Open days and community outreach

2008

“Imagining Europe”, Europe Day at the Monash European and EU Centre (Caulfield Campus), 9 May 2008

As part of the celebration of Europe Day students were asked to express their vision of Europe in painting. This initiative was based on an idea of a French intern at the Centre (Aurélien Mazuy).

Paint, brushes and canvas were made available during lunch break at the Monash Caulfield campus. 19 paintings were made in less than two hours. Each “artist of the day” was given a promotion bag from the Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand.  It was also a convivial event during which people came to meet the members of the Monash European and EU Centre in order to get more information on the activities and courses offered by the centre. Monash Abroad was represented in order to promote the many partnerships of Monash University with European Universities.

The artworks are now decorating the Monash European and EU Centre. “Imagining Europe” is to become an even more important event next year with the strong partnership of the Fine Arts Department of the University.

The European Commission's Delegation to Australia has written more about this on their website.

2007

The Centre’s first 2007 EU Day was part of the inaugural Arts in Action: Monash Arts Festival Day. The Centre had a visually exciting and diversified display, with a special feature on Belgium and the European Union and the EU in Australia. The event was organized with the collaboration of the Delegation of the Commission, embassies and consulates of EU member states in Australia and European Communities of European origin in Melbourne, who generously provided free hand outs and information for this event to the Centre. The display included images from EU countries in a computer display and visits by representatives of several of the communities.

The second EU Day was held in conjunction with Monash University Open Day on 5 August. Promotional material prepared by the Centre on European and EU Studies at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels was distributed to prospective students. In addition, the Centre stand was highly visible through a display panel provided by the Delegation of the Commission and material generously provided by European embassies and consulates in Canberra and Melbourne and communities of European origin in Melbourne. Italian, Romanian and Dutch community leaders attended the event in person and discussed future collaboration with the Centre.