Frequently Asked Questions ✍️
Reach out to us for questions and collaborations.
General
Find out all about AEGEE-Europe’s biggest event at our General Information Page!
In order to apply for the main programme of Spring Agora Enschede 2023, you need to apply via MyAEGEE before applications close on Friday 24 March at 23:59 CET. For the full application time line, see the participant section. For a guide on submitting a successful application, consult the Application Booklet. You will need an aegee.eu GSuite account to view the booklet.
In order to access MyAEGEE and register for events, you need to be a member of an antenna (local) that is part of AEGEE-Europe’s network. If you are a member of a local but do not have an account, contact the board of your local for more information.
If you are not yet a member of a local, joining one is still an option! A complete list of locals can be found in the list of AEGEE bodies here: my.aegee.eu/bodies
The AEGEE Social Responsibility Fund (ASRF) is a fund by AEGEE-Europe to provide financial support to AEGEEans that cannot attend events due to their financial situation. If you have any questions or want to apply for ASRF, please email to treasurer@aegee.eu.
Click here if you want to donate to ASRF!
If you want to apply for ASRF, you can do so here!
Definitely! The Agora is a unique experience and part of what makes AEGEE special, especially if you are joined by other people, whether they are experienced Agora attendants or also going for the first time. We highly encourage you to contact the board and other members of your local to see who is planning on going.
If you are the only person from your local who is planning on attending, please feel free to fill in this form (opening on 14 February) and hopefully we can find someone else who is travelling from your region, so that you can coordinate travel plans and meet other AEGEEans along the way!
Payment
To pay for the Agora, please visit the Agora Fee page and follow the instructions provided on that page. We offer multiple payment options, including iDeal, SOFORT banking and bank transfer.
You can pay for the Agora using iDeal, SOFORT Banking, bancontact or bank transfer. Please note that we prefer not to accept cash payments, but you can contact payments@agoraenschede.org if necessary.
Please send an email to payments@agoraenschede.org and we can help you directly.
Please contact payments@agoraenschede.org and we will provide you with the correct bank details. Unfortunately our payment provider is no longer accepted by Wise, but you can still use Wise to transfer the fee to us directly.
Sorry for the inconvenience this might have caused, don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any further help!
If you want to pay with Wise, please choose “banktransfer” in the Agora Store and contact payments@agoraenschede.org.
Yes, you can pay with creditcard via “Wise”. Contact payments@agoraenschede.org for more information.
Yes, it is possible to pay for other participants. Please mention all participant IDs in the payment description.
The fee for the Agora is €90. This includes five nights of sleeping accommodations in a gym, fourteen meals, and five evenings of social program.
The payment deadline is on April 5th 23:59 CET, so if you haven’t paid yet, please do so as soon as possible.
If you miss the payment deadline, you will not be permitted to attend the Agora in Enschede.
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer any discounts at this time. However, you can apply for ASRF before March 26th via this application form!
We require payment before the deadline in order to secure your spot at the Agora. However, please contact payments@agoraenschede.org if you have any extenuating circumstances.
Participants
We want as many participants to enjoy the Agora and the Sources of Change program as possible, so we are currently not actively looking for helpers as our local is big enough to supply all helpers.
If we need helpers in the future we will let the network know!
Check out the sustainability page on our website for more information. We are currently in the process of making a guide together with the Sustainability Committee, and hope to share it with you soon!
A packing list is coming soon!
Incoming
Spring Agora Enschede will take place at the campus of the University of Twente in Enschede, in the East of the Netherlands!
Enschede is well-connected to the Dutch rail network. Half-hourly intercity trains bring to you Enschede from cities like The Hague, Amsterdam and Utrecht. We recommend using the app 9292 to plan your trip, simply input ‘UT/Sportcentrum, Enschede’ as your destination to get directions to the accommodation. The app will also allow you to buy digital train and bus tickets.
