ESN International

2017 marks the 30th anniversary or the Erasmus+ programme - a milestone for Europe!

An enduring European success story, Erasmus+ is a cultural phenomenon that has been credited with fostering a pan-European identity. The current programme, running from 2014 to 2020, is set to provide mobility opportunities to over 4 million people. Erasmus+ has also been said to boost employability and job mobility. According to the Erasmus Impact Study, young people who study or train abroad are half as likely to face long-term unemployment.

In celebration of this momentous occasion, a website has been launched to bring together all key players in Erasmus+.

As the key student organisation supporting Erasmus+, ESN has been actively involved in European student mobility for over 27 years. Founded in 1989, 2 years after the establishment of the Erasmus programme, ESN is now a network of over 500 student organisations in 40 countries across Europe. Every day, our members provide services on a voluntary basis to over 220,000 students, under the principle of Students Helping Students.

"The idea to create a student network supporting the Erasmus exchange programme was born in January 1989. The Erasmus Bureau invited 32 ex-Erasmus students to come to Ghent in order to evaluate the Erasmus exchange programme up until then."

ESN History Book, 25th Anniversary Edition

Amongst the 32 were a group of students who believed that a more practical, peer-to-peer approach was necessary to facilitate the mobility process. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, more than 27 years later, ESN is proud to be a close collaborator of the European Commission, working together in a multitude of ways to constantly improve and facilitate youth mobility. Especially in times like these, times of rising xenophobia and Euroskepticism, ESN believes it is ever more important to expose ourselves to other cultures and travel widely - values espoused by Erasmus of Rotterdam, the famous philosopher who lends his name to our cause.

Throughout the year, ESN's member organisations will be organising various events and activities under the scopeof the 30th anniversary celebrations. Many of our sections will also be collaborating with national-level celebrations organised by Erasmus+ National Agencies. To keep informed on ESN's celebrations, be sure to follow the Erasmus Student Network on Facebook!

We wish you all a happy 2017, and many happy years of travelling ahead!

#ErasmusPlus

On Tuesday 24th January 2017, EurActiv will host a high-level debate on the topic of experiences around the Erasmus programme and the road towards a more responsible and safe behaviour of young adults.

Organised in collaboration with the Erasmus Student Network and Pernod Ricard, the event features an opening speech from the Director-General for Education and Culture, Ms Martine Reicherts.

The debate itself will be graced by the following panellists:

• Dan Luca Senior Director, EurActiv (Chair)
• Sarantis Michalopoulos Journalist, EurActiv (Moderator)
• Xavier Prats-Monne Director-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
• Alexandre Ricard Chairman and CEO, Pernod Ricard
• Safi Sabuni President, Erasmus Student Network
• Martina Dlabajovà MEP
• Vannessa Debiais-Santon Head of Sector Erasmus+, European Commission

Questions will include:

• What are the experiences and expectations of Erasmus students?
• How can responsible partying be promoted among students?
• What are the roles for student organisations, stakeholders and policymakers?

RSVP for the event and join the debate via the hashtags #EADebates and #ResponsibleParty! For more details, view our info sheet on the event.

Attachment Files:  EurActiv Forum - Towards a responsible lifestyle of the European students.pdf

We kick off 2017 with a visit to the capital of Bavaria, Munich! A city full of culture, fantastic traditions, wonderful spirit and an ESN section, which manages to combine all of these elements together to create something very special indeed. Say hello to ESN MESA München, the first Section in the Spotlight of 2017!

Their rather long history began in 1999. The section, which back then was known as Munich Erasmus Student Association (or MESA, in short) was founded by former exchange students who wished nothing than to support incoming exchange students on their new journeys in Munich universities. They took the next step of embracing the ESN spirit by officially joining the network in 2003. Since that fateful year things have really began to kick off for them!

The ESN MESA team functions thanks to the guidance and vision of their 9 member board of executives. More importantly though, ESN MESA consists of international members and members of other Munich universities, creating a truly diverse environment in which people of different backgrounds can improve themselves.

While new members are treated to a lovely organisational workshop, older members can enjoy the so called “Stammtisch”, a bi-weekly informal meeting where exchange students and ESN MESA members can mingle in interesting locations. ESN MESA also organises a “Team Building weekend” once a semester where old and new members alike have a chance to become a team.

”We always stay in the countryside to reduce distractions, be within the team and enjoy one afternoon hiking or relaxing in nature.The weekends are a huge success in case of motivation, growing together as team and integrating the new members.”

ESN MESA also organises around 50 activities for Erasmus Students per semester. From cultural events such as visiting opera houses and museums to very original ideas such as “Kastenlauf”, a peculiar beer-cart-race which was awarded the StarAward in 2008! Despite all these great events, the one flagship project which makes ESN MESA stand out from the rest is their ESN Oktoberfest project. By inviting exchange students from different regions (and countries too!) they create a truly unique opportunity for Erasmus students to experience one of Bavaria’s most well-known events, Oktoberfest.

