Servus everyone! My name is Chiara and for almost 6 months I volunteered as an IVY Reporter in Salzburg (Austria), supporting the Joint Secretariat of Interreg Alpine Space.
The programme finances cooperation projects across seven Alpine countries: Austria, France, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. It tackles common challenges and improves the quality of life of around 80 million Alpine residents (almost 18% of the whole EU population: quite a lot, isn’t it?).
This programme wasn’t entirely new to me: I already had a strong interest in cooperation frameworks in the Alpine region, but what really surprised me was seeing how this cooperation actually works behind the scenes, on a daily basis.
On paper, the programme can look quite complex. Funds are allocated through thematic calls to projects involving partners from at least five of the seven Alpine countries. Many of these projects tackle shared challenges in very specific areas like biodiversity, health, or climate change. And honestly, it is not always easy for non-experts to immediately understand their added value or the role of each partner.
That is where my role came in! As an IVY Reporter, I supported the Joint Secretariat team by creating content, helping with storytelling, and translating these complex project ideas into something more accessible for a wider audience. This meant volunteering on social media, drafting texts, managing website content, and learning how to communicate EU-funded projects in a clear and engaging way, basically helping make the EU feel a bit closer to its citizens in such a unique transnational region.
At the same time, I got a behind-the-scenes view of how projects are managed and how cooperation between international partners actually happens in practice, which was probably the most interesting part of all.
One of the things I appreciated most was living day by day in a truly international Alpine environment. Every day felt like a small exchange of perspectives, ideas, and approaches. It made me realise how important these transnational and cross-border programmes are for the EU, helping transform national borders from barriers into vibrant spaces of cooperation, diversity, and exchange.
Overall, this experience helped me grow in a way that no university or previous experience ever did. So if you are wondering whether to start an IVY experience, I hope this blog post encourages you to go for it and learn by doing through such a unique opportunity.
Cheers from (now) sunny Salzburg, and best of luck with your future IVY adventure!
– Chiara, IVY Reporter for the Joint Secretariat Interreg Alpine Spac
