AEGEE-Amsterdam is a student association with different aspects. It’s a joyful local student association with approximately 450 members, a weekly social drink, parties, a gala, barbecues, sports activities, cultural activities and more. AEGEE-Amsterdam does not carry out a hazing or traditional initiation ceremony and there is no obligated attendance of activities.
Moreover, AEGEE is interesting for those who would like to explore more than Amsterdam and the Netherlands during their studies. AEGEE is represented in around 161 student cities in 40 different countries around Europe and has a network of 13.000 members. Our network is present in cities like Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Tartu, Odessa, Moscow and Tbilisi, but also in for instance Istanbul, Ljubljana, Rome, Las Palmas, Barcelona, Leuven and many other student cities you will find our association. In short: AEGEE is everywhere! All these locals organise conferences, thematic and social events and Summer Universities. Would you like to know more about these activities, scroll down to ‘European activities’. AEGEE-Amsterdam also organises many trips, such as hitchhiking competitions, a European members weekend and exchanges.
Summer University
Every summer (and sometimes winter) many AEGEE locals throughout Europe organise Summer Universities (SU) or Winter Universities (WU). A SU is an event of two weeks together with 25 to 35 European students. It’s a perfect mix of vacation and learning! Summer Universities often revolve around a European theme, but they are always full of site-seeing, parties and fun. And they’re cheap as well, most Summer Universities cost less than 200 euros, including accommodation, two meals per day and transport during the Summer University. A few Summer Universities cover a theme more thoroughly.
Event
AEGEE doesn’t stop after Summer. During the whole year Events are being organized. The content of these events can highly variate. There are locals who organize an Event involving a celebration of their city, such as New Year’s Eve or a festival. There are also events that are all about self development or indulging oneself into a (European) theme. But they all have in common the following things: a time span of 3 to 5 days, the lowest price possible, including accommodation, two meals a day, transport during the event and the possibility to get to know 25-30 European students during all the social activities!
Network Meetings, T4T’s and European Schools
AEGEE knows a lot of joy, and it will always be in sight. Apart from getting to know new people and travelling around Europe, AEGEE-Europe provides its members with many opportunities for self development. You can learn more about AEGEE and yourself at a Network Meeting. You will develop some soft skills, such as public speaking and leadership. Every Autumn and every Spring there are about 10 on different locations in Europe.
T4T’s, or Training for Trainers is for members who would like to further the development of their soft skills. You’ll learn how to set up workshops and what makes a good trainer a good trainer. These skills can then be used in your career, whether it is in or out of AEGEE!
European Schools revolve around soft skills, just like T4T’s. However, de trainings are more specific to AEGEE. The European School is particularly suitable for board members of AEGEE locals, or for those with a function in one of AEGEE-Europe’s European bodies, but not only!
Agora
The Agora is the general assembly of AEGEE-Europe. It is organized twice a year in one of the cities with an AEGEE local. Approximately 800 AEGEEans from all over Europe attend these assemblies. In three or four days different topics are discussed, such as the future of AEGEE. There are votes to make changes and new people are chosen for European functions. Important decisions are made as well.
Apart from all the serious business that takes place during the day, it is also one of the most unique events you will ever attend. You could apply the motto “work hard, play hard” here. To end a hard and productive day there is nothing better than a massive party. AEGEE-Amsterdam has been a host for the Agora in the past (1991, 1995 and 2002).
European Planning Meeting
The EPM (European Planning Meeting) takes place once a year. AEGEE-Europe has four different topics every three years to focus on, these are called Focus Areas. During the EPM, it is decided which goals we want to achieve regarding the topics. Furthermore, a conference of a day and a half is held about a European theme. The EPM attracts around 200-300 AEGEE members.
Exchanges
About twice a year AEGEE-Amsterdam organises an exchange with another AEGEE local. With a group of max. 15 people we visit the other local for a weekend, to get a taste of their culture, party together and make new friends. Usually the other local hosts us in their homes, in order to get to know each other more quickly and more profoundly. This also means that these exchanges are usually very cheap! In turn the other AEGEE local visits us within a year, to reminisce about the time we visited and to have a great time again. Of course sometimes the other AEGEE local visits us first.
Social drinks
Every Tuesday we have a social drink at the Brasil Bar, Lange Leidsedwarsstraat 70, from 21:00PM until 03:00AM. During these evenings, you get to enjoy a drink and talk to your co-members, even whilst showing your dance skills. Moreover, some social drinks have a special theme, such as the St. Nicholas social drink, the Valentines social drink or the Christmas social drink.
Members weekends
During the introduction weekend in early October and the general members weekend halfway through the semester you get to know many people in one go. The introduction weekend revolves around a theme which is announced shortly before. Moreover, AEGEE is explained and you get the chance to learn more about the association. Naturally, there’s a party every night. The general members weekend is more relaxed. You can expect games, wine, beer, music and a great time from both getaways.