“This event is not just a lot of fun and a taste of Bavarian culture for everyone joining - it as well strengthens the cooperation of the regional sections.”

Apart from being one of the regional precursors in making exchange students happy, ESN MESA has not forgotten about their ESN spirit. By frequently organising SocialErasmus events like cleaning up cities after floods and helping out in refugee camps and animal shelters, and eagerly creating ExchangeAbility events such as Dinner in the Dark and Wheelchair Basketball, ESN MESA truly shows that they understand that a little compassion can go a long way.

Sure, ESN MESA is a section which frequently excels in organising national events like the German National Platform in 2015, or the Cultural Medley in 2007, and that many members of ESN MESA end up in the National Board of Germany (5 members over the last two boards!), but the real magic of this section lies in the fact that they’re willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. They’re not afraid of breaking the mould and creating something truly visionary and breakthrough, which can probably be summarised by their section mascot, a lovely Wolfpertinger! (Don’t worry, I also had to google what that is!)

On 11th December 2016, ESN welcomed its 40th country, Belarus, as a member of the network.

At the Council of National Delegates meeting in Krakow last weekend, representatives of 39 ESN member countries unanimously approved the ascension of ESN Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (ESN YKSUG), thereby simultaneously approving the establishment of ESN's 40th member country, Belarus.

Belarus is the 3rd new country to have joined ESN in 2016 after Azerbaijan's re-entry into the network in February and Liechtenstein's ascension in May. This makes 2016 a year of unprecedented growth for ESN, pushing the network past the 40-country mark for the first time in history.

Member countries of the Erasmus Student Network

This milestone is an important one, as we enter into 2017, a year that marks the 30th anniversary of the Erasmus programme as well as the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. Having been founded in 1989, the Erasmus Student Network is proud to be offering services to an increasing number of international and exchange students over the years.

This month also sees the release of the latest figures from ESN's annual census, known internally as the Section Questionnaire (SQ'16). SQ'16 reflects an increased interest in mobility and internationalisation, especially amongst Erasmus+ partner countries, with higher figures reported across the board.

Now with 525 local associations supporting international and exchange students across 40 countries in Europe, ESN covers over 1,000 Higher Education Institutions, a majority of which are closely linked to their International Relations Offices. In total, over 15,000 volunteers serve about 220,000 international students, by organising a range of activities to integrate those new to their host countries and improve the quality of mobility experiences.

Visit ESN.org/sections for an overview of all ESN's member associations and countries.

SocialErasmus Week is a biannual endeavour undertaken by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) on behalf of the SocialErasmus project, where the network brings together students and young people for a week of activities and events to enrich their mobility experience through volunteering, and show them how they can benefit their local societies.

Between the 7th and the 13th of November 2016, the autumn edition of SocialErasmus Week took place, with ESN volunteers coordinating activities under the 8 "causes" of SocialErasmus: Animals, Disasters, Discrimination, Education, Environment, Health, Poverty, and Violence.

Thanks to all the hard work and dedication of the network of National, and Local Coordinators all across Europe, this edition of SocialErasmus Week was the biggest ever organised!

"With the high motivation and great work of our local and national coordinators, this edition of SocialErasmus Week was the BIGGEST ever with 656 activities organised, 228 ESN sections involved, and more than 13,000 participants"

– Gizem Pelin Altun, Project Coordinator.

Over 1,940 ESN volunteers worked alongside more than 11,390 local and international students to leave their marks on society, and made some new friends along the way.

We’re very proud of the 29 countries that took part, with Spain alone organising 135 activities across the country, and providing countless hours of joy and wonder to their Erasmus students and local societies,

"On behalf of the whole International Team, and every member of society who you helped, I would like to say an enormous THANK YOU to every volunteer who left their mark!" says Gizem. 

With the next edition of SocialErasmus Week coming in the spring, a fantastic standard has been set, and we look forward to seeing the same passion and inspiring dedication in the New Year!

If you’re looking for inspiration for how you can get involved in the project, or other forms of volunteering in your local community, search for the hashtags on social media, and leave your mark!

#SociaErasmus #LeaveYourMark #SocialErasmusWeek

Have you ever dreamt about travelling non-stop? Do you have a plan to visit all European Capitals one day? Would you like to share stories to inspire others to explore the unknown?

Erasmus Student Network’s Mov’in Europe project joined forces with Student Universe and Hostelling International to launch a competition “Mobility is My Lifestyle” and reward one person with an excellent two week journey, visiting 5 European cities and experience what it means to be a real mobility ambassador!

Wanna win?

Rules are very simple:

• Submit a 45-60 seconds long video answering the question “What is international mobility for you?”
• Upload the link to the video to your Twitter with the hashtag #MobilityIsMyLifestyle and tag @movineurope and @esn_int.
• Your name, surname, nationality, current location, and occupation must be mentioned at the beginning of the video.
• You are responsible for the content copyrights, according to the state law. By submitting the video, you confirm that you have not breached any copyright laws.
• The video has to use the English language.
• One person can only submit one video.
• The video should not include inappropriate or offensive language.

