Sweden at this time is in a crucial and nevertheless difficult situation – being neutral during the war, the country is unharmed by WWII and also wealthy - and other nations are envious of this. Jean gets in contact with Bengt Sjöstrand, the head of the student union of the Stockholm Business University, to invite students from several countries for a meeting on international cooperation. The basic principles of promoting international understanding by building personal trust across hierarchies are getting clearer. Bengt remembers that they initiated the principle of acquiring paid summer traineeships for foreign students - growing from just exchange between universities to a full exchange experience. Jean suspended his studies in 1949 to work full time for the development of the organization - not a new phenomenon for active AIESECers even today. Therefore he later needed to obtain a special permission to finish his studies one year later than usual, in the summer of 1951. In early 1950 the preparatory meeting for AIESEC is presided by Bengt Sjöstrand in Stockholm. The Frenchman George Maury went with Jean by plane to Stockholm for five days. “I have the memory of planting a seed”, Jean recalls from that meeting. Jean became officially Presiding Country Committee President (PCCP) - nowadays the position of PAI (President of AIESEC International). After the meeting in Stockholm, Jean started preparations for the Congress in 1951 acquiring the support of economic and political institutions. In March 1951 the 1st legislative meeting – Congress of AIESEC International – presided by Jean Choplin is held in Paris. A proposal for a “Senior branch“ aka Alumni is on the table, but not executed. Albert Kaltenthaler from Nuremberg (Germany) was invited as a representative for all international students, as there wasn’t an AIESEC organization in Germany at that time. Albert already had contact with Bengt from a university exchange between Stockholm and Nuremberg
- dating back to 1949. Also, the next PCCP is elected - Kaj Verner Slot from Denmark - with the next Congress to be held in Copenhagen. Jean’s term comes to an end with the Congress in Paris so he could take his exams and for many students with the end of their studies, their AIESEC-time comes to an end. But not so for Jean. He moves on for an exchange, as he receives a Fulbright grant as the first French student and he goes to study at the University of Kansas, USA. Jean is not able to attend the Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the German Albert Kaltenthaler is elected as PCCP for the next Congress in Nuremberg, Germany. Jean, returning from the US, is drafted to the French Military and fulfills his duties in Rastatt, Germany. With special permission, he can attend the AIESEC International Congress in Nuremberg, Germany which is held from the 15-23rd of March 1953, and the spark of AIESEC-spirit is catching fire again. “After my return from Kansas and my military service in 1953 I negotiated with Mrs. Le Verrier from UNESCO to get the cooperation status of AIESEC”, remembers Jean about his next AIESEC task - even when he started his professional career in a big textile company in 1954. Even today in the year 2018 at an age of 90 years Jean is actively promoting AIESEC’s work by consulting AI (AIESEC International), AAI (Alumni AIESEC International) and other AIESEC bodies as well as speaking at AIESEC conferences.
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