of youngsters travelling around Europe disappeared from our minds.
It wasn’t easy to guess that a mobility project, such as the Summer University, could keep going on its natural path. It was a totally extraordinary situation to deal with for our project and our association. When different governments were taking different measures, in our vision of borderless Europe, the issue was to find a common solution for the whole network. Time was needed for the right decision: application period postponed, promotion and organisation freezed. We knew that the Summer University doesn’t
Boundaries can put you down or be an opportunity to turn on your imagination. The spirit of the SU project, its multiculturalism and passion for discovering new things, couldn’t take a break. The impossibility to follow its natural path means the necessity to find alternative ways.It means the necessity to make the most of the modern tools and technology and to find improvements for future editions.
This year may not be only a sad moment of our history, but also an opportunity to reinvent and to better ourselves. More than ever, it’s time to roll up our sleeves.