And then wish for the best! The winner will be announced by the end of January and will receive a prize of 2 weeks journey covered by Erasmus Student Network, Student Universe and Hostelling International.

The winner will receive a 2 week trip around Europe with travel and accommodation costs covered. During the trip you will visit 5 cities of Europe and meet ESN members to share the experience and learn more about the culture. You will document all the moments in pictures or videos and share daily with the Mov’in Europe followers.

We're waiting for your entries until 31st of December 2016!

By submitting your video to the competition you agree to the competition’s Terms & Conditions.

 

Attachment Files:  MobilityisMyLifestyle_Terms_and_Conditions.pdf

Winter is slowly approaching, holidays are upon us, and our sections continue to spread their magic in a similar fashion. With that in mind, we are more than happy to introduce you to our Section in the Spotlight for December: ESN ASE Bucharest.

The section doesn’t have a very long history - they were founded in 2013 by a group of optimistic and persistent students who wanted to organise events for international and exchange students. Today, they are a strong and creative section that has 90 members in total, out of which 40 of them are active members, while 50 of them are active only in the Buddy Team. Their team even has a former Erasmus student who decided to stay in their lovely city and who continued interacting with exchange students.The recruitment of members happens twice a year, once in August, and once in February. After the process is done, they have #InductionDays where new members, during one weekend, get a chance to learn more about the structure of the network, and how it functions.

“Our section knows that people are the greatest value an organization can have, that's why we put a lot of emphasis on creating a great environment for continuous self-development.”

The team of ESN ASE Bucharest consists of a Local Board, and five departments: Events Planning, Project Management, Human Resources, Marketing & PR, Finance & Partnerships, and additionaly, the Buddy Team. The entire team meets once a month for a general meeting, while the departments have two monthly meetings, wrapping it up with a monthly teambuilding activity. Thanks to the one month knowledge transfer and well established means of communication, the transition period between the Local Boards always runs smoothly.

ESN ASE Bucharest has an amazing relationship with the municipality of Bucharest, and the University, who support them either financially, or with needed materials. However, most of their income comes from ESNcard, trips and visits.

They also have a nice way of motivating their members by giving them volunteer of the month award, as well as the best department of the month recognition, according to the involvment of each member. They have a small internal project, “We Progress Together”, offering each member to share their knowledge with other members. Speaking of projects, in June this year they have received a nice sum for their “Go Green! Go Clean!” activity funded by ESAA. Plus, their “GoInternational” project branded under Mov’in Europe, dedicated to outgoing Erasmus+ students, is financially supported by Accenture Romania, and is their flagship project. Together with the IRO of Bucharest University of Economic Studies they implement this project every year, divided in two stages: GoInternational 1.0 - promotion of Erasmus+ mobility opportunities, and GoInternational 2.0 - preparation of students who have been selected for Erasmus+ mobility.

Organising various events such as cultural evenings, cultural visits, entertaiment events, sport events, parties and trips presents no problem for them, since they have a hardworking team and amazing promotion. They communicate with their target audience mostly via Facebook (page and groups), website and e-mails. However, they are also active on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Wow, ESN ASE Bucharest surely knows how to raise their visibility! But the section isn’t only visible thanks to their social media presence, but thanks to their mascot Parizaki as well. He comes from far, far away, most of his powers are still unknown, but his main goal is to protect exchange students and section members.

They are also very proud of their Buddy Team, and their method of successfully matching exchange students with local ones. Also, with their “GoInternational” project, they have created and opportunity for local students to network with current exchange students in their city.

The section is very successful in implementing international ESN projects. They participate in both SocialErasmus Weeks, and they try to organize at least one SocialErasmus activity each month. They were a part of national SocialErasmus project, funded by ESAA, “Children finding voices”, aimed at bringing joy and knowledge to school children. In Mov’in Europe department, they are going strong with their “GoInternational” project, and this year they are going to try to implement ExchangeAbility activities for the first time ever. We wish you best of luck!

They are trying their best to participate in all the national events, and they have composed a nice list of international events they have been present at. They are trying to contribute to national and international events not only by participating in them, but by organising them as well. This year they have six  members involved in the national level, and three members in international committees.

Despite the fact that ESN ASE Bucharest exists for only two and a half years, they have managed to build an active, hardworking, creative and overall wonderful section. They can only serve as an example for all the young sections who are only now starting their #ESNcareer. Stay strong, stay positive, and keep up the good work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

From 28th November to 4th December, the Erasmus Student Network will rally volunteers from its 500+ sections in celebration of ExchangeAbility Week Autumn 2016.

In recognition of ESN's flagship project this year, ExchangeAbility Week is a new initiative that will bring students in Europe together through events and activities that raise awareness about obstacles faced daily by students with disabilities. The initiative aims to make Europe a more inclusive and accessible place, as well as to promote mobility to students with disabilities.

