The Many Colors of Europe
It’s the first of its kind, a “one woman show,” and an ideal platform for European engagement: the ENGAGE.EU Local Learning Chapter at Mannheim. For student and organizer Anna-Maria Rohe, this pilot project is a matter of great personal importance. The interactive format invites students to explore European diversity in a wide range of activities and events.
For Anna-Maria Rohe, volunteering is an integral part of her everyday life as a student. Currently enrolled in the Mannheim Master in Management program, she is about to finish her final thesis. Aside from pursuing her degree, she has been involved in numerous projects, especially in the international arena, such as the buddy program for exchange students. It’s no surprise, therefore, that she was drawn towards ENGAGE.EU, a consortium of leading European universities, including Mannheim. “At an information session, I learned that aside from offering courses, ENGAGE.EU also provides opportunities for students to get actively involved.”
That’s what prompted Rohe to reach out to the ENGAGE.EU office. “The entire team there was very open-minded and showed me various ways of getting involved.” She especially liked the idea of setting up a Local Learning Chapter in Mannheim. It would be the first of its kind within the alliance – a challenge that Rohe was happy to embrace.
A program devoted to current European issues
After several months of planning, Rohe first implemented the program in the summer of 2023. Since then, she has organized around five lectures and workshops per semester devoted to current European issues and challenges.
In terms of content, it is very important to Rohe that her courses complement existing ENGAGE.EU offerings. “We are a hybrid between student organization and official ENGAGE.EU program that is closely aligned with the mission of the European University.” That is why the lectures and workshops address issues such as sustainability, European policies or digitalization.
The program includes short introductory courses on European languages, quiz nights or first-hand cultural insights. “In the first semester, we invited a Bulgarian student who presented her home country’s culture, geography and university system,” Rohe recalls. “It is rare for students to gain such direct and personal insights.”
In each semester, Rohe also co-hosts an event with SAP, the official ENGAGE.EU corporate partner, featuring guest lecturers. “Last semester, for example, we had a lecture on the ‘Dynamics of European Integration’ by Professor Thomas König, an expert in the field.”
Engagement and initiative
An event series like this doesn’t come about by itself. Rohe has been investing a lot of time and hard work to make it happen, especially as she is putting the program together all by herself. This includes reaching out to stakeholders and inviting interesting speakers and students from partner countries. She even teaches language courses herself.
“I run many of our activities on my own. Because I speak English, French, Italian and Spanish, I can design and teach introductory courses for a number of European languages, for example,” says Rohe. “It requires some work, of course, but it’s an exciting experience that I enjoy. To me, volunteering is simply part of being a student.”
What makes the program special, according to Rohe, is its relaxed setting. Registration is not required, and participation is free of charge. “The Local Learning Chapter is a go-to place for all Mannheim students, whether they’re full-time degree students, exchange students or doctoral students. Everyone who is interested in Europe is welcome,” she says.
Most events take place in the evenings, and participants are free to choose how many of them they wish to attend. “To me, this is all about creating a low-threshold opportunity for students to get together for conversations even after a long day at the university.”
Bidding farewell after an exciting time
The Mannheim Local Learning Chapter is currently unique within the ENGAGE.EU alliance, which predominantly offers online and mobility programs. “As a fully student-run and locally based program, it’s a completely new element with a lot of potential for getting creative,” says Rohe.
Having established the chapter in spring 2023, Rohe will retire from her role in summer 2024 after finishing her master’s thesis. “I would love to see the format continue to exist for a long time, getting many more students excited about Europe,” she says. “It’s a varied program – I can only recommend everyone to stop by and give it a try. It’s well worth it.”
When thinking of the future of the chapter, she sees a lot of potential. And she’s curious about the ideas her successors will bring to the project. Anyone who would like to get involved and help shape the Local Learner Chapter is welcome to contact ENGAGE.EU. The program offers plenty of scope for student engagement.
For further information on the program, see the Local Learner Chapter website.
