Student Associations Evening: When Commitment Takes the Stage!

On Wednesday, October 14, La Vapeur came alive with the Student Associations Evening: award ceremonies, lively quizzes, games and treats brought the student community together for an evening that truly reflected them: friendly and full of energy.

Jointly organized by the Ville de Dijon, Dijon Métropole, Crous Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Info Jeunes BFC and Université Bourgogne Europe, this Student Associations Evening aimed to celebrate the people who are the beating heart of student engagement on the Dijon campuses. Now in its third consecutive year, the event honors projects created and developed throughout the 2025-2026 academic year. After the selection process, six initiatives, each one different and all rooted in students’ everyday reality, were awarded a prize during the evening!

But before the awards, the associations had the chance to talk with the organizers and learn about the support schemes available to them. They did so by completing a bingo card at each organizer’s stand to win prizes (including the prize wheel, where Cultura gift cards and concert tickets were up for grabs), and above all to break the ice between organizations and students. It was an opportunity to leave with goodies and useful information for the future, while enjoying an aperitif to kick off the evening.

The 2026 Award Winners

On stage, the Sparse hosts led the ceremony with infectious good humor. Between award presentations, they ran music quizzes and kept things light with humor and relaxed interactions with the students, letting their personalities shine throughout the evening. The awards were presented by several figures from Dijon’s public and institutional life:

• The Student with the Most Remarkable Commitment (€150), presented by Nabia Hakkar-Boyer, President of Info Jeunes BFC
  → The Association d’Entraide Étudiante (A2E) for LearnMed, a collaborative platform that helps students in paramedical programs create study sheets, review with flashcards and practice with multiple-choice questions.
• The Most Original Student Association Project (€150), presented by Maxence Roulliat, Vice-President for Student Life at Université Bourgogne Europe
  → ESN InsiDijon for its Palentine’s Day.
• Best Social and Solidarity Project 2025-2026 (€300), presented by Murielle Baldi, Director General of Crous BFC
  → ADAH for its student charity thrift store, which attracted more than 300 visitors and raised over €950 to fund future solidarity events.
• Best Cultural Project 2025-2026 (€300), presented by Christine Martin, Deputy Mayor of Dijon for Culture, Cultural Influence and Historic Heritage Promotion
  → AEAC for its film screening and debate on the film Muganga.
• The Dijon Student Association Award (€800), presented by Hamid El Hassouni, Deputy Mayor of Dijon for Youth, Community Life and Popular Education, and Metropolitan Councillor for Citizen Participation and Student Life
  → FEBIA for two major projects: AGORAé, the university’s social and solidarity grocery store, and LVDE, Dijon’s student media outlet.
• The Jury’s Favorite Award, presented by all members of the jury
  → OPEIF for its organization of inter-faculty exchanges.

Beyond the prizes, the evening was a reminder of a shared conviction: student engagement is an essential value. It creates connections, breaks isolation, encourages mutual support and makes campuses places where people feel good. Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to all the associations that give their time and energy every day. See you at the next edition!