Contact Persons for support from the Hamburg University International Office and AEC
Should you need the University to sign any document for your trip, please contact the IRC Christiane Brueck at christiane.brueck@hfmt-hamburg.de.
For any other question on the event the reference person at the AEC is Sara Primiterra events@aec-music.eu.
AEC Travel Bursaries
Travel bursaries to the AEC Congress are available this year fo members in need of support. The amount of each bursaries can be up to 500 euros per person.
Each application must include the following documents:
- A letter signed by a senior member of the institution, indicating:
- Name of the person wishing to attend the event.
- Name of the institution where the person works.
- Total estimated travel costs (based on actual costs)
2. A brief explanation (up to 250 words) detailing any special needs or circumstances that justify the award of the travel bursary.
Application by: 1st October, 2026 to events@aec-music.eu and paolacurci@aec-music.eu.
Applications sent after the deadline not following the requirements will not be taken into consideration.
Student representatives and recent alumni (i.e. within two years after graduation) from AEC member
institutions wishing to attend AEC events should follow the application procedure described below,
while also cc-ing the European Performing Arts Students’ Association (EPASA) at hello@epasa.eu.
The selection and awarding of student travel bursaries will be decided jointly with EPASA.
Granting procedure
- The participant registers for the event, choosing ‘On place of the event’ as a payment method.
- The participant submits their application for the travel bursary by the specified deadline.
- Successful applicants are contacted via email with details on the amount to be reimbursed and provided with a reimbursement form.
- Successful applicants can book their travel and accommodation to attend the event.
- After the event has taken place, successful applications must submit the completed reimbursement form to the AEC Office, along with original booking receipts. The instructions and deadline for completing this task will be communicated in the confirmation email (see 3).
Please find more details here: AEC Johannes Johansson Travel Bursaries 2026
Sustainability
At the AEC Congress 2026 we’re making sustainable choices every step of the way!
All attendees are encouraged to reach the venue through eco-friendly travel options and choose eco-certified accommodation solutions.
Waste separation stations will be available, and badges, too, are repurposed from previous AEC events. To save energy, we encourage taking the stairs whenever possible. Vegetarian and vegan options will be offered at all organised meals as an effort to reduce our collective environmental footprint while sharing great food.
We are going paperless again: all information about the event can be found in the Swapcard App for Smartphones and the Swapcard app for Desktop. We advise you to download Swapcard on your smartphone before coming to the event. You will have access to Swapcard one week before the event by signing up and logging in with the email address you used to register for the event. Should you use a different email address, access will be denied.
Thank you for helping to save the planet!
AEC Green Travel Incentive for the AEC Congress 2026
In line with its commitment to environmental responsibility and in compliance with the AEC Sustainability and Travel Policies, the AEC is pleased to offer a Green Travel Incentive for participants attending the AEC Congress 2026. This incentive supports representatives from AEC member institutions who choose environmentally friendly modes of transport to attend AEC events.
The Green Travel Incentive aims to promote and normalise low-carbon travel—such as by train, bus, or shared mobility—instead of flying. It reflects the AEC’s ongoing dedication to reducing its environmental footprint and raising awareness of the impact of travel choices within the higher music education sector.
Eligibility
- Category 1 – Travel distance from departure point to event venue under 600 km: the criterion or one of the criteria is: both outbound and return journeys must exclude air-travel (train, bus or ferry).
- Category 2 – Travel distance from departure point to event venue over 500 km: the criterion or one of the criteria is: at least one leg of the journey must be air-travel free (train, bus, or ferry).
Application Requirements
Each application must include
- 300-500 words of a motivation letter explaining your full itinerary, which options you choose and why.
- Proof of round-trip ticket purchase
Evaluation Criteria
The following factors may be considered when evaluating applications:
- Distance of travel (for category 2)
- Balanced regional and geographical distribution of participants
- Number of extra hours they spend on transportation compared to the available flight options
- Balanced frequency of participation across AEC members
Recognition and Award
The selected recipients (1 per category) will:
- Be exempt from the event registration fee (with reimbursement if already paid)
- Receive an encouraging small prize
- Be publicly acknowledged during the event, on the event App, event report and AEC communication channels, along with all other applicants, in appreciation of their commitment to sustainable travel.
