Notes from the EAAE President

The task for the new Council elected in Leuven was to clarify and stabilize the situation, reinforce the organisations ability to take action and prepare for a General Assembly in the autumn of 2014. So far we have tried to get at grip of the present situation in the EAAE and discussed future work plans in two Council meeting – on the 15th of June in Leuven and on the 20th of July in Milano.

Our next Council meeting will be in Chania on Sunday the 1st and Monday the 2nd of September. All projects leaders for networks and projects in the EAAE are invited to this meeting. The meeting is also an opportunity for the EAAE Council to meet representatives from sister organisations in the USA, Latin America and Asia. The title of the ENHSA conference this year is «Dealing with Change   For an adaptive, responsive, engaging and dynamic architectural education» and takes as usual place in Chania Greece, from August 31 to September 3, hosted by Centre for Mediterranean Architectures. This year, due to our internal discussions, the conference is not arranged in collaboration with EAAE.

The Council, on the one hand side, is busy trying to establish a new body for economical and practical management of the EAAE. An important part of this is an external audit of the economical and practical relationship between EAAE and ENHSA that seems to be the basis of the conflict the organisation has lived through the last year. On the other hand side, the Council is starting a strategic process that should clarify the role of the organisation, how the EAAE should be organised in the future, and what tasks should be given priority. In this process the discussions on the future finance of the organisation and future cooperation with EU financed projects and thematic networks dealing with questions related to architectural research and education, are most crucial.

I wish you all a fantastic and relaxing summer.

Oslo, 24th of July 2013
Karl Otto Ellefsen
EAAE President