In November, AEGEE-Aachen organized a Network Meeting. While signing up, I was not exactly sure how it would look like, but as it turned out, there was no need to worry about anything. Our adventure started with a city tour, and after wandering around in the cold, we were welcomed with a warm homemade dinner at our hostel. During the very first evening, we had the opportunity to get a taste of the German culture, by getting to know each other and sipping on our “Weißbier” or other specialties. A lot was happening during those four days, which means there was no time and space for boredom. The days started at 8 AM with breakfast and continued into workshops. The information and skills acquired through the workshops will help us not only within our AEGEE community, but also outside of it, as the topics we touched upon are very relevant to today’s society. We discussed what networking is about, how the Human Resources cycle and management works, forms of sexual harassment and ways of preventing and dealing with such instances. Furthermore, we discovered the methods of receiving funds and grants for AEGEE and engaged in an open discussion about mental health.
In the precious free time that we had, we enjoyed a cup of glühwein at the Christmas market of Aachen, whilst taking in the beauty of the lights and the coziness of the aura. More fun was encountered in the evening programs when we joyfully sang at the cantus with its Aachener twist, and during our goodbye evening, where we indulged ourselves in the international goodies sponsored by the European Culture Night..
It was a perfect blend of fun and learning new information and skills, topped off with delicious food. Bottom line: definitely worth attending!!
Side note of the Editorial Team: if you’re still not convinced on going to the spring NWMs, we also named a few reasons why you should:
- It’s just AMAZING!
- 2. It’s basically the most easiest way to get to know all the ins and outs of AEGEE and the city organizing it.
- It’s a unique opportunity to discover a grandiose city and to meet a lot of people.
- You will not see these people only once, you’ll see them again somewhere else in Europe!
- It’s sooo cheap! You will save a lot of euros! The NWMs are organised by local AEGEEans and they know the city the best!
- E-mail Arend-Jan for even more information: europeanaffairs@aegee-groningen.nl.
