European naratives. Twenty International Students Tell Their ... by Greg Bond

The negative outcome of the Syriza-led government’s attempt at negotiating anti-austerity policies within the framework of the EU has started changing this. Yet, until recently, deeper questions regarding the nature of the European project, and the ideologies animating its trajectory and setting its goals, hardly ever seemed to be raised 1.

The 2009 Eurozone crisis has sparked heated debates between partisans and opponents of austerity and the recent « negotiations » opposing the Greek Syriza-led government to European leaders and institutions have made the headlines for months. These are views from inside and outside Europe, and they offer a compelling answer to the question as to what Europe is – or can be.1 « Europe » has never been as present in the media and in political discourse as it is today. They are stories about how travel, leaving home and arriving somewhere else changes people, about how meeting people in new cultures and places leads to self-reflection, and about how this can challenge values and stereotypes. They are humorous and serious, and some of them will move you to tears.

The stories are full of passion and energy. Together these stories provide a complex European narrative, in which questions as to shared aspirations are raised. They write about their own lives, beyond ideology, with remarkable perception and insight into contemporary and historical Europe. This book takes a different perspective – that of young people from all over the world studying in Europe, asking themselves what Europe means to them. Through focusing on the challenges, Europeans may forget what Europe has achieved. The attraction of Europe to so many people outside Europe is undisputed, while within Europe the challenges seem to be greater than ever. There is a perceived need to legitimise the European project anew.

In recent years, Europe has been facing difficult times. A TH Wildau publication based on a creative writing project in the master's programme in European Management

European naratives. Twenty International Students Tell Their ... by Greg Bond