Parties
Throughout the year, the Party Committee organizes different parties where you can go completely crazy. The most creative parties will be held, you can leave that to the committee. The climax of the party-year is definitely the famous and notorious Kinkyparty.
Hitchhiking competitions
At least twice a year we organize a hitchhiking competition to a far destination. You create a team with a member of the opposite sex and you battle against the other 15-30 couples to reach the destination first. Once there (one perhaps a bit earlier than the other), we all stay at a low-budget hostel and have a great weekend together! The past hitchhiking weekends have been to Prague, Poznan, Brno and Dresden.
Winter sports trip
Every year in the early spring we leave in a bus full of AEGEEans to the Alps to enjoy another great week of winter sports – for a low student price of course! Enjoy the beautiful snow, do some amazing tricks on your snowboard and have fun at the après-ski.
Gala
Every year on a different location, a gala takes place. And every year you can be sure it is going to be a very stylish party. It’s one of the best parties of the year, especially the open bar makes it interesting!
Christmas dinner
Christmas is a time of enjoying each others’ company and good food. These are the ingredients for our Christmas dinner. The Food Committee prepares a delicious meal with several courses in style.
Kings night barbecue
Each year the new board of AEGEE-Amsterdam organises a barbecue the evening before Kings day: the Kings night barbecue. Traditionally, the barbecue takes place on P96, a café on a boat at the lovely canal Prinsengracht. All in orange and red, white and blue, we eat, drink and party.
Other
Furthermore, there are many local activities, for instance by our social clubs. Come to our social drink, every week on Tuesday from 21:00PM until 03:00AM, to meet us and learn more about all the amazing things we do in Amsterdam and in Europe!
Elke dinsdagavond borrelen wij bij Café Vijzel in het centrum van Amsterdam. De borrel begint om 21:00 uur en gaat door tot 01:00 uur! De borrels zijn de plek waar alle AEGEE-Amsterdam leden samen komen om onder het genot van bier, wijn, fris en shotjes lekker bij te kletsen of lekker te dansen.
Naast de activiteiten die AEGEE-Amsterdam allemaal organiseert is er binnen het AEGEE netwerk nog veel meer te beleven. AEGEE-Amsterdam is namelijk onderdeel van een groot Europees studenten netwerk, te vinden door heel Europa. Van AEGEE-Bamberg tot AEGEE-Eindhoven, van AEGEE-Budapest tot AEGEE-Sofia. Vanuit AEGEE-Europe worden ook vele reizen aangeboden zoals Summer Universities en Events, wat neerkomt op goedkope reizen met Europese studenten met vele thema’s.
Elk jaar organiseert AEGEE-Amsterdam voor de nieuwe leden een introductieperiode (zonder ontgroeningen en verplichtingen). In deze periode zal je veel nieuwe mensen leren kennen en vrienden voor het leven maken. Twee weken lang zal je kriskras door Amsterdam te gekke activiteiten, borrels en feesten meemaken met je introgroepje.
Dit weekend volgt na de introductieweken in begin oktober en is bedoeld voor zowel eerstejaars als ouderejaars. Het is altijd enorm gezellig en iedereen leert elkaar kennen. Daarnaast wordt er natuurlijk van alles over AEGEE verteld en wordt goed duidelijk wat AEGEE jou allemaal te bieden heeft. Uiteraard is er elke avond een feestje en dat gaat meestal door tot diep in de nacht. Het introductieweekend is een van de hoogtepunten van het jaar, met veel bondingsactiviteiten en brakke ochtenden.
AEGEE-Amsterdam telt 18 commissies en al deze commissies organiseren allerlei activiteiten gedurende het jaar. Een kookworkshop, een kerstdiner, een feest, open podium of een bezoek aan het museum, alles kan bij ons! Zie jij nog iets wat wij missen? Je kan je eigen commissie starten en samen met de nieuwe commissie activiteiten organiseren!
Hoewel AEGEE-Amsterdam vele leden heeft, zijn wij toch een hechte, open groep. Iedereen heeft kans om elkaar te leren kennen en voor iedereen is er de mogelijkheid om je plekje bij ons te vinden. Je leert elkaar ook snel en makkelijk kennen op een van de reizen, op de borrels of via commissies. Mensen blijven jarenlang lid voor de gezelligheid en de vrienden die ze bij ons maken. Niet alleen op Amsterdams niveau, maar ook op Nederlands en Europees niveau. Binnen AEGEE is er ook de mogelijkheid om een jaarclub of een genootschap op te richten, waarmee je dan activiteiten voor en met de vereniging kan organiseren.
Uitschrijven dient voor 1 augustus te gebeuren. Je kunt je uitschrijven door een e-mail te sturen naar office@aegee-amsterdam.nl. Vermeld daarbij jouw voor en achternaam, de reden van uitschrijving, eventuele verbeterpunten voor AEGEE-Amsterdam en of je geïnteresseerd bent in een reünistenlidmaatschap. Binnen tien dagen ontvang je een ontvangstbevestiging per e-mail en is de uitschrijving definitief.
