What Is The EGEA ?

 

EGEA (European Geography Association - for Students and Young Geographers) is a non-political, non-profit-making, non-governmental organization, whose purpose is to stimulate the exchange of geographic knowledge and information among European Geography students and young geographers of different nationalities. This goal is achieved by organizing congresses and student exchanges between individual universities. One of the main events is the annual EGEA European congress, where during a 7 day convention over 100 students and young geographers gather. They join different thematic workshops in order to exchange their experiences on certain geographical topics. The first EGEA annual congress was held in 1989, in Zaborow, Poland, where the organization was founded.

 

EGEA is the European Geography Association, which forms a network around Europe to exchange knowledge and information for geography students and young geographers. To achieve this goal, EGEA organizes congresses; student exchanges, starts up scientific commissions, hosting foreign students and publishes a small information paper, the newsletter. In 1987 students from Warsaw, Barcelona, Vienna and Utrecht universities came together and started the idea of a European GEography Association. Since then, 13 congresses have been held and EGEA has grown from the four participants (entities) to nearly 100 entities in around 25 different countries. Every entity is active in its own way, some entities just receive the information, which EGEA brings them while other entities have even founded their own foundation structure and operate as a independent association themselves.

 

The EGEA Activities

EGEA - Background information The main aim of EGEA is to encourage and stimulate the exchange of geographical knowledge and information between students and young geographers of different nations in Europe. To achieve this goal students in Europe founded an association. The Association organizes all sort of activities, for example congresses, student exchanges, and publishes a magazine. To organize these activities EGEA has an organization structure.

Annual Congresses

 

For most of the EGEA-activities, the annual congress, which usually takes place in October, is still the main event of the EGEA-year. During a 5 days convention 130 students and young geographers get together and join different thematical workshops in order to discuss their ideas and experiences on certain geographical topics. At least one excursion is organized to make sure that the congress-participants get an impression of the host country of the congress. The evening is reserved for cultural events and informal get-togethers. Till now annual congresses have been organized by Warsaw (1989), Prague (1990), Budapest (1991), Amsterdam (1992), Barcelona (1993), Talinn (1994), Zierenberg (1995), Porto (1996), Romenia (1997), Oulu (1998), Utrecht (1999), Ljubljana (2000) and Wroclaw (2001). The next EGEA Annual Congress will be held in France the first week of October 2002.

 

Regional Congresses

As Europe is big, it's hard to keep contact all over the year with all the entities. Therefore, EGEA has been divided into four regions, namely the Northern Region, the Eastern Region, the Western Region and the Southern (or EuroMed) Region. The entities of the regions try to keep up contact throughout the year. One means of achieving this are Regional Congresses. For instance, a West-European congress, organized by EGEA-Amsterdam in March 1997 has been held in Andijk, The Netherlands. In contrast to the Annual European Congress, they are usually focused on one geographical theme, illuminating physical geographical as well as human geographical aspects. Also special thematical congresses or excursions can be organized by all EGEA-entities, for instance by a scientific commission.

 

Student exchanges

EGEA-exchanges are probably the most successful and most occurring of all EGEA-activities! Exchanges are organized quite cheaply and easily. Two entities visit each other, the host entity being responsible for the programme. During the programme, which usually takes a week, faculties of geography in the gust city are visited, geographical excursions are organized, the city and surrounding are informally introduced and parties take place which introduce you to the other geography students. The traveling costs are paid by the visitors, the food, stay and programme are taken care of by the hosting group.

 

Scientific Commission

EGEA offers the opportunity to exchange information and options in any field of geography with people from all over Europe. Scientific Commissions discuss specific thematical subjects, ranging from physical to urban ones. They also bring up themes for the congresses, discussed earlier. It is up to you if you want to join a Scientific Commission or start one yourself. EGEA is always looking for new inputs for these commissions.

 

Newsletter

The Newsletter is the means of communication within EGEA. The quarterly is sent to all entities and contains all recent information on EGEA-activities and articles by EGEA members on very different geographical topics.
The Newsletter also informs about the EGEA events, which will be organized soon. It also publishes requests from the readers such as requests for exchanges and participation in Scientific Commissions. You can find these Newsletters at your local EGEA-entity, or read the latest Newsletters on the web now!

 

Guiding Foreign Students

EGEA also organizes activities for students of geography who take the opportunity of studying abroad. At the foreign university these students meet with the local EGEA group and are introduced to the new study-environment by city walks, university excursions, lectures but also pub-crawls. A buddy-guidance system can be used as a more personal way to show the town and to help the students to find their way in the new study-environment.

 

How to get in touch with EGEA

If you have any questions about this information presented on the EGEA Homepage, or if you're just curious what EGEA does in your country, you can look all the addresses of EGEA-entities up in our database. If you can't succeed in contacting your local entity, or if there is no entity in your city, the contact adresses of your regional headquarter will help you to get in touch with the right persons.