Studying abroad is becoming more popular and an ever increasing amount of students go on an academic exchange every year. However, when it comes to students with disabilities, the numbers are not increasing at the same rate. That is why the Erasmus Student Network believes it is high time to improve the conditions for these students, with a parallel goal of making ESN more inclusive and accessible as an organisation.

During ExchangeAbility Week, ESN sections from all around Europe will organise events and activities under the scope of the ExchangeAbility project, focusing this year on the topics of accessibility and inclusion.

ESN members will educate their students and fellow volunteers on the topic of disabilities and thus contribute to a more inclusive society and organisation. They will also be promoting mobility for students with disabilities, by spreading the message on the opportunities available, sharing testimonials of those who did it and by mapping the accessibility of university campuses! 

We believe that we can make a change and everyone is more than welcome to join! Since December 3rd is the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, it makes even more sense that we get together and spread the word, take action and ultimately, celebrate this week actively fighting for a world where inclusion is standard.

Join the ExchangeAbility Week Facebook Event and follow the hashtags #ExchangeAbilityWeek, #ExchangeAbility and #THISisESN to keep updated!

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is Europe’s biggest student organisation, present in more than 500 sections at 800 Higher Education Institutions in 39 European countries. It was founded in 1989, with the aim to support and develop student mobility. As part of its fundraising strategy, ESN partners up with the best international companies to offer loads of advantages to our members.

The international headquarters in Brussels is looking for a Digital Marketing Intern starting ideally in early January 2017. That person will support the Partnership Manager position on the marketing work of this role with the purpose to facilitate his tasks and, at the same time, learn about the latest digital marketing trends in the market and the business perspective of NGOs.

Terms and conditions

• Internship for a duration of 6 months
• The successful applicant should start in early January 2017 (to be discussed at the interview)
• Must have an Erasmus Placement or any Internship Agreement
• Accommodation at the ESN house in Brussels is provided
• Transport costs in Brussels are covered

Profile

• Balanced creative and analytical mindset
• Data-driven marketer
• Likes to work in teams and feels comfortable in a multicultural environment
• Both B2C and B2B oriented
• Passionate about marketing, social media and advertising
• Willingness to learn

Requirements

• Bachelor degree in Business Management, Marketing, Communication, PR or related
• Comfortable in both written and spoken English
• Proficient user of the Office package, especially Excel or any other spreadsheet

Main tasks

• Research, planning and execution of marketing campaigns and communication plans for commercial partners
• Content creation and edition on social media and newsletter campaigns with commercial content
• Assistance in the optimization of the traffic on ESNcard.org via SEO (Search Engine Optimization), link building, SEM (Search Engine Marketing), SMM (Social Media Marketing) and remarketing processes, as our main commercial tool
• Assistance in the tracking, evaluation, analysis and reporting of marketing actions and the general performance of ESN’s communication channels
• Pro-active role on the engagement strategy of our social media channels
• Provide support to the Partnership Manager, Project Teams and the rest of the ESN Office when needed

Why internship at the ESN Headquarters

• Casual, friendly, multicultural environment
• Professional business approach of NGOs
• Work using latest tools and following the latest trends on digital marketing
• Additional training opportunities in marketing and other fields of interest

To apply, you are encouraged to use the ErasmusIntern.org website. Alternatively, please send a short motivation letter and CV to applications@esn.org by the 6th of December 2016 at 23:59 CET. Please double-check that you are eligible for an Erasmus+ traineeship grant before applying. Interviews, either in Brussels or via Skype will be conducted with the shortlisted applicants.

For questions regarding the position, please do not hesitate to contact ESN’s Partnership Manager Hugo at partnership@esn.org (for content-related questions) or Director Rasmus at director@esn.org (for technical/administrative questions).

Attachment Files:  2016_11_Open_Call_Digital_Marketing_Intern.pdf

Max de Boer - Candidate for the European Youth Forum Board

On the 29th of September 2016, the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) nominated me for the Board of the European Youth Forum (YFJ) 2017 – 2019.

Gratefully, I have accepted this nomination, which has filled me with a strong sense of duty to pursue my vision and priorities while staying faithful to my personal mission and values.

With this blog I would like (1) to elaborate on my vision, priorities and actions for the YFJ as a Board Member, (2) explain my vision for the elections, and (3) illustrate how my profile makes me a valuable addition to the board.

My Vision and Priorities for the YFJ

My mission, which drives and leads me daily, is to promote social-consciousness within our European society. Unfortunately, current political realities are severely mismatched, which poses an agonizing European future for our youth and the next generations to come. However, the risk of such an agonizing European reality can be prevented through stronger collaboration and interaction between our MOs.

