EUROAVIA

The European Association of Aerospace Students (EUROAVIA) is a non-profit organisation founded in 1959 by a group of European students and governed by Dutch law. The main goal of the activities organised by EUROAVIA is to create connections between students and the Aerospace Industry and to stimulate its members to familiarize themselves with the different cultures of the countries that are part of the association. As of 2024, EUROAVIA counts 42 Local Groups in 17 different countries from all over Europe and Africa, reaching up to more than 2000 members in total. By the end of the 1990s, EUROAVIA became an affiliated member of the European Space Agency (ESA), which opened a lot of opportunities to its members. The Local Groups host a series of events; some examples are the Air Cargo Challenge (ACC), the Airbus Sloshing Rocket Workshop (ASRW), the Formation Workshop (FoWo), and the Train New Trainers (TNT).

History

In 1957, a group of students from Germany, France, and the Netherlands observed a lack of collaboration between the Aerospace industry and bigger economic branches and came up with the idea of an Association of European Aerospace Students. As a result, in 1958, Aachen recruited fourteen active and highly motivated members. During a meeting, they founded a “comité provisoire”, which organised a Congress where the statutes for the new association named “EUROAVIA” could be shaped.

The Constituent Congress took place in Aachen from the 9th to the 17th of March 1959. Representatives of Aachen, Berlin, Braunschweig, Delft, ENSA and ENICA Paris, Pisa, Turin, Stuttgart, and Milan voted for the official Statutes. EUROAVIA began its work on the 1st of May 1959. The first central committee was represented by the group from Aachen, within which Jean Roeder became the first President of the association. Some of the first EUROAVIA supporters were Mr. F. Marxen from Kontor Industries, Prof. Dr. Theodore von Karman, and Mr. Hugh Dryden, deputy administrator of NASA at the time.

The first practical training was organised by Stuttgart’s Local Group. The Practical Training Centre (PTC), whose aim was to coordinate training sessions in different European countries, became the first official Working Group of the association. In 1967 the Central Committee elected new members and made decisions without the permission of the Congress, enabling the President Andre Droog to choose the Central Committee members. As a result, the committee was transferred from Aachen to Delft, and the first Meeting Minutes were created.

During the congress of 1986, Delft’s Local Group proposed the “Fly-In”, an activity whose aim was to allow the visiting group to pay as little as possible. The first one was organized by the Delft and Haarlem Local Groups. In 1987 the first Newsletter was born, giving the association a new way of communication, which is still currently in use. During the Extra Congress held in 1989, the members decided to organize two congresses every year: The Electoral Meeting of the EUROAVIA Congress (EMEAC) and the Annual Meeting of the EUROAVIA Congress (AMEAC).

In the EMEAC of 1990, the Central Committee was replaced with the International Board (IB). Due to a lack of motivation, during the EMEAC of 1996 no International Board was elected, thus an ExMEAC had to be held. This problem was present all along the 90’s, and an online forum was created to improve the interactions between the different associations in Europe. By the end of the 90’s decade, EUROAVIA became an affiliated member of the European Space Agency (ESA). This new millennium came also with brand new events hosted by different Local Groups (Air Cargo Challenge, Lisbon, 2007; Rocket Workshop, Cluj-Napoca, 2016; Leadership Workshop, Napoli, 2016; Train New Trainers, Bucharest, 2018).

In 2013, a group of students living geographically outside Europe joined the network: AM Kourou. To celebrate 60 years from the foundation of the association in 2019 a Lustrum was organized in Aachen. During this traditional EUROAVIA event, which takes place every five years, a series of conferences and discussions took place with guests from Airbus, the International Space University (ISU), the Community of Ariane Cities (CVA), RWTH Aachen, Lilium, and CAE Elektronik.

To keep members interested and active within their Local Groups during the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, online conferences and events started to take place as well. Now, in 2024, EUROAVIA is thriving and constantly growing.

Structure

EUROAVIA is composed of three fundamental parts: the International Board, the Local Groups, and the Working Groups.

