Members’ General Assembly

The responsibilities of the General Assembly include adopting the annual programme, approving the budget and electing the President as well as the Secretary General.

The Articles of Association distinguish between two forms of membership in the organisation: Ex officio members and ordinary members.

Ex officio members on the German side are the Federal Minister of Education and Research as well as the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Ambassador for the Federal Republic of Germany to Italy and a member of the German- Italian Parliamentary Group of the German Bundestag.

Italy is represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Research, the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Germany and a member of the German- Italian Parliamentary Group of the Italian Parliament.

Ordinary members are natural or legal persons (such as the German Research Foundation and the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) who are of particular importance in the fields of research, education, science, business, politics, journalism and culture and have made a significant contribution to the promotion of relations between the two countries.

Programme Advisory Board for the Younger Membership

Vision
Villa Vigoni is a hub for German-Italian, intergenerational, and interdisciplinary dialogue for a sustainable Europe. All young individuals from Germany and Italy who are interested have the opportunity to actively contribute to the activities of Villa Vigoni and can therefore find a vibrant, well-connected starting point for their own initiatives. The Advisory Board for the Younger Membership is the institutional voice of younger generations, including both young members of the Villa Vigoni association and external individuals who are interested in promoting German-Italian and European relations.

Story
The Programme Advisory Board for the Younger Membership was established in 2024 to address a desire identified during the strategic planning process that began in 2019, namely to involve young Germans and Italians more actively in the programme of Villa Vigoni. The board serves in an advisory capacity and is made up equally of young members from Germany and Italy, all of whom contribute on a voluntary basis. The founding members have previously played an active role in shaping “Junge Vigoni” and have been involved in Villa Vigoni’s projects either as participants or project leaders. The mandate of the Advisory Board lasts for three years. After this period, the young members of the Villa Vigoni association will elect new candidates. If a member of the board steps down and needs to be replaced, the remaining members of the Advisory Board will elect a replacement. The substitute member will serve until the end of the current term and may stand for re-election afterwards.

Mission
The Advisory Board for the Younger Membership sees itself as a platform for dialogue, where new, young voices can be heard and meaningfully connected to promote German-Italian relations. It is particularly focused on encouraging these individuals to move beyond an initial interaction, inspiring them to actively contribute to shaping the future of the institution while at the same time maintaining continuity in the dialogue between Germany and Italy.

Advisory Board
Gregor Christiansmeyer, „Jugendsoziales Engagement in Europa“ Sozialinstitut Kommende Dortmund
Luca Cocozza, Digital Risk, Consulting EY
Johanna Gremme, Theaterpädagogin und Teaching Artist
Maximilian Hausmann, Abteilung Forschung und Projekte, Villa Vigoni
Alberta Ivaldi, Abteilung Forschung und Projekte, Villa Vigoni
Lisa Krügel, Büro Internationales, Stadt Münster
Marco Martori, International Students Office, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

The programme advisory board for the younger membership can be contacted via: portavoce.jpb@villavigoni.eu

How do I become a member of the association?

The activities of the German-Italian Centre for European Dialogue Villa Vigoni are supported by the binational association Villa Vigoni / Villa Vigoni e.V.
Individuals and institutions wishing to make an active contribution to German-Italian relations can become members of Villa Vigoni.

Why become a member?

• networking opportunities (across generations); the chance to meet prominent personalities from science, culture and politics;
• guided tours of Villa Mylius-Vigoni and the park, by arrangement also beyond the regular Villa Vigoni visitor programme;
• participation in Villa Vigoni events (after consultation with the coordinators), such as forums on current topics and the summer concert;
• unrestricted participation in the meetings of the association’s various bodies;
• opportunity to be nominated and elected to the Villa Vigoni Board of Trustees;
• regular information about the activities of the association.

Additional advantages for junior members

• collaboration on proposals for the annual programme of the Young Villa Vigoni via the programme advisory board for the younger membership;
• participation in events (online and in person), which in the future will also be organised especially for young members;
• a special edition of the newsletter with information on tenders, events and other proposals between Italy and Germany.