I envision the YFJ as a platform that brings our members closer together, exchanges best-practices and works cohesively together towards a future envisioned by our youth. Because the MOs stand at the heart of the YFJ’s work, there are three key aims when following my vision: (1) narrowing the knowledge gap among the MOs (2) building stronger MOs and (3) creating equal opportunities for our youth across Europe.

This vision will serve me as a basis to successfully fulfil my role as a Board Member of the YFJ. Concretely, based on my envisioned agenda, I would like to focus on the following two key priorities during my mandate (1) stronger youth organisations and (2) education, non formal education (NFE) and youth employment.

Priority (I): Stronger Member Organisations

Starting with my first priority, I would like to focus on building out the capacities of our MOs through developing knowledge exchange tools and platforms, because the MOs stand at the core of the YFJ. Particularly, as a Board Member, I foresee to work on two key mechanisms to build out the capacities of the MOs: the (1) ‘Pool of Trainers’ (PoT), (2) the YO!Fest and the European Youth Event (EYE).

First of all, I would like to further develop an understandable, accessible and strong PoT. This requires a common understanding of the aim and purpose of the PoT. Therefore, the ideas for the development of the PoT should be based on the needs of the MOs and the Forum.

Secondly, I would like to take over the responsibility for the work portfolio of the upcoming YO!Fest in Maastricht and the next version of EYE. With my educational and professional background in event management and having been involved in both events as a participant and partner, I am eager to contribute with my knowledge and competences to further develop these events. I believe that the YO!Fest and the EYE are key events to showcase the MOs’ work, foster cooperation between the MOs and foster the relationships with the stakeholders.

Last but not least, based on the draft work plan, other envisaged work areas would be the advocacy for recognition of the role of youth organisations in society, development of regional youth platforms and the empowerment of MOs to be more diverse and inclusive. These three work areas are key to further build out the capacity of our MOs and the representation of the Forum.

Priority (II): Education, Non-Formal Education (NFE) and Youth Employment

For my second priority, I would like to focus on education and NFE as my priority policy fields and youth employment as supporting policy field. This requires on the one hand an individual approach to each policy field such as quality education, recognition of non-formal education and youth employment. These individual policy fields are are all equally important. On the other hand, it also requires a holistic approach to all three policy fields, in order to support the process of lifelong learning but also design an ‘education to employment system’ that works.

I strongly believe that the MOs are key to enhance the dialogue between practitioners and policy makers in order to proactively propose and implement policies. Knowing that the coming two years will be crucial for the shaping of the next European agenda, we need to ensure that the voice of young people are reflected in the negotiations of the policies in these fields.

The YFJ has shown a good approach in actively involving MOs in the policy making process, such as the creation of the networks and the expert groups. These structures have been a solid basis to involve the MOs at an early stage in the policy making process. Further innovation of the structures can be adapted in order to ensure a higher level of engagement from the MOs.

A Board of Good Governance and Content-Based Elections

However, these envisioned priorities and actions can only be achieved with a board that will function as a team according to the ‘Good Governance Manifesto for the YFJ’. Only a board functioning on the basis of the manifesto will result in an environment where each Board Member can achieve his or her priorities and in the end create value for the MOs.

Additionally, this also requires that the upcoming elections are content based. Only when these elections are content based, the next elected board can progress as a team based on the MOs vision and ideas for the YFJ. From the candidates’ application forms, one can see that all the nominated candidates have a clear vision, strong priorities and the integrity to govern YFJ. It is essential that these visions, priorities and candidates are strongly aligned in order to make progress for the upcoming board years. Therefore, I appeal to all the MOs to share their ideas, visions and content transparently to all the candidates and have a content-based dialogue with the candidates and among the MOs during the elections.

A Different Perspective within the Board

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude for the support of my nominating organization, ESN, but also the support of the ‘Exchange Group’ and ENGSO Youth for my candidacy. I fully understand the responsibility of this nomination and support.

This support is also partly rooted in the knowledge that I can bring a different perspective and added value to the board based on my educational and professional background. Two concrete examples how to leverage my expertise and knowledge from my background are (1) by supporting the financial management within the board and (2) by working towards an improvement of processes between the governing bodies in order to establish faster, more-transparent and a less bureaucratic platform.

Now, having outlined my vision, priorities and ideas for action as a Board Member does not imply that they are set in stone. They are open for discussion. Therefore, I invite all the MOs to share their questions, ideas, visions and priorities via the #Askthecandidates tool, mail, Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. If you would like to find out more about my candidacy, please find my official candidacy here.

I wish the other candidates all the best and look forward to hearing your ideas, having constructive discussions and making the first progress during these #YFJelections.

Attachment Files:  Max de Boer CV_ YFJ Board 2017-2019 Application.pdf

Every great person has a place that shaped them. Harry Potter had Hogwarts and Luke Skywalker was taught the ways of the force by Yoda himself. Now what about Stefan Jahnke and Safi Sabuni, our very own stars of ESN AISBL? Although they weren’t Harry’s classmates, they did the next best thing. They joined ESN Växjö.