A student can become a member of EUROAVIA by signing up for a Local Group (LG), either called an Affiliated Society (AS) or an Adjunct Member (AM) depending on where it is based. LGs constitute the local level of EUROAVIA. They are associations affiliated with the EUROAVIA network and they are managed by a Local Board which organises local events and creates opportunities for their members. On an international level, the Working Groups (WGs) are multicultural groups of people belonging to different LGs who want to volunteer to accomplish specific tasks and goals for EUROAVIA. Finally, members can run for a position in the International Board (IB), the body that comprises the EUROAVIA representatives on an international level. These three parts are all connected by the International Events (IEs), events of different nature (cultural, technical, or soft skills-based) organised by the LGs in which members from other LGs can participate.

The International Board

The International Board (IB) is a group of members who represents and manages EUROAVIA at an international level. It is in charge for one full Business Year (BY) which starts the 1st of October of a certain year and ends the 30th of September of the following year. It is composed of at least three people: A President, a secretary, and a Treasurer. One member can also be given the title of Vice-President. Additional members of the IB are given the title of Executive Member.

The election procedure for the IB comprises several steps and happens yearly. Members choose to run for a position in the IB by presenting themselves and their ideas during the Electoral Meeting of the EUROAVIA Congress (EMEAC). The EMEAC usually takes place between the end of March and beginning of April. The elected members form the Designated International Board for the following BY. They work for some months to prepare a Business Plan (BP) and a Financial Plan (FP) to be presented and approved during the Annual Meeting of the EUROAVIA Congress (AMEAC). The AMEAC usually takes place between the end of September and beginning of October. During the AMEAC, the current IB is dismissed becoming a Former International Board (FIB), and the DIB officially becomes IB. Note that, if during an EMEAC not enough DIB officers are elected, an Extra Meeting of the EUROAVIA Congress (ExMEAC) can be held right before the AMEAC to look for more DIB officers.

The IB for the BY 2023-2024 is composed of three people: Leo Buchner (President), Pavitarpal Singhlitt (Secretary), and Amanda Román Navarro (Treasurer).

The Local Groups

Local Groups are affiliated with the EUROAVIA network and based in different universities across Europe and, occasionally, outside of it. Normally a Local Groups has the status of Affiliated Society (AS) and has specific rights and duties as defined in the EUROAVIA Bylaws. When a LG is based outside of the geographical area defined in the EUROAVIA Bylaws, it will be given the status of Adjunct Member (AM) and its rights and duties are defined differently. A new group that wants to join the EUROAVIA network must first send a motivation letter, then present itself in a EUROAVIA congress where it can gain the status of Prospective Affiliated Society (PAS) or Prospective Adjunct Member (PAM). Before being finally accepted as an AS, the LG must host an International Event and present itself again during a EUROAVIA congress.

LGs spread and live the EUROAVIA spirit, a set of common values based upon hard work, innovation, cultural awareness, teamwork, and international networking. They are managed by a Local Board which is generally elected yearly, but the time frame can vary per LG. In fact, the LGs share the same values and collaborate with each other, but still preserve independence. The local activities of the LGs are varied, but generally comprise workshops, company visits, career days, technical teams for competitions, seminars, social events, study support, or others.

As of today, EUROAVIA counts 42 Local Groups, based in 17 different countries:

