AEGEE-Tartu’s SU was the best Summer University in 2024

AEGEE-Tartu made it! The antenna from the North of Europe was voted “best Summer University in 2024”! The Golden Times asked AEGEE-Tartu’s main SU organiser Saskia Kolberg about their secret SU formula and their plans for 2025!

Golden Times: Congratulations, your SU was voted the best in 2024. How did you feel when you got the news?
Saskia: When we got the news, I was very happy and proud of my team because each one of them put their everything into this SU and deserved the praise.

GT: Why did you win?
Saskia: Good teamwork and communication is the core of good organising and time management. I can’t praise my team enough for everything they did. Also, we had the most wonderful group of participants! Couldn’t have done it without them.

GT: What was your Summer University about?
Saskia: Our SU focused on Estonian traditions, folklore, and sustainability. Participants explored how modern sustainability efforts intersect with cultural traditions, especially through the theme of the “Kratt,” a mythological devilish creature.

GT: How many participants and organisers did you have?
Saskia: We had 24 participants, 14 organisers, and 1 helper.

GT: What were the thematic programme highlights of the SU?
Saskia: The biggest highlight was the time spent at the countryside house and the Kratt workshop, where participants learned about Estonian folklore and built their own Kratt. Another standout event was the wedding party, where participants and organisers took on different roles and acted out a traditional Estonian wedding—adding a fun and cultural twist to the programme.

GT: You had an original concept, involving the mythology of the strange being, the Kratt. What is a Kratt?
Saskia: A Kratt is a mythological creature formed of old household implements by its master, who then had to give the Devil three drops of blood to bring life to the Kratt. It was for doing everything the master ordered it to and was mostly used for stealing and bringing various goods for the owner. It is necessary for it to constantly keep working, otherwise the devil would come for the soul of the owner.

GT: Your SU participants built their own Kratt. How did that look like?
Saskia: We gave our participants quite free hands with random materials we gathered for the workshop. Usually, Kratt looks cursed but our participants made it look very cute somehow.

GT: What were the funniest or most exciting moments?
Saskia: Dealing with the devil one night, where participants were asked to give the Kratt a soul from the devil, was exciting. The wedding party also brought a lot of excitement, with participants fully embracing their roles in the ceremony.

GT: How was the group of participants?
Saskia: The group was incredibly caring and fun to work with. They brought a lot of energy to the workshops, discussions, and social activities.

GT: Was this SU very different from the previous ones or was this very typical?
Saskia: Every SU we organise we try to come up with new original content and places, so each year our participants have totally different experience. If there is anything typical about our SUs then its time in nature, forest and swamps, we love our nature and we like showing it off to people who visit as well.

GT: Will AEGEE-Tartu organise an SU also next year?
Saskia: We have been organising SUs almost every year since forever, and our SU 2025 team has already started working – so there won’t be to an end to it any time soon.

GT: If yes, what will it be about? And will you be involved again?
Saskia: I can’t spoil the theme yet but this year. And yes, I have taken a role as a public relations lead in the team.

GT: What would you keep and what would you change next year?
Saskia: I would keep the good teamwork, time management and nature. I would have liked to be more precise with some tasks when delegating. I like the idea of visiting new places and trying out new concepts and workshops which we will definitely do next year.