Interview with Olga Abbiani, our IVY

Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) is a European Solidarity Corps initiative offering young people aged between 18 and 30 the opportunity to volunteer in cross-border, transnational or interregional programmes and projects. The aim is to promote a sense of European belonging, citizenship and civic engagement among young people.

What is your educational background?

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in languages in Florence, and in particular, I chose the Italian-German bilateral studies curriculum in agreement with the University of Bonn. I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in sociology at the University of Padua.

Why did you decide to participate?

Because it gives me the opportunity to engage in promoting and supporting cooperation in the territories, between people and local institutions (and this is an area in which I would like to work in the future) with financial support.

How did you hear about IVY?

Through online research: I was looking for volunteering opportunities in the social field, and was initially oriented towards volunteering with the European Solidarity Corps.

Why specifically Interreg IT-AT?

The tasks that were required of the candidate volunteer were in line with my Master’s degree (sociology: creating questionnaires, conducting interviews, analysing results…) and an excellent knowledge of German was also necessary (I like German).

What organisational aspects did you have to deal with?

To do this voluntary work, I had to find a room in Bolzano because I live in a town in the province of Mantua.

What will you do for IT-AT?

I will support the Joint Secretariat in consultations for the programming of Interreg after 2027.

What do you expect from this experience?

I expect to grow personally and professionally, learning above all what is behind this cooperation programme (the “human” side of decisions, negotiations and compromises between the different objectives of each actor) and I hope to be able to apply what I have learnt from theory in my university career.

Difficulties you are facing and things you like about this role

One difficulty I found, in the first few weeks, was learning to distinguish between the various programmes/funds/offices in the blue house. One thing I like about my role is that it is very engaging, and I really have a lot to do and think about. I’m also looking forward to getting involved with interviews and gathering feedback from the people most directly involved in Interreg projects.