VSE Prague

After a nice long summer break the „Section in the Spotlight“ returns and we have found our first winner for the new semester. With ten applications the decision was not easy, but VSE Prague is our Section in the Spotlight in October.

The capital of the Czech Republic is home to the Buddy System with about 70 members. For already 12 years is this section taking care of exchange students and welcomed 2007 the youngest member ever, a Buddy System baby. The members work in nine different departments in the organization: Activities, Buddy Program, International Relations, IT, Human Resources, Fundraising, Nation2Nation (organizing the biggest student parties in Prague), Public Relations, Administration. Even international students are involved in their local work and help to prepare the country evenings, International Days, where they represent their countries/universities, or Nation2Nation-evenings. To thank them VSE Prague prepares special theme parties, e.g. Mafia Italian Party, USA Prom Party, Northern Europe Xmas Party and more.
In the beginning it is very important to break the ice between the new exchange students and the Czech students, so VSE Prague organizes Ice-Breaking-Weekends in the middle of nowhere, where the people can get to know each other during a weekend full of social and teambuilding games and activities under a special theme (this semester it was Mafia, the previous semester it was Hawaii or Movies). Afterwards they prepare at least one activity each weekend and even regularly invite their local students via the “Buddy News”, an E-Mail-notification sent out once a week.

The VSE Prague section is a very close group of people who are teambuilding during their Buddy Weekend somewhere in the mountains. Throughout the semester they also go together to the theatre (HRtheatre), cinema (HRcinema) or have a Christmas party. At the end of each semester the “best” members are awarded during a gala dinner. The people who worked the hardest, organized most events or were the funniest get some nice prizes and together they celebrate their busy but successful semester.

On the national level VSE Prague provides at least one or two members of the National Board of ESN Czech Republic each year and the most famous member is probably Marketa Tokova, Vice President 2008/2009 and President 2009/2010 of ESN International. They also organize National Platforms on a regular basis and are very actively involved on the international level of ESN. The first Presidents Meeting (now it is the National Boards Meeting) was held here in 2008. Most recently they also organized the first All Committees Meeting (CoMeet) in September 2010, where the newly formed Committees came together for a first joint meeting to discuss all current and future ESN Projects. VSE Prague took care of the accommodation, the food and the leisure time and they very much enjoyed it.

Last but not least, VSE Prague is so infected with the Pallomeri-spirit that they now changed their logo and redesigned it with ESN colors and even publish their own magazine “Buddy UP”.