Staff and students celebrated Kent’s European links as part of an event to mark Europe Day on Wednesday 9th May. The main focus of activity was the Gulbenkian café bar where a talented musical duo entertained customers tucking into a special European menu. Representatives from International Development, Enrolment Management Services and Kent’s campuses in Brussels and Paris were on hand to advise on study and work abroad opportunities provided by the UK’s European university. Staff and students also took part in free language taster sessions provided by the Centre for English and World Languages.
The Europe Day themed quiz was won by Oliver Brown in Human Resources. Oliver wins two tickets to watch a European film at the Gulbenkian cinema, kindly donated by the Gulbenkian.
Due to the inclement weather, the Petanque Tournament was cancelled but the rain didn’t stop Mademoiselle d’Armentières, a classic 1961 Citroen 2CV, brought in by Andrew Briggs from Estates, joining in the celebrations. The car was a gift from La Chapelle d’Armentières in France to Birchington when the towns twinned nearly 20 years ago.
Europe Day events also included a special PVC’s Lunchtime Seminar on ‘Europeanisation’ and a ‘Eurovision’ Grants Factory workshop.
Europe Day commemorates the beginning of the European Union: a project to replace centuries of conflict with a new Europe based on co-operation and respect for the freedom and identity of its constituent parts. At Kent we feel justified in our claim that we are the UK’s European university due to our location at the gateway to Europe, our campuses/centres in Europe at Brussels, Paris and Athens, our partnerships with top-ranking European universities, and our wide and growing range of European exchanges and full degree programmes.
For more information on Kent’s European links, please contact International Development.