With a board consisting of 12 members, half of which are chosen among international students, you know that these guys mean business. And if this is not enough, there are also four committees which aid the board members in their everyday work. Talking about good cooperation!

Believe it or not, ESN Växjö, also known as Växjö International Students (VIS), was founded in 1991 and they will be celebrating their 25th birthday this year! Over these long years, they have managed to build and expand their organisation into a truly remarkable section. ESN Växjö has proven over and over again they have an unquenchable thirst to do more: they proved this just last month by organising the Swedish National Platform!

So what type of events do they organise? While they effectively deal with standard sports events, trips to neighbouring countries and cultural events, their pièce de résistance is the Welcome Dinner which they organise annually for almost 400 students. This event not only kicks off the semester on a grand note, but it also does a great deal in maintaining a strong relationship with the university authorities.

“Our Higher Education Institution (HEI) has often expressed the value of the fact that we organize this event. It's not only important for us and our students, but it is as well for our university. We have a good connection with our HEI”

Moreover, ESN Växjö focuses a lot on keeping their members motivated. Apart from sending ambitious and deeply involved members to various local and international events, they also hold two team building events for both the board and active members. There is, however, something that motivates ESN Växjö members even more.

"Even though we work 16 hours per day for an event, it's definitely worth it when we see how much they appreciate what we do. Hearing "Thank you for organizing this, it was amazing" makes everything worth it"

 

ESN Växjö is a perfect example of the ESN flame which will not burn out despite the stacking years. On the contrary, I’m under the impression that each year makes them shine even more. I suggest we raise a glass and celebrate the 25th birthday of the section that just keeps giving. Cheers!

Eyefive Films has launched a Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise finance for the feature film “Granada Nights”, which ends November 10th. Granada Nights is a self-discovery story based on the Erasmus study abroad program that is under threat due to BREXIT.

Indiegogo Link: https://igg.me/at/GNFilm

“With the rise of the Far Right, BREXIT, racism, bigotry, terrorism and the refugee crisis, we need to remind people why it's essential to come together and try to understand one another” says British-Pakistani Director, Abid Khan.

Granada Nights follows Ben’s journey from being an uncultured tourist to student to an expat. Set in the stunning multicultural city of Granada, Spain, which has its own history of cultural upheaval. Islam and Christianity traded places, shared space and the effects and influences are all still evident today.

Indiegogo, a crowd funding website approached the filmmakers early this year to help run a campaign to raise the modest amount of $20,000 which will go towards essential production costs.

Shot entirely in Granada, Spain, the filmmakers want to capture the authentic feel of what it means to study in and adapt to a foreign city full of culture. “It marks the milestones of a typical study abroad student and is about searching for a sense of belonging and the friendships you make with other students.” says Abid Khan who was an international student himself in Granada almost 10 years ago.

Abid believes it is important to make this film now, “We want to reach out to past, present and future students to tell them that Europe needs you now, more than ever! Through this film we want to remind people to share in our similarities and celebrate our differences and help to unite a divided Europe.”

The Erasmus Student Network has agreed on helping to spread the message of this production as a way to encourage young people to go abroad, experience other cultures and learn to be a better citizen of the world by living out of their comfort zone. As Abid, we think we are in a moment in which it is most needed to share the real value of international exchange and intercultural understanding.

 

For more information and contribute to the crowdfunding campaign, please visit http://www.granadanights.com

Eyefive Films is a film production company working on international film projects. Often working on a micro-budget, they feel passionate about going that extra mile.

Eyefive Films has launched a Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise finance for the feature film “Granada Nights”, which ends November 10th. Granada Nights is a self-discovery story based on the Erasmus study abroad program that is under threat due to BREXIT.

Indiegogo Link: https://igg.me/at/GNFilm

“With the rise of the Far Right, BREXIT, racism, bigotry, terrorism and the refugee crisis, we need to remind people why it's essential to come together and try to understand one another” says British-Pakistani Director, Abid Khan.

Granada Nights follows Ben’s journey from being an uncultured tourist to student to an expat. Set in the stunning multicultural city of Granada, Spain, which has its own history of cultural upheaval. Islam and Christianity traded places, shared space and the effects and influences are all still evident today. 

Indiegogo, a crowd funding website approached the filmmakers early this year to help run a campaign to raise the modest amount of $20,000 which will go towards essential production costs.

Shot entirely in Granada, Spain, the filmmakers want to capture the authentic feel of what it means to study in and adapt to a foreign city full of culture. “It marks the milestones of a typical study abroad student and is about searching for a sense of belonging and the friendships you make with other students.” says Abid Khan who was an international student himself in Granada almost 10 years ago.

Abid believes it is important to make this film now, “We want to reach out to past, present and future students to tell them that Europe needs you now, more than ever! Through this film we want to remind people to share in our similarities and celebrate our differences and help to unite a divided Europe.”