Local Group name	City	Country	University
AS Aachen	Aachen	Germany	RWTH Aachen University
AS Ankara	Ankara	Turkey	Middle East Technical University
AS Athens	Athens	Greece	National Technical University of Athens
AS Beograd	Belgrade	Serbia	University of Belgrade
AS Bordeaux	Bordeaux	France	Arts et Métiers, campus de Bordeaux-Talence
AS Bremen	Bremen	Germany	City University of Applied Sciences
AS Braunschweig	Braunschweig	Germany	Technical University of Braunschweig
AS București	Bucharest	Romania	Politehnica University of Bucharest
AS Cádiz	Cádiz	Spain	University of Cádiz
AM Cairo	Cairo	Egypt	Zewail City of Science and Technology
AS Castelldefels	Castelldefels	Spain	Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
AS Cluj-Napoca	Cluj-Napoca	Romania	Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
AS Covilhã	Covilhã	Portugal	University of Beira Interior
AS Delft	Delft	Netherlands	Delft University of Technology
AS Dresden	Dresden	Germany	Dresden University of Technology
AS Forlì-Bologna	Forlì	Italy	University of Bologna
PAS Glasgow	Glasgow	United Kingdom	University of Glasgow
PAS Gaziantep	Gaziantep	Turkey	Gaziantep University
AS Istanbul	Istanbul	Turkey	Istanbul Technical University
PAS Izmir	Izmir	Turkey	Izmir University of Economics
AS Kocaeli	Kocaeli	Turkey	Gebze Technical University
PAS Kyiv	Kyiv	Ukraine	National Technical University of Ukraine
AS Leuven	Leuven	Belgium	Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
AS Lisboa	Lisbon	Portugal	Instituto Superior Técnico
PAS Lyon	Lyon	France	Institut national des sciences appliquées de Lyon
PAS Milano	Milan	Italy	Polytechnic University of Milan
AS München	Munich	Germany	Technische Universität München
AS Napoli	Naples	Italy	University of Naples Federico II
PAS Oeiras	Oeiras	Portugal	Universidade Atlântica
AS Oostende	Oostende	Belgium	Hogeschool VIVES
AS Paris	Paris	France	EPF School of Engineering
AS Patras	Patras	Greece	University of Patras
AS Pisa	Pisa	Italy	University of Pisa
AS Rzeszów	Rzeszów	Poland	Rzeszów University of Technology
PAS Samsun	Samsun	Turkey	Samsun University
AS Sevilla	Seville	Spain	University of Seville
AS Stuttgart	Stuttgart	Germany	University of Stuttgart
AS Terrassa	Terrassa	Spain	Technical University of Catalonia
AS Tampere	Tampere	Finland	Tampere University
AS Toulouse	Toulouse	France	ISAE-SUPAERO
AS València	València	Spain	Universitat Politècnica de València
AS Zagreb	Zagreb	Croatia	University of Zagreb

Working Groups

EUROAVIA members can volunteer on the international side by joining the Working Groups (WGs). Each WG has very specific tasks, striving to maintain the excellence of the association’s activities. Mind that Working Groups are continuously evolving.

Affiliated Societies WG

The Affiliated Societies Working Group (AS WG) acts as the main channel of communication between the Affiliated Societies and EUROAVIA International, encouraging collaboration between AS’ at a local level (Board of Presidents Unit). The AS WG is also responsible for the maintenance and health of the AS (Search & Rescue Unit) and manages the expansion of EUROAVIA to new locations (Expansion Unit).

Business Relations WG

The Business Relations Working Group (BR WG) is responsible for establishing and sustaining the communication between EUROAVIA and third parties (Brochure task). It focuses on seeking sponsors and partners for international events, as well as looking for long-term partnerships for the association's broader interests (Approaching task).

Communication WG

The Communication Working Group (CM WG) creates the promotional strategy of the association along with the International Board. It works closely with the DN and the IE WGs. The Press Unit evaluates contents and contributions for the annual EUROAVIA magazine and the monthly EUROAVIA Newsletter. It updates the News section on the EUROAVIA website and takes care of the articles on the EUROAVIA Aeronautical Blog. The Social Media Unit is responsible for updating all the association’s social media accounts (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, X) creating and posting promotional content in various forms.

Design WG

The Design Working Group (DN WG) is responsible for maintaining the Corporate Identity and visual image of the association. It develops the graphics used on social media, creates merchandising and promotional materials such as brochures and logos. It is also responsible for the design of the EUROAVIA website, newsletter, and magazine.

European Grants WG

The European Grants Working Group (EG WG) identifies and applies for grants to generate sufficient funding to support the vision of the association. They’re working on different projects.

The European Youth Leadership Camp: a project applying for the European Youth Together call of the Erasmus+ initiative by the European Commission, whose aim is to create future leaders in the EU.

The International Activity grant, proposed by the European Youth Foundation: associations can apply to it with international projects that aim to raise awareness on important European values, non-formal education, and soft-skills development.