Travelling by rail from Germany is definitely also possible! Bad Bentheim and Hengelo are served by DB Intercity trains, allowing a quick train or bus connection to Enschede. Once again, the 9292 app is useful to plan your trip and buy bus tickets, simply input ‘Bad Bentheim’ or ‘Hengelo’ as the departure station and ‘UT/Sportcentrum, Enschede’ as your destination. You may need to buy parts of your ticket separately or at the Bad Bentheim train station. DB trains also serve Enschede’s Central Station directly, though these are slower local trains via Gronau.
Further travel tips are coming soon, including hitchhiking advice!
If you want to see something from the Netherlands and have a cheap stay, we highly recommend visiting, for example, Amsterdam, Deventer or Utrecht. Enschede unfortunately doesn’t have any cheap hostels.
If you arrive early in Enschede or plan on departing late, we recommend a visit to the Grolsch Brewery for a tour and tasting, or checking out De Oude Markt with its iconic church and lots of cafés!
More info on Enschede can be found on the tourist info site!
In order to allow us to best help you with your visa needs, make sure to fill in all document details correctly during your application!
For any questions, contact visa@agoraenschede.org for more information!
Social Program
Of course! Evenings will feature both a party and an alternative social program!
We cannot yet reveal the location for each party, but we are working hard to ensure a diverse range of party venues throughout the Agora!
Additionally, we will make sure to provide buses to bring you to parties which are not within a short walk of the accommodation.
We have not yet confirmed the schedule for the alternative program, though we will be sure to update you here and elsewhere as soon as we do!
We are also open to collaborating with the network to organise alternative program activities, be sure to contact socialprogram@agoraenschede.org!
You’ll need delicacies from the nationality of your local! Every country gets their own stand to serve typical snacks, food and drinks that you probably won’t find anywhere else outside of their country. Do keep in mind that some people may have allergies or dietary restrictions.
More information will be provided later!
Accessibility
We are doing our best to accommodate participants with disabilities to the fullest extent! This includes ensuring step-free access to our venues and the ability to aid you with needs relating to hearing loss.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact accessibility@agoraenschede.org.
All Agora venues will be wheelchair accessible, this includes social program venues.
The university lecture hall that will be used for plenary sessions feature induction loop systems, allowing microphone audio to be directly transmitted. Make sure to contact hello@agoraenschede.org at least a week before the Agora if you wish to use these systems, so that we can also provide them for parallel sessions if necessary!
This will definitely be possible, please make sure to note the relevant details on the incoming form and we will get in touch!
During the event
You will sleep in the gyms of the University’s Sports Centre. You will need to bring your own mattress and sleeping bag or blanket.
Eduroam WiFi covers the gym and meeting rooms. If you are not able to access eduroam, you can indicate this on the incoming form, in order for us to provide you with temporary access credentials.
During the day you will visit plenaries and prytania, with the social program scheduled right after dinner!
The exact program will be announced two weeks before the Agora!
Smoking is prohibited on campus and inside the Agora venues.
The consumption of cannabis and other drugs is not permitted at any Agora venues.
Enschede & the netherlands
As a rule of thumb: no! In the Netherlands. 90% of the population can hold a conversation in English and people hardly find it bothersome.
Some Dutch terms like “dank u” (thank you), “goedendag” (good day/hello) and “tot ziens” (see you/bye) are nice to know and do earn you some friend-points with strangers, but you can get by without.
In many locations in the Netherlands, payment is card-only, with cash not being accepted. In the past year, most Dutch shops have started accepting Mastercard and Visa cards, in addition to the already-accepted Maestro and Vpay cards. Cash payment is still possible in locations such as supermarkets. All payments in the Netherlands are done using the Euro.
Yes, there is a COOP supermarket right next to the sports centre. For a broader selection, we recommend the shopping centre Twekkelerveld (2.3 km) for general convenience stores. The Enschede City centre (4-5 km) also offers plenty of other stores.
Dutch weather is quite variable, during the Agora, air temperatures can range between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius, with the possibility of rain. We could get amazing weather, but it might drizzle half the time, so think about bringing an umbrella or a raincoat.
Contact
Make sure to join our Telegram channel to receive the latest news! Or send an email to hello@agoraenschede.org in case of any questions.