The Erasmus Student Network has agreed on helping to spread the message of this production as a way to encourage young people to go abroad, experience other cultures and learn to be a better citizen of the world by living out of their comfort zone. As Abid, we think we are in a moment in which it is most needed to share the real value of international exchange and intercultural understanding.

 

For more information and contribute to the crowdfunding campaign, please visit http://www.granadanights.com

 

Eyefive Films is a film production company working on international film projects. Often working on a micro-budget, they feel passionate about going that extra mile.

On Friday 30th September, the Erasmus Student Network moved from its premises on Rue Hydraulique 15 to a new location on Rue Joseph II 120.

First established as the ESN House in 2005, the premises was repurposed to serve as the ESN Office, the official seat of the Erasmus Student Network.

On this occasion, we have documented the moving process in the form of a short film. Enjoy!

New ESN Office:

Rue Joseph II 120
Brussels 1000
Belgium

On Friday 30th September, the Erasmus Student Network moved from its premises on Rue Hydraulique 15 to a new location on Rue Jozef II 120.

First established as the ESN House in 2005, the premises was repurposed to serve as the ESN Office, the official seat of the Erasmus Student Network.

On this occasion, we have documented the moving process in the form of a short film. Enjoy!

New ESN Office:

Rue Jozef II 120
Brussels 1000
Belgium

In mid-September around 5000 higher education staff, researchers, students and service providers poured into Albert Dock in Liverpool, ready for a three day conference with the conference slogan “Imagine” as a theme. The conference hosts a packed agenda with back-to-back seminars, hour-long workshops, receptions and an all-day exhibition area, the EAIE manages to keep even the most prepared busy.

This year ESN had it’s biggest representation and visibility in comparison to previous years. With a delegation of seven, ESN participated as speakers and moderators in over a dussin of sessions. As one of very few student organisations present, our main aim is to set the student-perspective on top of the ongoing discussions and ensure that the student voice is heard and reflected upon.

This year ESN highlighted three important themes at the EAIE; Digitalisation of higher education with the Online Learning Agreement Project and Erasmus Without Paper; Accessibility of international mobility through MappED! Focusing on empowering and facilitating the opportunity of mobility exchanges for students with disabilities; HousErasmus+ that investigates the accessibility of affordable housing for international students and trainees in Europe.

All together we managed to reach over 1000 people through our sessions, posters and stand at the EAIE. This results wouldn’t have been possible without the collaboration with meaningful partners in ensuring that the student perspective got a platform at this years EAIE and in addressing the topic of the future of higher education in Europe.

Lastly we want to thank the EAIE, the European Commission, Times Higher Education, European University Foundation, Coimbra Group of Universities, Ghent University, University of Vigo, University of Warsaw, Karolinska Institutet, Politechnical University of Valencia, University of Cyprus, The Class of 2020, Uniplaces, U-Multirank for a great collaboration!

 

In mid-September around 5000 higher education staff, researchers, students and service providers poured into Albert Dock in Liverpool, ready for a three day conference with the conference slogan “Imagine” as a theme. The conference hosts a packed agenda with back-to-back seminars, hour-long workshops, receptions and an all-day exhibition area, the EAIE manages to keep even the most prepared busy.

This year ESN had it’s biggest representation and visibility in comparison to previous years. With a delegation of seven, ESN participated as speakers and moderators in over a dussin of sessions. As one of very few student organisations present, our main aim is to set the student-perspective on top of the ongoing discussions and ensure that the student voice is heard and reflected upon.

This year ESN highlighted three important themes at the EAIE; Digitalisation of higher education with the Online Learning Agreement Project and Erasmus Without Paper; Accessibility of international mobility through MappED! Focusing on empowering and facilitating the opportunity of mobility exchanges for students with disabilities; HousErasmus+ that investigates the accessibility of affordable housing for international students and trainees in Europe.

All together we managed to reach over 1000 people through our sessions, posters and stand at the EAIE. This results wouldn’t have been possible without the collaboration with meaningful partners in ensuring that the student perspective got a platform at this years EAIE and in addressing the topic of the future of higher education in Europe.

Lastly we want to thank the EAIE, the European Commission, Times Higher Education, European University Foundation, Coimbra Group of Universities, Ghent University, University of Vigo, University of Warsaw, Karolinska Institutet, Politechnical University of Valencia, University of Cyprus, The Class of 2020, Uniplaces, U-Multirank for a great collaboration!

 

Can you smell rain and pumpkin spice latte in the air? We are back, and we have decided to watch leaves turn crunchy in the capital of Hungary. Say hello to our Section in the Spotlight for October: ESN IBS!

ESN IBS, a very new and young section, was born out of the cooperation with the Student Union of International Business School in 2013. There are more than 20 members in the section: 8 alumni members, 7 active mambers, 3 coordinators, and a newly elected Local Board which consists of a President, Vice-President and a Treasurer. The section has a very good understanding of the needs of their incoming Erasmus students because of two lucky coincidences—one of their members is also an Erasmus coordinator at their University, and 80% of members in their team are international students. How cool is that? 

