You have never heard of Bihać? It’s a city in the north-western part of Bosnia, close to the Croatian border. This town with 61,000 inhabitants, is in one of Europe’s most beautiful spots: it’s surrounded by magnificent nature. In 2013 the European Students Forum AEGEE created a local representation in this great Bihać. Back then we spoke with Edina Imširović, President of AEGEE-Bihać – you can find the interview below. Unfortunately this local group does not exist anymore. In case you are interested in the association, check the website www.aegee.org.
Golden Times: When and how did you hear about AEGEE for the first time?
Edina Imširović: The first time I’ve heard about AEGEE was in April 2013. A friend of mine was interested in this organization and came to talk about it with me. I thought it was a great idea to bring something new for young people in Bihać, so I was happy to learn more about the organization – and the possibility to make Bihać a part of the great family that AEGEE is.
Golden Times: How many members does your AEGEE branch have now?
Edina: For now we have 11 members, but we’re working on the promotion of AEGEE, so hopefully we’ll have a lot more members as soon as possible. I really hope that students from Bihać will recognize this opportunity to join something so great, because that’s exactly what we need: a good change, new experiences and everything that this great organization can offer to us.
Golden Times: Unfortunately you couldn’t be at the Agora Zaragoza, where you could have signed the Convention d’Adhesion. What happened?
Edina: It was complicated to organize the trip to Zaragoza, but we’ll join the Network Meeting in Vienna this month. We will sign the Convention d’Adhesion there.
Golden Times: Can you tell us a bit about yourself? How old are you, what do you study, what kind of hobbies do you have besides AEGEE?
Edina: Well, I can tell you some basic things, such as: In December this year I’ll be 20 years old, I study food technology at the faculty of biotechnology. I love: my friends, fun, laughing, winter, chocolate, food, music, honesty, my little rabbit, AEGEE, travelling, singing, dancing. I rather prefer my friends to tell who I am as a person, so I asked some of them to help me with the answer. They said: “You are very lucky if you got Edina as a friend. Even if she’s busy, she will always find time for her friends.” “She is very romantic and as gentle as snowflakes which she likes very much. Sensibility and friendliness are her greatest values. She’s hyperactive and likes to have a lot of fun.“ “Edina is hardworking, smart, committed, gives great advices, very friendly. She sees the best in people and gives them strength with her presence. She can lead. Not to mention how beautiful she is, she knows how to deal with people, she understands. She’s just amazing.“
Golden Times: Nice! A lot of AEGEE members reacted positively on Facebook when your AEGEE contact was announced. How does that make you feel?
Edina: I was very happy and proud that we got the opportunity to join this big happy family. People in AEGEE are very kind and welcoming, and that gives you the special feeling of joy and happiness, so I’m looking forward to keep working with all of them.
Golden Times: Do you already know a lot of AEGEE members?
Edina: I participated in the Network Meeting in Ljubljana in May, so I had the opportunity to meet a lot of awesome AEGEE members. Thanks to Facebook we’re all still in contact and looking forward to our reunion at the Network Meeting in Vienna. Also our other members, who will go there, are so excited, because for some of them this will be the first Network Meeting. For me, personaly, this is the second one, and I can’t wait to reunite with all the awesome people I’ve already met at the previous NWM and also to meet other AEGEEans.
Golden Times: How is the support of your university for AEGEE?
Edina: We have good support for now. They gave us financial support to visit the first Network Meeting in Ljubljana and I think they have recognized that this organization is something great for our students. I hope that we’ll continue with the good cooperation.
Golden Times: What’s the first event that your antenna wants to organise?
Edina: The first thing that we have in mind is the promotion of AEGEE, so we’ll think of some activity that includes talking to students and inviting them to join us. Then we will discuss everything that we can do next.
Golden Times: Your city is famous for being in a great area. What can you tell us about it? And could it be a good idea for an event, too?
Edina: Bihać is a magnificent little city near the Croatian border. It’s surrounded with beautiful nature and one of the most beautiful rivers in the world, river Una. Everyone should definitely visit the National park Una, and I’m sure that this river will steal your heart by its green and clear water. Perfect timing for such an event would be in the summer, because there are lot activities that you can experience on this river. We’re planning to invite all the AEGEEans to join the Una regata, a traditional rafting that is held every summer, which is a great opportunity to truly experience all the beauty of this river. People here are very welcoming so don’t miss the opportunity to see it by yourself!
Golden Times: Is there anything you would like to add?
Edina: I would just say to everyone who’s reading this and who is not part of AEGEE, join us! There’s nothing to lose, but on the other hand, you can get a lot of great things. Awesome friends, parties, travelling, experiences, knowledge and much more. Be the part of the big happy family, you won’t regret it for sure!
