“How to become a GOAT?” The title of the Network Meeting in Poznań from 4 to 7 December 2025 had a double meaning. The 12 participants did not only want to become the greatest AEGEE members of all time – goats are also the symbol of the city. After a successful event, one thing was clear: mission accomplished.
The event was a mixture of a classic Network Meeting (NWM) and a training course. While an NWM usually focuses on strengthening cooperation and the exchange of experience between locals, with a focus on a specific network area, the team of NWM Poznań faced a dilemma. With only 12 participants, several of whom had joined AEGEE only this year, the programme had to go back to basics: What is AEGEE? How do you find your place in this vast network of countless possibilities? How do you stay motivated? These were some of the questions addressed during the course of the event.
At the same time, there were of course the classic NWM elements. The participants discussed the strengths and weaknesses of their locals in a SWOT analysis, talked about how fundraising and public relations work in their antennae, and exchanged experiences on how alumni support their local activities.
Exciting exercises
This might sound dry, but it was far from it. The sessions were full of practical exercises, and the discussions were very lively. Network Commissioner and main coordinator Julia Frąszczak demonstrated project management through a teamwork exercise in which three teams had to build a tower made of spaghetti, tape and one marshmallow. Other exercises focused on developing social media strategies and on how to pitch AEGEE to potential members, which led to several very funny situations.
In addition to Julia Frąszczak, two more experienced AEGEE members led content sessions: AEGEE-Europe’s Financial Director Wiktor Bogusz introduced the participants to strategies for fundraising and budgeting, while Golden Times chief editor Gunnar Erth chaired sessions on public relations, AEGEE history and alumni relations.
Outstanding local organisation
The local organisation by the team around AEGEE-Poznań president Maria Dłużewicz was outstanding. The accommodation was in a nice hostel, the content sessions took place in modern university classrooms, and the social programme was equally well organised.
The Network Meeting started on 4 December with a visit to the Christmas market, ice skating, and a pub visit with ice-breaking games, and ended that evening with a karaoke session. On Friday night, there was an excellent city tour led by an AEGEE-Poznań alumnus, followed by a city rally and a pub night. Saturday featured a pierogi workshop and the European Night, and the event ended on Sunday morning with a gingerbread workshop, where more than one gingerbread turned into a piece of AEGEE art.
Motivation boost for the participants
And yes: this was not one of the huge pre-Covid Network Meetings with up to 200 participants. AEGEE has become smaller, participation in Network Meetings is no longer an essential antenna criterion, and the date was another reason why this event was not as large as originally expected. There was strong competition from more than ten international events in December, including several very popular New Year’s events with a long tradition. Exams and the proximity to Christmas also played their part.
However, while the number of participants was low, those who attended were extremely motivated, eager to learn and share, and full of ideas about what they want to do next – from creating a Book Club Interest Group to joining European Bodies such as the Communication Committee. There is little doubt that many of them will join their local antenna boards and, sooner or later, become active at the European level of AEGEE.
On the GT Facebook page you can also find a photo album with more than 100 pictures of the event.
