“At AEGEE exchange is the key word”, Heijerman explains with enthusiasm.” Exchange between languages, customs and cultures. All members are open to other cultures and like learning about them.”

The student association AEGEE has 240 departments, scattered all over Europe, and more than 15,000 members. The association in Eindhoven has 120 members, 15 percent of whom are of foreign descent. Heijerman thinks that enrolling with AEGEE is a good way for foreign students to make contact with Dutch students: “All our members like to get in touch with other cultures, which is the reason why they enroll. They do not find it a problem at all to speak English all day.”

The different departments of the association regularly pay each other a visit. “Next week a group of Syrians is coming to Eindhoven. We have organized a special program for them. Apart from visits to other European cities AEGEE also organizes activities in Eindhoven like film nights and cooking nights.

Another activity is the summer universities. Heijerman: “The most attractive aspect of summer universities is that you spend two weeks with students who all come from somewhere else. There are more than ninety different summer universities. One may focus more on traveling, while another involves learning a language. There are pickings to cater for almost any taste.” A full overview can be seen on:www.projects.aegee.org/ suct/su2010.

Heijerman thinks that, especially as a foreign student or PhD candidate, you should just contact AEGEE. “The mix between national and international students is self-evident for us. We are a European student association for good reason. By the way, this does not mean that membership is excluded for students from outside Europe! AEGEE is there for everybody.”/.

AEGEE can be found in de Bunker 0.20. See also www.aegee.tue.nl.