Shaping the Future Together: ENLIGHT Student Network Gathers in Bilbao for 3rd Annual Bootcamp
The 3rd edition of the ENLIGHT Student Network bootcamp took place at University of the Basque Country, EHU, from the 17th of July until the 18th.
The bootcamp began with a welcoming presentation from the more experienced student representatives, as well as the Student Union of the University of the Basque Country. The new representatives were thus introduced to the inner workings of ENLIGHT, as well as future goals and expectations set by the Student Network. In addition to this, very rewarding parallel sessions were held where the students of the governance and community team respectively split up and discussed the future division of tasks.
One of the first introductory lectures explaining the inner workings of ENLIGHT Student Network. Photo: Julen Etxegia Perez
After a long day of getting the gist of everything and learning a lot, the EHU representatives had arranged a Pintxos Tour, where participants got to try a variety of different Pintxos and experience more of the Basque culture.
The second day began with a thorough workshop about the ENLIGHT SharePoint and how to navigate it. Students were very eager to find their way through it, as the fastest person to find a number of scattered files won a small prize. A very fun way to learn! As the morning progressed, students also engaged in another insightful seminar about the code of conduct, along with several playful teambuilding exercises. After having finished a wonderful lunch, the participating students took part in a handover session, with the purpose of making the transition between roles and representatives feel easier.
During the evening, the group of participants made their way to Ereaga beach, where dinner was served. It was a very appreciated activity, and a very good opportunity for participants to bid each other farewell before heading home the following morning.
A group photo of the attending representatives, taken during the first day. Photo: Julen Etxegia Perez
The 2026 Bilbao bootcamp will surely be something none of us will quickly forget. Between the wonderful friends made, and the useful insights gathered, everyone got to see an incredible city together with some incredible people. The new representatives got to say "see you later", excited by the prospect of an incredible year of working together to transform European higher education. We are all very much looking forward to what the upcoming year of ENLIGHT will bring!
None of this would have been possible without the students and colleagues of EHU. We therefore want to extend a huge thank you for all your amazing work. We look forward to the 4th edition!
Photos: Julen Etxegia Perez