Kadir TOPBAS, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality spoke at opening

ISTANBUL, August 14, 2007--UAE was represented at the upcoming AIESEC International Congress taking place in Istanbul, Turkey, August 21 to 30, 2007. 

The annual AIESEC congress brought together over 700 university students from 100 countries.  Stella Grancheva, President of AIESEC in the UAE, and Avinash Menon, President of the local chapter of AIESEC in Dubai, were attending on behalf of UAE. 

Through a series of discussions and seminars with global business, cultural, science, political and NGO leaders, top youth talent from AIESEC--the world's largest student organizations--had the unique opportunity to exchange opinions and discuss the most relevant issues affecting today's world.

The ten day annual congress held this year in Istanbul kicked off on August 21 with Kadir Topbas, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality speaking at the Opening Ceremony.  This was followed by AIESEC's infamous Global Village, showcasing the cultures, customs and traditions of 100 countries around the globe.  Regional presentations throughout the afternoon highlighted hot topics within regions of the world, such as the gap between the West and the East or Turkey and the European Union.

This is AIESEC's most important annual congress that sets the stage for the global network for the next year.  In an effort to engage more of AIESEC's 23,000 student members, a virtual platform for the conference was available for congress delegates to share their experiences via blogs, online chats and video messaging, and members not in attendance could browse session materials online at www.live.myaiesec.net.

AIESEC in Turkey had the honour of holding this prestigious AIESEC conference this year; it has been 40 years since the last conference of this size was held here. 

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About AIESEC
AIESEC is the international student platform for young people to discover and develop their potential.  Present in over 1100 universities and encompassing over 23,000 members, AIESEC is one of the world's largest student organizations. AIESEC provides the platform for leadership development for young people by offering over 5000 leadership opportunities each year, in addition to over 4000 international internship opportunities for its members.  AIESEC is an organization that activates leaders, creating a network of change agents that have a positive impact on society.

For media information:
Emil Ivanov
Vice-President External Relations
AIESEC in the UAE
Email:  emi.ivanov@aiesec.net
Phone: +971 4 3900 335
Web: www.aiesec.org    

© Press Release 2007