European universities launch a cultural cooperation project, CAMINO, to celebrate 20 years of EU membership
European universities launch a cultural cooperation project, CAMINO, to celebrate 20 years of EU membership
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2004 European Union (EU) enlargement, eight partners from seven Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are joining forces in 2024 to implement the project “Twenty Years of Cultural Enrichment in Reunified Europe” (the CAMINO Project). Its aim is to explore the impact of the 2004 EU enlargement on various cultural aspects and values of the new member states, as well as to create stronger cultural and academic bonds within CEE. It also lays a foundation for a long-term cultural cooperation network among the partner universities.
“The word “camino” in Spanish means “a path”. The project indirectly emphasises the role of our individual paths within the EU, yet seeks to look for aspects that we have in common – values, ideas, dreams. We want to look back at the last 20 years of the EU membership through the eyes of our youth, to highlight the cultural uniqueness of each country and celebrate our common history and future heritage in the European framework of unity,” says Prof. Ina Druviete, Vice-rector of the University of Latvia (UL), the Project’s lead partner.
The CAMINO Project consortium is formed by seven universities and a film studio from seven EU countries:
- the University of Latvia (Latvia) – the Project’s lead partner
- Vilnius University (Lithuania)
- the University of Tartu (Estonia)
- the University of Opole (Poland)
- J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (the Czech Republic)
- Comenius University Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Ludovika University of Public Service (Hungary)
- VERY Films (Latvia).
King Danylo University in Ukraine is taking part in the Project as the Associated Partner.
What to expect from the CAMINO Project?
The CAMINO Project kicks off in March 2024, and will embody a series of cultural and educational events that will take place until February 2025. The first activity, an international photo contest for students, Inspired by Europe, starts on March 11, 2024, culminating with an exhibition of the winning photographs in Brussels, Belgium, on April 15-19, 2024. A flash-mob, Ode to Joy, to celebrate Europe Day on May 9 will unite people in seven partner countries and will be streamed online in the Project’s communication channels. The Project also aims to develop and pilot a lifelong learning open course on intercultural communication.
To support the participation of university students and employees in different non-formal art and culture education programmes, a memorandum of cooperation among the partner universities will be signed in May, laying a foundation for a Network of European universities, university culture centres and student unions.
The peak event of 2024 will be the screening of a documentary produced by VERY Films. The film will focus on the changes in the culture scene in the past 20 years and the importance of nurturing cultural diversity in Europe.
We kindly invite all students from Partner universities to take part in the international photo contest, Inspired by Europe, taking place March 11 – 20, 2024. Each contestant can submit up to five photographs depicting one’s unique lifestyle, values, hopes and dreams in the framework of European unity. An international jury will choose the best photograph from each country, and the winning pictures will be displayed in an exhibition in Brussels, Belgium, on April 15-19, 2024.
All submitted photographs will be publishes on Instagram: @camino_inspired_by_europe, but the winners of the contest will be announced in an online event on March 25, 2024. The authors of the best photographs will be awarded with a trip to Brussels, Belgium, to take part in the Opening ceremony of the photo exhibition, Inspired by Europe, on April 15, 2024.
In order to participate, contestants must be at least 18 years old and must have a valid national ID. The photos with a brief description and the applicant’s contact details must be submitted to: inspiredbyeurope@uni-nke.hu by 23:59 CET of March 18, 2024. More information about the Contest Rules and Regulations is available here: https://en.uni-nke.hu/events/international-photo-contest/about-the-contest . The contest is coordinated by Ludovika University of Public Service in Hungary.
For more information:
Ieva Stare
The CAMINO Project communication specialist
ieva.stare@lu.lv | +371 29401079
The University of Latvia Culture Centre
Raina bulv. 19, Riga, Latvia
March 26, 2024 – International jury announces 11 winners of the international student photo contest “Inspired by Europe”
On Monday, March 25, 2024, the jury of the international student photo contest “Inspired by Europe” announced the eleven winners whose artworks will be displayed in a photo exhibition in Brussels, Belgium, on April 15 – 19, 2024. The announcement was made in an online ceremony attended by over 305 participants from various European countries.
The contest winners: Elena Georgiou (Cyprus), Natalie Sedlackova (the Czech Republic), Kart Soieva (Estonia), Ákos Kripkó (Hungary), Zelda Zagarina (Latvia), Gabija Matkute (Lithuania), Rodion Podruchnyi (Malta), Natalia Molenda (Poland), Felix Krupa (Slovakia), Kaja Adamek (Slovenia) and Sofiia Serdiuchenko (Ukraine).
The authors of the best photographs will be invited to travel to Brussels, Belgium, to participate in the Opening of the photo exhibition in European Parliament on April 15, 2024. The winning photos will also be exhibited in all Project partner countries this May. Meanwhile, everyone is welcome to visit the photo contest’s Instagram page @camino_inspired_by_europe to see all artworks that were submitted to the contest.
The photo contest “Inspired by Europe” took place on March 11 – 20, 2024 in the framework of the international cultural cooperation project “CAMINO - Twenty Years of Cultural Enrichment in Reunified Europe” (the CAMINO Project). Students from the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as Ukrainian students residing in these countries took part in the contest, submitting more than 770 photographs. The photo contest was coordinated by Ludovika University of Public Service in Hungary.
The members of the jury represented seven countries and various professional backgrounds:
Alena Smieškova (Slovakia) - literature and art lecturer; Toms Grīnbergs (Latvia) – photographer; Ugnius Bagdonavičius (Lithuania) – photographer; Carmen Kurg (Estonia) – photographer; Petr Blaha (the Czech Republic) - civil society and political science lecturer; Filip Ożarowski (Poland) – photographer; Boglarka Koller (Hungary) – professor of European studies.
About the CAMINO Project
The Project marks the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement and aims to explore its impact on various cultural aspects and values of the new member states, as well as to create stronger cultural and academic bonds within CEE. It also lays a foundation for a long-term cultural cooperation network among the partner universities.
The CAMINO Project consortium is formed by seven universities and a film studio from seven EU countries:
the University of Latvia (Latvia) – the Project’s lead partner, Vilnius University (Lithuania), the University of Tartu (Estonia), the University of Opole (Poland), J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (the Czech Republic), Comenius University Bratislava (Slovakia), Ludovika University of Public Service (Hungary) and VERY Films (Latvia). King Danylo University in Ukraine is taking part in the Project as the Associated Partner.
The CAMINO Project is taking place from March 1, 2024, till February 28, 2025, and will embody a series of cultural and educational events. One of the Project’s highlights will be production and screening of a documentary film about the changes in the culture scene of the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004 in the past 20 years.
All Project events will involve students, academic staff, cultural and political stakeholders, as well as general public in all partner countries. The CAMINO Project is funded by the EU in the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme framework.
For more information: tiiu.kreegipuu@ut.ee
