A Three-State Party
Freiburg, Apr 05, 2019
What's the best way to get students excited about what a tri-national confederation of universities has to offer? The student council of the European Confederation of Universities on the Upper Rhine (Eucor), has just the answer – the Eucor Festival. It's a party that features information, intercultural exchange, and a good time for all. An entire weekend has been dedicated to the event to ensure that there's plenty of time to get acquainted with the five universities in the group while having lots of fun. As many as three hundred students from Germany, France, and Switzerland are expected to attend. One of them is Sophie Banke, who represents the interests of Freiburg students on the Eucor Student Council. In an interview with Kristin Schwarz, the 22-year-old chemistry student tells her counterparts what they should expect and, of course, absolutely bring with them.
Photo: Natis/stock.adobe.com; Montage: Sandra Meyndt
Ms. Banke, what would you like to tell people about the Festival and the European Campus?
Sophie Banke: Our goal is to present the diverse opportunities Eucor offers as well as enable students from three countries to share their experiences. Many don't know that as a student registered at a Eucor university, it's possible to attend individual seminars or study for a whole semester at a partner university while earning credits that count. There are also shared courses of study, such as the French-German Bachelor's in Chemistry, "Regio Chimica," which is the course I'm in. During my first year, I was in Mulhouse, and I've been attending courses in Freiburg since the start of my third semester. In addition to the fact that I'll complete my studies with a dual degree, what motivated me to take part above all was curiosity about another language and culture as well as a different university system. We would like the Festival to show the non-academic opportunities Eucor also gives you.
What are the advantages?
That you can really join and get involved in shared leisure activities, for example. Taking part in the tri-national exchange allows us to get to know the regions and their higher educational systems and gives us better contextual understanding. At the same time, we'd like to show that the students have a body of representatives that pursue their interests within Eucor. We're trying to get travel costs paid and semester periods harmonized, so that we can attend as many seminars and classes as possible.
Sophie Banke represents the interests of Freiburg's students on the Eucor Student Council. Photo: Jürgen Gocke
What can students expect during the Festival?
The program will be really diversified. The official reception opens the Festival on Friday evening. That's followed by a tour of the bars in Basel. Things continue with a brunch get-together for everyone on Saturday morning. Beyond that, there are city tours, workshops on intercultural topics, and an information fair included in the schedule that will give the member universities a chance to introduce themselves. Then, after dinner, there'll be another party with live bands and a d.j. Personally, I'm really looking forward to it. On Sunday, at around noontime, we'll all begin to head home. Free tickets for travel to and from Switzerland will be available for all students.
The right gear is the secret of Festival success. What should those taking part bring with them to Basel?
The organizers in Switzerland are taking care of finding free, local, private lodging for students from Germany and France. To make sure you can really make yourself comfortable on a strange couch, in any case, I recommend bringing along a sleeping bag.
Eucor-Festival 2019
The Eucor-Festival will be held in Basel from 10 May to 12 May 2019 and is open to all students who are registered at one of the five member universities of Eucor – The European Campus. The deadline for registration is 19 April 2019. Overnight lodging for incoming students has been arranged with students based in Basel. Return tickets will also be provided.
Festival program and registration