| AEGEE- Krakow |
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| Written by Tomasz Tkaczyk | |
| Monday, 05 May 2008 | |
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In short European Students’ Forum AEGEE-Kraków is a local branch (antenna) of AEGEE. Formally our antenna was founded in 1991. However, it has been operating actively only since the year of 2000 - since reestablishing by Jagiellonian University students. Our aim is to promote the idea of tolerance and united Europe, learn about other countries, societies and their customs, share points of view and learn from our common experience. Together we share ideas, gain practical skills, as well as travel and party. At the present moment AEGEE-Kraków has over 100 members and over 200 supporters (members of a mailing list): students and graduates from various universities in Kraków: Jagiellonian University, Krakow University of Economy, Pedagogical University, University of Science and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Cracow College and Tichner European University. Our association's activity is based on the statute, every year we democratically choose our authorities (the Board and the Supervisory Board), we are registered in the National Court Register. We are also registered as an organization acting under the auspices of Jagiellonian University. Annualy we organize numerous local events and two or three international projects: trainings, students’ exchanges, Summer University. In 2003 an editorial staff of the annual AEGEE magazine “Key to Europe” bestowed upon us a title “Starring Antenna” . What do you gain from being a member of AEGEE? - a numerous social contacts and acquaintances from all over Europe (from Lizbon to Moscow, from Helsinki to Ankara). They sometimes turn into true friendships - a chance for personal development and gaining practical knowledge, skills and experience - an opportunity for realizing your own ideas; undertaking a challenge of coordinating a project or being a member of a board. - knowledge about functioning of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) - a chance to do something for others, to share your ideas, knowledge and experience - a possibility of travelling across Europe and participating in unforgettable events of an international character. History
In 1998 the attempt of reviving the idea of AEGEE–Krakow was made by the students of Cracow University of Technology. Initially everything went smoothly – the members of the board were appointed, the organization gained its place in the student government's office, information about AEGEE appeared on the webside of the university. Unfortunately this time the students also lacked persistence and consistency…. AEGEE came back to Jagiellonian University - the students belonging to Interuniversity Association for European Integration (working by the Institute of European Integration at the Public Affairs Institute JU). Thanks to aid of the manager of the Institute of European Integration , professor Tadeusz Kolodziej, the organization obtained the office (in the facilities of the Institute), the process of clarifying legal situation of the organization started (legal registration of the new board, adjusting the statute to a new law, realities and needs). In July 2002 a discussion list of the organization was established and several months later its first webside was created. First events were also organized: NetCom Meeting, the meeting of AEGEE members as a part of the European project "Borderless Europe" and, last but not least, Summer University, at first prepared in cooperation with the Warsaw's Antenna, and then independently. The year of 2002 started with celebrating of tenth anniversary of AEGEE-Krakow in the Students' Club "Rotunda". Later on the first professional webside of the organization was created, along with the international conference as a part of a European project "EURECA". In addition to that the third edition of Summer University and students' exchange with AEGEE–Tilburg ( The Netherlands) were organized. For the first time an internal 3-days long training, "Freshman Survival", was held. Ever since it was supposed to be a traditional Local Training Course, which had its own unquestionable place in the calendar of events. "FS's" participants would create the core of the organizationfrom now on. Worth mentioning here is multiple increase of the members and sympathizers of the organization. We also finally managed to arrange a permanent place of everyweek meetings. It is Klub Dziennikarzy „Pod Gruszką", which can be translated as Journalists' Club "Under a Pear". The next twelve months (2003) brought the success of a three-day long RegMet (Regional Meeting), in which over 100 participants from Poland and Central-Eastern Europe took part. We co-organized nationwide Eurojuwenalia (student's festival), preceding the referendum on whether Poland should join the European Union. We prepared another exchange - this time it was a tripartite one - with AEGEE – Budapest and AEGEE – Praha; publication –thanks to the financial resources gained by AEGEE – Warsaw and the editorial work of the members of AEGEE – Krakow – nationwide information bulletin about AEGEE and finally the end of a long and complicated process of adjusting a legal situation of our department; obtaining the permanent address; registration in Legal National Register; gaining the Tax Identification Number. The activity of our department and its rapid development were noticed in the headquarters of AEGEE in Brussels, where in 2003 the editorial staff publishing yearly the official bulletin "Key to Europe" awarded us the title of "Starring Antenae". Spring and summer 2004 brought (apart from the events organized by AEGEE – Krakow in a serial way like Freshman Survival or Summer University) the students' exchange with AEGEE – Lwow (Polish part) and a little bit casual post event "Chill out Kra" (after Planning Meeting in Wroclaw) and a few-day long meeting "Shalom Krakow" connected with the Festival of Jewish Culture in Kazimierz , which was the part of the project of AEGEE on an European scale "Roots of Europe". The year of 2005 turned out to be a series of successes for AEGEE - Kraków. We organized a number of events that had long become a regular part of AEGEE – Kraków’s activity. Among many there were Freshmens’ Survival, Summer University and three international exchanges (with Kaiserslautern; with Madrid, Moscow and Odessa and with Kapfenberg-Graz), to name just the biggest. We were pleased to notice that AEGEE – Kraków began to be perceived as an organization that encourages young people to broaden their interests and helps them prepare for starting their own professional career. It was in a large part thanks to a series of trainings bundled together into Let’s Get Better project, free of charge language classes and AEGEE-School. It is also noteworthy that AEGEE-Krakow helped break the Guinness Record by Errrol Muzawazi (the longest lecture ever to be delivered). This event made it possible to raise money to co-fund a permanent mission of Polish Humanitarian Organisation. We also raised funds to buy Christmas gifts for Chechen refugees. Another event that proved enormously popular was European Day of Languages – it gathered around 1000 visitors. At the end of the year we published the AEGEE Bulletin (for all Polish locals) that is gifted to all who support our organization. It is also worth to mention that since 2005 we have both new office and a new Statute. The latter was adopted in November 2005. Nowadays AEGEE – Krakow numbers about 100 members and 200 sympathizers connected with the organization through the debating list. Amid the members and the sympathizers there are the students of Jagiellonian University, Economic Academy, University of Science and Technology, Cracow University of Technology and Cracow Higher School. For the sake of the number of organized events AEGEE – Krakow is numbered among the most active departments not only in Poland, but also in Europe. Every month the organization develops, next people gain priceless experience, get to know new countries and cultures, tighten the bonds of friendship and sometimes even more :-)  |
-> AEGEE- Krakow website
The legend implies that the first attempt to establish an antenna in Krakow was made in 1991 by the students of University of Science and Technology (Akademia Górniczo – Hutnicza) and Jagiellonian University. They did it simultaneously and independently from each other, but finally the first period of the Krakow's antenna history is associated with the latter: it was JU (or, as a matter of fact, one of JU's dormitories) where the first official address of AEGEE's "office" was located. Furthermore it was a facility where first conferences where held. They had international rank, and they also ended up a success. Although in the mid-90's the students' enthusiasm plunged and the organization slowly stopped to act.