REGIONAL COORDINATOR

The year 2022 marked an important milestone for post-COVID EYP Switzerland. For the first time in its history, the organisation would see its regional cycle taking place in both a digital as well as a physical format in the same year.

Throughout the learnings of the 2021 cycle, which took place fully online, we could improve our digital sessions, which served for young Swiss and Europeans to get a first taste of EYP activities from the comfort of their home. While not the norm, digital sessions included considerable upsides, such as eliminated travel costs, opening up the platform to more participants.

On the other hand, physical Regional Sessions (RSs) represent a core part of EYP Switzerland events, as their are the first door to be opened for the EYP journey of many. We were thus eager to end the hiatus from physical RSs, which had lasted two years. While the COVID world made planning any physical event incredibly difficult and unpredictable at times, the RS of Bern 2022 finally marked the moment in-person Regional Sessions were reality again.

Throughout the unpredictable times of early 2022, we were hence able to hold two online sessions, namely the 3rd Digital Session (DS) of EYP Switzerland, followed by the 4th DS; as well as the first RS of EYP Switzerland after the beginning of the COVID pandemic, Bern 2022.

The academic teams responsible for the RSs in 2022 were led by Šimon Prek (CZ), Lily-Rose Temple (IE) and Sude Kınık (TR) respectively. The Presidents were assisted in their duties by two Vice-Presidents, leading teams of six to eight chairpersons. The academic output, stemming from Topic Overviews to the Resolutions finalised at the sessions, was based on a blend of different topics both relating to the COVID pandemic and to other pressing European political topics. A big thank you to the academic teams of the sessions for their hard work and effort.

The media teams of the Sessions were respectively lead by Carina Hauri (CH) and Julijana Živković (RS), Hannah Oehry (CH) and David Wright (IE).

Hannah and David were assisted by one to two Editorial Assistants, and the media teams were composed of four to six media team members. For the first time in its history, EYP Switzerland’s RSs saw both physical and digital media projects published at their sessions. We are very grateful for the hard work of the media teams to ensure that this important year in EYP Switzerland’s history does not go forgotten.

The COVID pandemic remained a deciding factor for EYP Switzerland’s RSs in 2022. However, through all the unpredictability and complications which early 2022 brought, the Organising Teams of both the DS and Bern 2022 were able to bring memorable events, filled with laughter and learnings, to fruition. A huge thank you to Sara, Elsa, Lucy, Katarina and Milica and their teams for putting in countless hours, and challenging themselves to simultaneously continue the streak of digital EYP Switzerland events, and reinstating the physical status of our Regional Sessions.

Johannes Hahn