Associação Académica da Universidade da Madeira

The University of Madeira Students’ Union (AAUMa) is the institution that represents the students of the University of Madeira. It is a private non-profit association, ruled by its own internal statutes, as well as by applicable legislation. Recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, it is registered in the National Registry of Youth Associations of the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth. AAUMa was also honored, by the local government of Madeira, as an Institution of Public Utility, as recognition of the merits of its ongoing mission. Since it is based in the Madeira archipelago, considered an ultra-peripheral region, one of the main focus of the various activities held by AAUMa is to endow the youth community of Madeira with skills and competencies that enable them to surpass the challenges inherent to the geographical difficulties that they are subjected to. The Erasmus+ program is a very important complement to our mission because it allows youth people in Madeira to have very useful experiences in another country, contacting different people, languages, and cultures, all of which will be key to their personal and professional development. The University of Madeira Students' Union has extensive experience in the youth sector and in hosting European volunteers and also regular volunteers from their region. Having about 90 volunteers and 18 staff working full time, their main goal is teaching some of their skills and methodologies, as well as the disquisition of methodologies the volunteers bring from their countries. They intend to promote local and European youth: new knowledge and experiences, developing people's skills, educational, social and professional, the ability to learn new languages and new cultures, taking into account people with fewer opportunities.