They also have a very thorough recruitment process. They start by making promotional YouTube videos and flyers on why students should join their organization, then continue by sending invitations to students official University e-mail addresses who then proceed to apply for membership by submitting a Google form filled with various questions. Other than holding weekly and monthly meetings, they take care of their members by organizing teambuildings which they believe are an optimal tool for creating a friendly team, and in order to educate their members they organize trainings and workshops for that exact purpose.

Their University is kind enough to help them out financially by paying for their participation on national and international events. ESNcards and Vodafone cards also contribute to their fundraising, as well as monthly parties in collaboration with 10 other ESN sections in Budapest. As much as their Erasmus students love their nightly events, they also try to keep them entertained by organizing trips, outdoor activities and sport events. What makes their events so successful are the surveys they make in order to gather opinions and suggestions of Erasmus students, therefor including them in their work. They are involved in international projects of ESN as well, especially SocialErasmus and Mov’in Europe.

The news about their events are easily accessible to all students on their Facebook page, internal Facebook groups, Instagram account, website and a blog on the official website of International Business School. ESN IBS likes seeing local students attend their events, so their target group is all 900 students who study at the University. Impressive!

You want to hear something even more impressive? They made contact with ESN Azerbaijan in Baku and made an event called “Make a first step with ESN” for which they made a presentation on how to launch a new section and become a part of ESN, and in the process reached all the Universities in Baku. They are currently planning trips for ESN members from Budapest to Azerbaijan, and the other way around, for the purpose of knowledge exchange. What an amazing example of section cooperation!

Their members are present at every national and international event, and their main motivator is experience. They undertand that more experience leads to better communication, team work, organizational and other skills.

They are a very multicultural section, since there are only few section members who are actually Hungarian. All other members came from different parts of the world to study at their international University. They are full-time international students dealing with part-time international students, and in that they are unique.

“We are more aware of differences in cultures, and we have experience in working with international students. Our University is international which means our help is even more needed.”

ESN IBS is a fast growing section with motivated, hardworking members and ambitious ideas. We expect nothing but greatness from them.

written by Tajana Mohnacki

 

Can you smell rain and pumpkin spice latte in the air? We are back, and we have decided to watch leaves turn crunchy in the capital of Hungary. Say hello to our Section in the Spotlight for October: ESN IBS!

ESN IBS, a very new and young section, was born out of the cooperation with the Student Union of International Business School in 2013. There are more than 20 members in the section: 8 alumni members, 7 active mambers, 3 coordinators, and a newly elected Local Board which consists of a President, Vice-President and a Treasurer. The section has a very good understanding of the needs of their incoming Erasmus students because of two lucky coincidences—one of their members is also an Erasmus coordinator at their University, and 80% of members in their team are international students. How cool is that? 

They also have a very thorough recruitment process. They start by making promotional YouTube videos and flyers on why students should join their organization, then continue by sending invitations to students official University e-mail addresses who then proceed to apply for membership by submitting a Google form filled with various questions. Other than holding weekly and monthly meetings, they take care of their members by organizing teambuildings which they believe are an optimal tool for creating a friendly team, and in order to educate their members they organize trainings and workshops for that exact purpose.

Their University is kind enough to help them out financially by paying for their participation on national and international events. ESNcards and Vodafone cards also contribute to their fundraising, as well as monthly parties in collaboration with 10 other ESN sections in Budapest. As much as their Erasmus students love their nightly events, they also try to keep them entertained by organizing trips, outdoor activities and sport events. What makes their events so successful are the surveys they make in order to gather opinions and suggestions of Erasmus students, therefor including them in their work. They are involved in international projects of ESN as well, especially SocialErasmus and Mov’in Europe.

The news about their events are easily accessible to all students on their Facebook page, internal Facebook groups, Instagram account, website and a blog on the official website of International Business School. ESN IBS likes seeing local students attend their events, so their target group is all 900 students who study at the University. Impressive!

You want to hear something even more impressive? They made contact with ESN Azerbaijan in Baku and made an event called “Make a first step with ESN” for which they made a presentation on how to launch a new section and become a part of ESN, and in the process reached all the Universities in Baku. They are currently planning trips for ESN members from Budapest to Azerbaijan, and the other way around, for the purpose of knowledge exchange. What an amazing example of section cooperation!

Their members are present at every national and international event, and their main motivator is experience. They undertand that more experience leads to better communication, team work, organizational and other skills.

They are a very multicultural section, since there are only few section members who are actually Hungarian. All other members came from different parts of the world to study at their international University. They are full-time international students dealing with part-time international students, and in that they are unique.

“We are more aware of differences in cultures, and we have experience in working with international students. Our University is international which means our help is even more needed.”

ESN IBS is a fast growing section with motivated, hardworking members and ambitious ideas. We expect nothing but greatness from them.

written by Tajana Mohnacki