Europe Day 2018
On the 9th May Centre for European Studies (CEFEUS) held its annual Europe Day celebrations for the third time.
The event, organised together with the Students’ Union and the Erasmus Office and taking place in the Laud building, attracted staff and students with fun games and quizzes. Europe Day is always celebrated across Europe on the 9th May and it marks the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, therefore celebrating peace and unity in Europe. The Schuman Declaration was announced by the French foreign minister Robert Schuman in 1950 to highlight his vision of political cooperation in Europe to make war between Europe’s nations unthinkable (European Union, 2018). This year’s Europe Day was a success, engaging even more staff and students than before. Below are some testimonials from our students who took part in the celebrations.
“After Brexit, it’s was really lovely to see how people still express their admiration for Europe and how the culture of Europe is distinct from the EU. It was fun and good to see how people from all over the EU are rejecting the anti-Brexit message and it was uplifting to just have a good time with fellow Europeans.”
Elizabeth Bailey, Final year student
“We celebrated the Europe Day on 9th of May. We put up a stand with quite a few games, our CCCU goodies and cookies! Games were really fun and connected to the EU, from politicians to member states. It was indeed great opportunity to meet new people, learn about our community, promote certain values and all of that while having so much fun! Also, it was a great day to spend with friends from the Uni while doing something connected to what we study.”
Tea Jakopec, Masters student
“The Europe Day 2018 celebrations were a great success as staff and students from across CCCU took part in a series of fun games and activities. It was a fun and innovative day which highlighted that despite the Brexit vote 2 years ago, people still feel European. In particular, our ‘pin the tail on the Juncker’ game and EU-themed posters were a massive hit, and highlight the genuine interest we all still hold towards the European Union. I look forward to celebrating Europe Day in 2019!”
Christian Turner, Final year student
As seen from the testimonials above, Europe Day is a fun way to engage with and learn about Europe. We very much look forward to next year’s celebrations!