SKOK Visited the EU Institutions in Brussels. The Students Were Accepted by the Ambassador Jakub Dürr.

The members of the Student Trade and Competitiveness (SKOK) Student Club participated in a four-day stay in Brussels, Belgium, from 5 to 8 March 2020. The aim of the trip was mainly to get to know the institutions of the European Union, the functions of the individual representations of the Czech Republic-based in Brussels and also to experience the culture of another European country while staying abroad.

The students spent the first day of their stay at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union, where the Ambassador Jakub Dürr introduced them to the activities of the Representation. The Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the EU is the main coordinating office that provides two-way communication between the EU and the Czech institutions and defends the interests of the Czech Republic to the EU.

Besides, students also visited the House of European History, a museum exhibiting the common history of the European continent and the history of the European Union. The plan also included a tour of the “Hemicycle” itself, where MEPs are held in Brussels, but due to the current situation, the visit was not feasible. However, students were allowed to visit the Parlamentarium, the European Parliament’s visitor centre, which provides information on the functions and functioning of the various European institutions. On top of that, the student club had the opportunity to explore Brussels and the historic city of Bruges as well as traditional Belgian cuisine, including the famous Belgian waffles.

How do the SKOK members rate the trip?

“It was four days full of information, during which we learned a lot of new things, but at the same time we had the opportunity to get to know each other better and strengthen our relationship.”