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Journalism student secures European conference for Lincoln

A prestigious annual conference for journalism students will be held in the UK for the first time.

The 2009 Annual Conference for the Forum for European Journalism Students will be held in Lincoln after local university student Gina Davies fought to bring it to the region.

Gina is currently on a gap year from her journalism degree to work as a communications officer for the University of Lincoln’s student union.

She travelled to Trieste, in Italy, with 20 other representatives from across the EU to the Forum’s general assembly.

There she gave a presentation to delegates on why Lincoln should host the 2009 conference where she received a unanimous thumbs-up.

Gina said: “Securing the conference was a wild dream for me.

“I had been to a few European events in Brussels and Macedonia previously and although it was an experience, I thought Lincoln could do some things a lot better.

“I just wanted to show it off.

“It was my tutor, Debbie Wilson, who first drew my attention to the possibilities of exploring European countries through journalism.

“She got me involved in the European Youth Media Days event in Brussels which was an amazing experience.

“She also supported my application to go to Macedonia to represent Siren FM, the University of Lincoln’s community radio station, on a training course.

“I know it’s going to be a big job organising a conference for 120 people but it is something I can’t wait to get my teeth into.”

Around 20 students studying media-related courses at the University of Lincoln will have the opportunity to help Gina run the event.

Five of the group will even have the chance to travel to Croatia for the FEJS Annual Conference next April.