AEGEE-Bakı SU 2026: Unforgettable Adventures in Azerbaijan
From painting traditional symbols to taking an unexpected truck ride into the mountains, AEGEE-Bakı’s “Beat The Heat Vol. V” offered 16 participants an authentic taste of Azerbaijani culture. The event took place from 1 to 14 August 2026.
GT: What was your Summer University about?
AEGEE-Bakı: Our Summer University was mainly about Azerbaijani culture, traditions and local experiences. We wanted participants to discover Azerbaijan not only through sightseeing, but also through food, art, music, dance and spending time together with locals.
Please name some programme highlights.
The Azerbaijani language and national dance workshop – our participants got to learn some Azerbaijani phrases and traditional dances, which was definitely one of the most fun and interactive activities. Second, the painting workshop – our participants painted a buta, a traditional Azerbaijani symbol that is also commonly seen in Azerbaijani carpets. It was a creative way for them to learn about one of the most recognisable elements of our cultural heritage while making their own artwork. Third, the boat tour – enjoying the views together, relaxing and, of course, taking lots of pictures. Fourth, the hiking excursion – exploring Azerbaijan’s nature and mountains, with an unforgettable tipper truck ride included.
How many participants and organisers were at the SU?
We had 16 participants and 9 organisers.
What were the funniest or most exciting moments?
Definitely our hiking day! The bus couldn’t reach the entrance of the hiking route, so we had to go there by tipper truck instead. It was absolutely not part of the original plan, but somehow it became one of the most memorable and funniest moments. It was one of those “only at SU” situations that everyone ended up loving.
How important was the gossip box?
The gossip box was definitely one of the fun little traditions of our SU. It gave everyone a chance to anonymously leave funny messages, jokes and little secrets. We had quite a few unexpected messages, and reading them together became a source of entertainment during the evenings.
How was your group of participants?
Our group was amazing! They became really close during the two weeks, and it genuinely felt like one big group rather than just participants and organisers. They are still in touch even after the SU ended, which makes us really happy!
How would you evaluate the SU on a scale from 0 (very bad) to 10 (excellent)?
We would give our SU a 9/10. The biggest reason is the people. Seeing participants enjoy the programme, become close to each other, experience Azerbaijani culture and leave with good memories made all the stressful moments worth it. We don’t give it a 10 simply because we believe every SU can be improved, and we definitely learned a lot from this experience!
Which impact did the event have on your antenna?
The SU brought a lot of energy to our antenna. It helped us become closer as a team, gave us more experience in organising international events and showed us how much we can achieve when we work together. It also motivated us to keep developing international activities in the future.
Will you organise an SU next year again?
We would definitely love to organise another SU! We would like to make the programme even more interactive and give participants more opportunities to experience Azerbaijan in a very local and authentic way. We would also like to include more spontaneous activities and leave some free time for participants to simply hang out together, because some of the best memories were actually created in those unplanned moments.
Anything else you’d like to share that we haven’t covered yet?
Come to Azerbaijan and experience it for yourself! Our SU was not just about visiting places – it was about eating together, laughing until late at night, learning from each other and creating memories that stay with you long after the event ends. And honestly, the best part was seeing international participants fall in love with Azerbaijan in their own way.
