AEGEE Yerevan () is the

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

n branch of the European Students' Forum (AEGEE-Europe). AEGEE Yerevan was founded in 2010 as a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

student organization A student society, student association, university society, student club, university club, or student organization is a society or an organization, operated by students at a university, college, or other educational institution, whose membership ty ...

and is headquartered in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

History

AEGEE Yerevan was founded in 2010 as an official chapter of the European Students' Forum in Armenia. AEGEE is one of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

's biggest

interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...

student organizations. AEGEE is a

non-governmental A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

and politically independent organization open to students and young people across 42 European countries.

Mission

AEGEE Yerevan supports the development of closer

Armenia–European Union relations Armenia and the European Union have maintained positive relations over the years. Both parties are connected through the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which ...

, the continued

European integration European integration is the process of political, legal, social, regional and economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe, or nearby. European integration has primarily but not exclusively come about through the European Union ...

of Armenia, and the development of a democratic and diverse society which is politically and socially integrated. AEGEE Yerevan also supports the promotion of a more unified Europe, fighting intolerance and discrimination, protection of

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

and

equality Equality generally refers to the fact of being equal, of having the same value. In specific contexts, equality may refer to: Society * Egalitarianism, a trend of thought that favors equality for all people ** Political egalitarianism, in which ...

, and advocating for cross-border co-operation and mobility for young Europeans and students. AEGEE Yerevan organizes several youth programs, workshops, and volunteer projects across Armenia. AEGEE-Yerevan also seeks to boost participation and involvement of Armenian youth in European youth initiatives and to inform Armenian youth about European formal and non-formal educational programs.

Activities

On 24 February 2012, AEGEE Yerevan, the

Erasmus Mundus The European Union's Erasmus Mundus programme (named after Erasmus, the Renaissance scholar) aims to enhance quality in higher education through scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students f ...

programme, and

Yerevan State University Yerevan State University (YSU; , , ), also simply University of Yerevan, is the oldest continuously operating public university in Armenia. Founded in 1919, it is the largest university in the country. It is thus informally known as Armenia's ...

organized the "Mobility Action Day" in collaboration with the EU's

Eastern Partnership The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a joint initiative of the European Union, together with its member states, and six Eastern Europe, Eastern European countries. The EaP framework governs the EU's relationship with the post-Soviet states of Armen ...

. The aim of the event was to spread information about the Erasmus Mundus programme. Specialists from the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

were in attendance. On 1 December 2014, AEGEE Yerevan organized a model EU conference known as the "Armenia Model European Union" (AMEU) for the fourth year in a row. The political simulation included 140 participants from 16 countries. The event was sponsored by the

Delegation of the European Union to Armenia The Delegation of the European Union to Armenia () is the diplomatic mission of the European Union in Armenia. Its headquarters are located in Armenia's capital, Yerevan. History The Delegation of the European Union to Armenia was established ...

and funded by the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

. Topics centered around the development and sustainability of democratic societies on the European continent. Representatives of Armenian

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

and former EU Ambassador to Armenia Traian Hristea attended. The AMEU is held annually each autumn. In 2017, AEGEE held a large conference for 250 students. The conference was attended by EU officials including the

Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations This Directorate-General was operational until 1 February 2025. ThDirectorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulfand thDirectorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhoodhave taken over its responsibilities. The Dire ...

, Christian Danielsson. Between 8–12 March 2018, AEGEE Yerevan hosted the "European Planning Meeting" (EPM). EPM Yerevan 2018 was the largest European youth event ever organized in Armenia and AEGEE. It was also the first time that an AEGEE meeting was held in the

South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...

. Topics included cooperation between Armenia and the EU, EU relations with

members, visa free travel within the

Schengen Area The Schengen Area ( , ) encompasses European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. As an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) policy of the European Union (EU), it ...

, and youth participation in the Erasmus Programme. The slogan for EPM Yerevan 2018 was ''Borderless Europe''. In June 2020, AEGEE Yerevan hosted the first ever online

Agora The agora (; , romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Ancient Greece, Greek polis, city-states. The literal meaning of the word "agora" is "gathering place" or "assembly". The agora was the center ...

(General Assembly). The event was held virtually due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Over 500 young leaders from around 40 European countries participated.

References

External links

AEGEE Yerevan
on Facebook {{Armenia topics Armenia–European Union relations Non-profit organizations based in Europe Organizations established in 2010 2010 establishments in Armenia European integration Youth organizations based in Armenia Student organizations Cultural exchange Youth model government Education in Armenia

History

Mission

Activities

See also

References

External links