11-24 July 2004. 3th VISEGRAD SUMMER SCHOOL (Villa Decius, Cracow)

The aim of the Visegrad Summer School is to provide an attractive and alternative learning space for young people from Central Europe and enable them to get acquainted with the most important social, security, economic, political and cultural issues which may reinforce or inhibit their European co-operation.

50 students, graduates, PhD researchers, young journalists and teachers from Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Poland will deepen their knowledge about ever-changing political, social and economic reality of the continent, make international friendships and meet most outstanding European experts.

Intellectuals, scientists, politicians, representatives of business and non-governmental organisations as well as journalists and artists will conduct seminars, workshops, lectures and debates.Topics of the third edition of the Visegrad Summer School will include: reflections on experiencing the Enlargement by old and new EU members and future shape of the EU; European models of international and regional co-operation – issues and challenges; practice of V4 partnership in EU structures; global threats and issues; new Euro-Atlantic relations; European models of public – private partnerships in development of civil society; securing human and cultural rights of ethnic and national minorities; freedom of speech, religion, artistic expression and democracy; and the new European identity.

The Visegrad Summer School is one of the most recognised forms of education and co-operation of young people in Central Europe . Considering independent and innovative projects devised and developed by its students, the Visegrad Summer School is becoming a place for creation of new forms of co-operation of students, young researchers and NGOs from V4 countries.