On Monday we had a great day, firstly of introductions to the ISU staff and teaching assistants (TAs). We got to hear more about the logistics throughout the next nine weeks, some safety procedures and summary of activities.

Following lunch, the main part of the day was the Opening Ceremony for ISU SSP13 which was held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The itinerary can be seen below:

At 2pm we prepared for our boat tour towards the European Parliament where we got to see some wonderful views and some of the history of Strasbourg.

Our boat was rather full with around 100 participants, including ISU faculty staff and TAs.

Just before entering the European Parliament we got to take some snapshots.

Here’s the inside of the European Parliament itself, called the “hemisphere” — rather impressive.

The main reception was broadcast online and will be available to view soon. Each country entered the hall alphabetically from Australia to the United States of America.

It was very good to hear from the President of ISU, Walter Peeters and ISU alumni working for major companies such as Lockheed Martin.

Following the speeches was the opening reception with a mix of “crudites”, nibbles and wine. Some enjoyed the good music and took the opportunity to dance a little.

Overall, SSP opened with some great style. The experience of attending the European Parliament was rather special and was a great lead introduction to our experience for these next nine weeks.