The Ambassadors

ESN in Europe for EXPO Milano 2015

 

- EU at EXPO Milano 2015 -

 

Expo Milano 2015 will be the first World Expo to take place in Europe in 15 years and its theme, 'Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life', is of vital importance for Europe and the world. As a global player in the debate on food and sustainability, the European Union (EU) should seek to reinforce its position, highlight its achievements and, most importantly, take this opportunity to work towards finding common solutions to these issues with other international organisations, countries and private stakeholders. The EU leads the way in terms of promoting quality food and ensuring food security and safety and environmental sustainability.

Indeed, with over 800 million people facing hunger in less economically developed countries and high and increasing levels of obesity and non-communicable diseases in developed countries, now is the moment to act. Ill-informed food choices, dwindling natural resources, climate change and threats to the world’s biodiversity are all issues that need to be tackled urgently. Expo Milano 2015 will focus the World’s attention on addressing these challenges and provide a platform to deliberate on these pressing issues.

147 countries and international organisations will participate, including 21 EU Member States.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The timing of the Expo, which coincides with the target year of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals, makes it crucial that the EU contributes in a substantive way to these negotiations. It will represent an important milestone for the global debate on food and sustainability.

In this spirit, 2015 will also be the European Year of Development. This year provides an opportunity to engage with EU citizens and showcase the EU strong commitment to eradicating poverty worldwide and to show how every euro of support helps to make a difference in the lives of so many, in some of the world’s poorest countries.

2015 will also be the midpoint of the implementation of the EU’s Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs. In a changing world, we want the EU to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy: an economy which delivers high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion. We intend to seize the opportunity of Expo 2015 to further promote understanding of EU policies and increase cooperation with our partners both in Europe and around the world, especially in the area of research and innovation.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC), which is the European Commission’s in-house science service, has been tasked with coordinating the EU’s input to the Expo. The JRC has scientists on hand to carry out research and provide timely, independent scientific advice that informs EU Policy making. The theme of Expo Milano 2015 cuts across many policy areas of the EU and the role of science will be crucial if we are to find new ways of increasing production levels in a sustainable way.

Here are some examples of the EU activities in other policy areas that are very relevant for the theme of Milano Expo 2015:

• EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), helping farmers not just to produce food, but also to protect the environment, improve animal welfare and sustain viable rural communities;
• Enhancing and promoting food safety, good food quality and healthy standards in the field of nutrition – both in terms of education and policy development – as precondition to guarantee the safety of its citizens and consumers;
• Boosting environmental sustainability, intrinsically linked with food production, being active in the sector of sustainable energy and production of energy;
• Providing aid worldwide: the EU is the largest development aid donor worldwide and, together with its Member States, provides about half of the total assistance worldwide.

 

While the Expo will undoubtedly be an occasion for international collaboration on global food topics, it will also, with its 20 million expected visitors on site and millions of online visitors, be a platform to reach out to European and international citizens, thereby promoting a positive understanding of EU policies and paving the way to a more interactive approach to policy development.

 

The time is now. Milano Expo 2015 is at the door and the pavilion of the European Union  intends to offer to all young Europeans the opportunity to actively participate in this historic event by contributing to its activities and creating a unique learning and communication experience.

We are looking for over 900 young persons who have a passion for Europe that they would like to share with visitors to the EU Pavilion in their capacity as volunteers.

Volunteers will be involved in many activities, such as crowd management and easing visitor access to the pavilion as well as the dissemination of information about the contents of the EU's participation in Expo and food-related issues.

People interested must be:

• aged between 18 and 30;
• legally resident in a Programme Country of the Erasmus + programme:
  • the 28 member states of the European Union,
  •  Non EU Programme Countries (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey).
• Have good knowledge of English (level B2). A fair knowledge of Italian language or of other languages ​​will be an asset.

Young people who apply could be also offered the opportunity to collaborate with the pavilions of EU countries in agreement with the respective heads of the pavilions.

After a specific training program conducted by Ciessevi, Centro Servizi per il volontariato – città metropolitana di Milano, the selected volunteers will be active for a period of 13 or 14 consecutive days and for a maximum of 5 hours and 30 minutes per day. During the rest of the day they will be free to visit the Expo site and all its pavilions.

Don’t miss this opportunity, FILL IN THE FORM and come on board, become a volunteer!

The EU Pavilion will be opened every day from 27th April to 31st October 2015, from 10 am to 11 pm. In  your application you should indicate your favourite announcements. You could choose at the most two different announcements, but only if you really desire to volunteer for two different slots. In this instance, the two announcements cannot be in a row. 

Summer Schools @ EXPO2015, Milano-Bicocca launches International Summer School Programs on the Expo Milan 2015 Theme

Organized between May and October, we’re offering 23 intensive summer courses in English of short duration - a week or two, dedicated to international students on the themes: food rights, culture, sustainability and health.
Lessons to be held in Bicocca Campus, Lake Como School and Centre for Research and Training of the Bicocca University in Maldives
Involved over 100 distinguished faculty and researchers for more than 600 hours of lessons
 Registration opens from February 1.

Milan, January 15, 2015 - The University of Milano-Bicocca Launches the Project - Summer Schools @ EXPO2015, a rich and rewarding mix of academic and cultural experience.  Dedicated to university students, we are offering 23 intensive summer courses of short duration – one or two weeks across a wide range of academic disciplines. We are live with all information concerning the programs on the website: summerschoolexpo2015.com.

With over 100 faculty and Researchers of Bicocca involved into the program, the summer programs offer more than 600 hours of classroom sessions, besides guest lectures and guided visits to companies/institutions. Over and above, all summer schools will have a special theme dedicated to Expo 2015 and all the participants will be granted a free entry to the Milan Expo exhibition The programs are centered on the following macro themes: Health and Nutrition, Food and Science, EXPO, Cultures and Social Challenges, ICT, Food and Communication to Global Business, Sustainability and Food Rights. All programs are being offered in English.

The Summer Schools @ EXPO2015 project is sponsored by EXPO Milano 2015 and by the Scientific Committee for EXPO 2015 The University of the City of Milan.

The summer programs will be held at Bicocca Campus in Milan, Lake Como School and the Bicocca Marhe Center for Research and Training (MARHE) in Maldives. The programs will be held during the period May and October 2015.

According to Andrea Biondi, Pro-rector for Internationalization of the University of Milano-Bicocca: "The vision behind the project Summer Schools @ EXPO2015 has been to promote internalization of education by offering high quality, innovative academic summer courses and experiential education opportunities during the summer of EXPO 2015 in Milan.”

The registration to the various summer programs will start from 1st February. Please visit our website for all details (content, calendar, tuition costs and payment methods, the number of credits awarded): www.summerschoolexpo2015.com.

Join a vibrant community of students and faculty as you satisfy your intellectual curiosity, earn academic credit, and explore the many facets of our University, the city of Milan and not to forget be part of the historic Milan Expo 2015.
 

For detailed information, please contact:
Ufficio Stampa Università di Milano-Bicocca
Luigi Di Pace 02 6448 6028 cell. 331 57 20 935
Davide Golin 02 6448 6248
Email ufficio.stampa@unimib.it
https://www.facebook.com/BnewsBicocca
@BnewsBicocca