The Grants database: it aims to create a database where LGs can upload grant calls of interest to them.

EUROAVIA Training System WG

The EUROAVIA Training System Working Group (ETS WG) is responsible for the formation of EUROAVIA certified soft-skills trainers and for the delivery of soft-skills formation to all members of the Association (Active Trainers and Alumni Trainers). The ETS WG organises the TNT and FoWo in collaboration with the IE WG (ETS WG Board). The ETS WG is part of the training YNGO community, therefore, the trainers are eligible to deliver outside of the association.

Human Resources WG

The Human Resources Working Group (HR WG) has responsibilities including increasing the effectiveness of EUROAVIA through basic training, providing guidance to newcomers, developing helpful manuals to increase productivity (Training Task). The group is dedicated to promoting the Working Groups (WG promotion Task) and enhancing the well-being of their members, creating greater unity among the teams, nurturing relationships and facilitating effective coordination.

International Board WG

The International Board Working Group (IB WG) assists and supports the existing IB by managing together various aspects of the association. The primary objective is to assist the IB in the execution of EUROAVIA projects (Internal activities, Ideathon, EIIL, Proactive and Strategic Sponsor Acquisition, Future & Beyond) and for the generation of new concepts and ideas. The Working Group consists of the current IB and DIB members who become part of the group after the elections at the EMEAC.

International Events WG

The International Events Working Group (IE WG) oversees providing support to the Local Groups in the organisation of an international event (Tutor Unit). The WG provides a calendar of the association’s activities along the Business Year, organised in such a way to incentivise the members to participate and so that the 5-year rule is respected (Maintenance Unit).

Information Technology WG

The Information Technology Working Group (IT WG) manages the digital services of EUROAVIA: the main website (Website Unit); the project websites, the ticketing system; the e-mailing system, the central archive, the cloud (Microsoft Office 365 Unit); and the Discord server (Discord Server Unit).

Statues & Bylaws WG

The Statutes & Bylaws Working Group (S&B WG) ensures that the association's internal rules (Statutes and Bylaws), are kept up to date. The WG members review the key sections and make significant changes and update other legal documents.

EUROAVIA activities

International Events

LGs organise different types of events every year, where members from other LGs can attend.

Congresses

These types of events reunite representatives from all the Affiliated Societies and the International board to discuss and decide the future of the association. EUROAVIA organises two congresses per year: Annual Meeting of the EUROAVIA Congress (AMEAC), where the upcoming business year plans are presented and goals are set; Electoral Meeting of the EUROAVIA Congress (EMEAC), where the future International Board is elected.

Symposia

A Symposium is a technical event focused on a specific topic of the aerospace world. It aims to let the participants widen their experience in the field of engineering, learning about topics not covered during university lectures and to interact with EUROAVIAns, professors and experts on the field.

Train New Trainers

This type of event is organised by a Local Group together with trainers from the ETS WG. During those events the participants learn how to transmit and grow their soft-skills (Coaching Skills, Consulting, Feedback, Non-Violent Communication). At the end of the event the participant enters the ETS WG and becomes an EUROAVIA certified trainer. He will be able to deliver training sessions to participants of other EUROAVIA events. During the pandemic, trainings were delivered online in Online Training Waves.

Fly-Ins

These events have a more informal approach, aiming to give the participants the opportunity to interact with EUROAVIAns from different Local Groups and to share their culture with each other. The hosting Local Group organises trips around the city and the university and companies and museums visits to know more about the Aerospace sector.

Workshops

It is a technical type of event where EUROAVIAns can learn and put into practice technical skills. The organising Local Group oversees providing lectures and laboratories about the topic, but also cultural activities to create connections between the participant EUROAVIANs. Over the years, the workshops organised were related to rockets (RoWo), drones, and RC Aircraft.

Formation Workshops

FoWos are non-technical internal training events taking place in the first half of every business year, that increase the quality of members' operations in their Local Group. This event focuses on transmitting to the participants the procedures which allow them to effectively manage their Local Group (how to organise international events, producing internal documentation, making a balance, considerations on organising events, soft-skills trainings).