AEGEE-Istanbul SU 2026: From Historic Landmarks to Bosphorus Boat Parties

Exploring local life, scenic island escapes, and lively evening traditions defined AEGEE-Istanbul’s Summer University “Midnight Sun” from 17 to 27 July 2026. 20 participants enjoyed an action-packed 10 days in Turkey’s iconic city.

What was your Summer University about?
Our Summer University, “Midnight Sun”, was about discovering Istanbul and experiencing the city from different sides. We wanted to combine its historical and cultural aspects with the more modern, social and lively side of the city. During the ten days, participants explored different parts of Istanbul, visited historical landmarks, joined cultural and artistic workshops, and experienced local life. There was a good mix of cultural activities, exploring and having fun together.

Please name a few progamme highlights.
One of the highlights was definitely our chill and creative workshops, where participants could take a break from the busy schedule and spend some relaxed time together. Canoeing was also a fun experience and gave us a chance to do something different from the usual city activities. Our camping trip in Şile was another memorable part of the programme, especially because we got to spend more time together outside the city. We also had a really nice and relaxed day at the Prince Islands. And, of course, we cannot forget the AEGEE-Istanbul classic boat party!

How many participants and organisers were at the SU?
We had 20 participants and 5 organisers at Midnight SUn. We also had several amazing helpers who supported us. A little shoutout to them!

What were the funniest or most exciting moments?
One of the most exciting parts was canoeing, because it was our first time organising it and it turned out to be even more fun than we expected. You have to come to Istanbul and experience it for yourself! Our camping day didn’t have the best weather conditions, but experiencing it all together somehow made it even more memorable and enjoyable. In general, as an organising team, we were quite nervous about how everything would go, but thanks to our participants and helpers, almost everything went smoothly. By the the 10th day, we were already saying that we wished it didn’t have to end. We would happily do it all over again with the same team, and we miss everyone a lot!

How important was the gossip box?
The gossip box was definitely a lot of fun! We had some really funny confessions throughout the SU, and even after the event ended, we went online one last time to read everything together. If you don’t want to miss out on the next ones, you’ll just have to be at our next AEGEE-Istanbul events!

How was your group of participants?
We had quite a few new AEGEEans in our group, some of them joined AEGEE to come to our Summer University! We hope we gave them a fun and memorable first AEGEE experience. We also already heard some news about them applying for upcoming events together, which made us really happy.

How would you evaluate the SU overall on a scale from 0 (very bad) to 10 (excellent)?
In our hearts, it is definitely a 10/10. But of course, there were things that could have been done better, and there is always room for improvement. So, trying to be a little more objective, we would give Midnight SUn an 8/10.

Which impact did the event have on your antenna?
We think Midnight SUn had a really positive impact on our antenna. It brought a lot of new people into AEGEE, and gave them a chance to get involved and meet our community. For the organising team, it was also a great opportunity to work together, learn from each other and become closer as a team. It improved our teamwork as a local and helped us become more united as an antenna. Seeing the participants enjoying the event was definitely motivating for us to keep organising more events.

Will you organise an SU next year again?
Organising a Summer University has become a tradition for us, and we would definitely like to keep it going. We really support having new and enthusiastic people in the organising teams, while making sure they have experienced AEGEEans around them to guide and support them. We would love to take what we learned from Midnight SUn and use it to make future SUs even better, while continuing to give new people the chance to organise their own SU with the support of a strong local team.

Anything else you’d like to share about your SU?
One of the best things about Midnight SUn was that it was not only about showing participants the touristic side of Istanbul, but also about experiencing the city together as a group. We tried to give them a little bit of everything, from historical places and local culture to workshops, parties and spontaneous moments that you cannot really plan. And maybe the most special part was seeing how, by the end of the ten days, the line between participants and organisers almost disappeared. Everyone became friends, shared jokes and memories, and simply enjoyed the experience together. We think that is one of the nicest things an SU can create. So, if you are thinking about coming to an AEGEE-Istanbul SU, just come. We would be very happy to see you at the next one! Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to Midnight SUn in any way. This SU would not have been the same without you!