The Jörg Weise Association (JWA)
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The history of the JWA is that in 1979 one of our first students, Jörg Weise, who was with us in 1971 when Vacational Studies was 'Educational Holidays', died at the age of 21 in a motorcycle accident. This tragic loss of a young life was compounded by the promise he had shown as an actor and his involvement in international work.
His father was on the Board of Directors of Bayer AG in Leverkusen, Germany. In the name of his son, I invited Prof. Dr. Weise to nominate a young person for a place on one of our Courses. He agreed, but went further. He asked that he be permitted to nominate and pay for a place in his son's name in perpetuity. He also agreed to the sculpting of a trophy that would be awarded annually in his son's name to a student or students making an outstanding contribution to the international aims of our Courses. The recipients of the Trophy were invited to a gathering each year and, in time, the group grew to a sizeable number.
Such a collection of talented young people from many different countries needed more of a reason for being than just an annual get-together, I felt, and in 1985 I put to them the idea that they could form themselves into an Association that would work towards giving other, less privileged, young people the opportunity to cross frontiers. The Jörg Weise Association (JWA) was born. The JWA is a now a charitable Foundation registered in Germany, for the advancement of international understanding. It meets annually and has a well-organised social programme. Membership is no longer by means of the award of the Trophy. At my suggestion, the JWA will invite internationally-minded young people to join it – initially with 'Observer Status'. Anyone who is attracted by its international aims is able to apply for membership.
To know more, go to the The Jörg Weise Association (JWA) web site and to its new Facebook page – even if only to see a film of IGM in 1982…
The Jörg Weise Scholarship
We continue to be associated with the Jörg Weise Memorial Scholarship. The Scholarship is a place on any of our Courses, return air ticket from anywhere in the world, pocket money, theatre tickets and tennis lessons. The recipient of the Scholarship will be the sort of student outlined above who will benefit from attending the Course, but who is unable to apply for a place in the normal way for financial reasons. The Scholarship Committee will take steps to verify the financial situation of candidates.
We welcome nominations for the Scholarship in 2020 and 2021 which should be sent in confidence, and without informing the projected recipient, to Vacational Studies. I shall forward nominations to the Scholarship Committee of the JWA.