EU Back to School
On May 10, European Commission social policy expert Kornelia Kozovska, ACS Class of 1999, came back to her former high-school to speak to eleventh graders about the European Union, how it came about, what it does, and what challenges it faces today. She was eager to find out what the young people of today know and think of the EU and volunteered to deliver each student’s personal message to the leaders of the organization.
Kornelia’s visit is a part of a greater effort of the European institutions called EU Back to School whereby European Union officials go back to their former secondary school in their hometown and discuss their work and experiences in the EU. EU Back to School aims to give young people the chance to get to know the European project from close up, EU staff acting as the 'face' of Europe for a day. Last year, more than 500 EU officials and members of national governments spoke with over 58,000 pupils in the 28 member states.
“The moment of time you’re born into this world affects you,” was one of the first things Kornelia shared. “Joining the protests on the streets daily after school alongside my ACS teachers and classmates in 1996-97 surely set me up for studying Political Science.” Kornelia holds a BA in Political Science and Economics from Bryn Mawr College (USA) and an MA and PhD in Economics from the University of Bologna. “I can’t wait to find out how your generation, born into a visa-free world, sees things differently.”
There was some EU trivia, naturally. Did you know that May 9 is Europe Day because of the Schuman declaration? And why does the EU flag have 12 stars? Turns out it has nothing to do with the number of the member states, it simply stands for harmony.
And while most of the ACSers knew about Erasmus, few were aware of the European Solidarity Corps - a new EU initiative providing opportunities for young people (18-30 years old) to volunteer in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe - but everyone took notes.
Dr. Zornitsa Semkova was curious to find out Kornelia’s opinion on what Bulgaria’s priorities should be in general but also having in mind we are to take over the presidency of the EU for the first half of next year. Social policy issues like pension, childcare (availability and quality) and external border agenda, migration, relationship with Russia were the things that came first to our guest expert.
As per challenges the EU faces nowadays, Kornelia sees the organization being “pushed to emancipate itself. Brexit is a test to EU leadership,” she added. Complicated balancing between political reason and sustaining EU values is expected.
Judging from how ACS eleventh graders voted when faced with the following five options of future development of the EU, the future of the organization is bright:
1) Carrying On (0)
2) Nothing but the Single Market (0)
3) Those Who Want More Do More (0)
4) Doing Less More Efficiently (5)
5) Doing Much More Together (14)
(About half the stidents were undecided.)
Needless to say, no student left that class without an impression of how Belgian chocolate tastes (like heaven!). Kornelia carefully gathered each student’s message to Europe’s leaders and promised to keep us posted.
