Ines Verspohl (27) just finished her AEGEE activities. The former president and vice-president of AEGEE-Osnabrück was very active also on European level in the past years. Among other things, she was main coordinator of the Model European Union event 2007 in Strasbourg, was one of the coordinators of the year plan project Take Control, as well as being involved in the European Ideas Factory of AEGEE, just to name a few. Today, Ines lives in Bologna and works as researcher at the university.

 

 


Golden Oldie: When and where were you born?

Ines: I was born on 7th of August 1983 in Oelde, Westfalia, Germany.

 

Golden Oldie: Where and what did you study?

Ines: European Studies in Osnabrück and Maastricht.

 

Golden Oldie: When did you join AEGEE and how?

Ines: I joined AEGEE in Osnabrück via friends in 2004.

 

Golden Oldie: Are you still member? If yes, of which antenna?

Ines: I still feel very connected with AEGEE-Osnabrück, but haven’t paid membership fees for a few years – so I guess I’m not a member anymore.

 

Golden Oldie: You are best known for president of AEGEE-Osnabrück, main coordinator of the Model European Union 2007 and coordination team member of the year plan project Take Control. How did you get these tasks?

Ines: By chance. At the Agora Izmir in 2005, the Take Control Team presented the idea of a simulation of the EU – quite similar to what we were planning for AEGEE-Osnabrück on a small scale. I approached them for cooperation and ended up as the main organiser of the whole thing, including board member of Take Control. Same for president of AEGEE-Osnabrück. When we came back from Erasmus, AEGEE had some trouble with the tax exemption declaration. Half of the board was already gone for Erasmus, so the office moved to our kitchen.

 

Golden Oldie: What were your favourite tasks?

Ines: My favourite tasks were always making great plans – for the Model European Union, for Summer Universities and more.

 

Golden Oldie: What where the biggest challenges and rewards of these tasks?

Ines: A big challenge for AEGEE-Osnabrück is that the turnover of board members is so high, because of the short Bachelor and Erasmus. The Model European Union was one big challenge, too. The biggest reward of the cools tasks is the event itself, the reward of not so cool tasks is normally money and a stamp from some authority.

 

Golden Oldie: Tell us a funny story of your AEGEE time.

Ines: Towards the end of this presidency, I finally met Dragan Stajanowski in person. We had already been writing a lot of emails, but just then, I realised, that he was the same Dragan, who participated in Model European Union 2007 and joined AEGEE there.

 

Golden Oldie: What was your favourite AEGEE event?

Ines: As organiser, Model European Union 2007. As a participant, I really enjoyed the Agora Warszawa in 2005.

 

Golden Oldie: What were your best and worst moments in AEGEE?

Ines: The moments I liked most were greeting all the people, I haven’t seen for a while at the beginning of big events, and the totally crazy discussions towards the end of events, when everybody was tired, hangovered, hungry, and we still made plans how to rescue the world. At events that I organised I also loved the first hours when the participants arrived and all the e-mails got a face. My personal worst moments were when some CD members tried to boycott the Model European Union – that’s why it’s now an independent association.

 

Golden Oldie: Which AEGEE member impressed you a lot?

Ines: Burcu Becrmen, at my very first real AEGEE event Agora Enschede.

 

Golden Oldie: Any things you regret that you haven’t done them in AEGEE?

Ines: I should have gone on a Summer University in the wild East the very first year.

 

Golden Oldie: Did AEGEE influence your career decision?

Ines: No, with European Studies the direction was already clear.

 

Golden Oldie: As a child, what did you dream to be your future job after growing up?

Ines: Ambassador or Professor.

 

Golden Oldie: What are you doing now as main occupation?

Ines: I’m a researcher at the University.

 

Golden Oldie: Are you single/married/married with 5 children?

Ines: I am engaged to a former president of AEGEE-Aachen.

 

Golden Oldie: Which languages do you speak?

Ines: German, English, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and French.

 

Golden Oldie: Where do you live now? What do you like/dislike about your city?

Ines: I’m right now living in Bologna, Italy. I love the active civil society in Bologna, and vino, gelato, cibo, caffé in Italy in general. I dislike the winter and the smog.

 

Golden Oldie: What are your best and least liked cities?

Ines: My favourite cities are Berlin, Amsterdam and Tallin. My least liked cities: Jesenice and  Strasbourg – I always get robbed there.

 

Golden Oldie: What is the furthest place you ever went to?

Ines: New York – eight hours on the plane, jetlag and in the end it was not so different. So, I stay in Europe and travel to the Balkan now.

 

Golden Oldie: Which country would you like to visit in the near future?

Ines: Serbia.

 

Golden Oldie: What are your hobbies?

Ines (laughing): Researchers are not supposed to have hobbies. Apart from the usual AEGEE stuff – travelling and rescuing the world – I like horseback riding.

 

Golden Oldie: What are you most afraid of?

Ines: A life-threatening illness of me or my beloved.

 

Golden Oldie: What’s never missing in your fridge?

Ines: Parmigiano.

 

Golden Oldie: How would you describe yourself in five keywords?

Ines: Curious, outgoing, stubborn, funny, warm-hearted.