This is a brief outline of the organisation's history. For a fuller version go here.
Once upon a time, when most of you were still babies or going to kindergarten, there was a man called Franck Biancheri who
organized a huge conference called “EGEE” (the name was related to the Aegean Sea where democracy was created 2,000 years ago), aiming at overcoming the paralysation of the European integration process.
This conference was held on 16th April 1985 in Paris, which is the official birthday of AEGEE. That’s the reason why the name
of our association is french: Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l'Europe .
Soon the first locals were established: in Paris, Munich, Milan, Leiden, London and Madrid. Just imagine,from 6 locals to the
actual 260 in 20 years! And what’s more important, now AEGEE is present all around Europe and it is a natural thing for us while in 1985 it was present only in western Europe and an expansion was impossible.
Now after this historical facts… WHY has AEGEE been established? Which were the aims?
Actually AEGEE wanted to be plat-form for young Europeans to discuss the future of Europe, to present their ideas to the
officials of the EC institutions and national governments and to influence European policy in favour of students.
But what about the situation of AEGEE nowadays?
AEGEE managed to become one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe; it is represented by 17.000
students, active in 260 cities, in 42 countries all around Europe – so let’s say that during 20 years AEGEE achieved a lot,
thanks to the active members and their voluntary work.
Everyone who ever attended an event knows that AEGEE is a non-profit organization and that organizers do not receive any
money for their work – that’s why AEGEE-events are so cheap and attractive for students.
Not for nothing a very important aim is the promotion of student mobility.
Other aims are the promotion of the idea of an unified Europe without any physical or mental borders – that’s why AEGEE
doesn’t recognize any national level (like AEGEE-Italy) – and to foster cross-border cooperation, human rights, tolerance,
european dimension of education and democracy.
To achieve those aims, AEGEE locals organize a lot of european events which act as a cultural exchange between young europeans: Summer Universities, Trainings. Projects, Conferences… to mention only some of them
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