National Unions of Students in Europe
Encyclopedia
European Students' Union (ESU) formerly known as ESIB - The National Unions of Students in Europe - is the umbrella organisation of 45 national unions of students from 37 countries and through these members represents over 11 million students. The aim of ESU is to represent and promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at a European level towards all relevant bodies and in particular the European Union
, Council of Europe
and UNESCO
. ESU is representing the voice of the students in Europe by being a consultative member to the Bologna Process
. ESU is also a full member of the European Youth Forum
(YFJ), the ESU nominee for 2006 was elected the president of the YFJ
Over the years the office of ESU has moved around Europe and was first hosted by the member NUSes. Following the establishment of WESIB in Stockholm the office was based in the SFS Office in Sweden from 1982 until 1985, funded by a grant by the Swedish Government. By 1985 the grant was running low and so NUS UK offered to host WESIB in their London headquarters. In 1988 the office moved to the ÖH offices in Vienna and remained there until 2000, when it was decided that for reasons of being near the European institutions the office should move to Brussels and was hosted by VVS.
, qualification frameworks, student centered learning and many others that directly have to do with education. It represents European students in various groups working on the Bologna process
and oversees the bi-annual publication Bologna with Student Eyes.
.
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
and UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. ESU is representing the voice of the students in Europe by being a consultative member to the Bologna Process
Bologna process
The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
. ESU is also a full member of the European Youth Forum
European Youth Forum
The European Youth Forum is the platform of the national youth councils and international non-governmental youth organisations in Europe...
(YFJ), the ESU nominee for 2006 was elected the president of the YFJ
History
On the 17th October 1982, seven National Unions of Students (NUSes) from The United Kingdom, Sweden, Iceland, France, Denmark, Norway and Austria gathered in Stockholm to create WESIB, the Western European Students Information Bureau. In February 1990, WESIB dropped the “W” to become the European Student Information Bureau following the political upheaval in Europe at the time. In 1992 the name was changed into ESIB – the National Unions of Students in Europe. This refelected the recognition of the changing mission of ESIB from just an information sharing organisation to political organisation that represented the views of students to European institutions. In May 2007 the name changed to European Students' Union (ESU).Over the years the office of ESU has moved around Europe and was first hosted by the member NUSes. Following the establishment of WESIB in Stockholm the office was based in the SFS Office in Sweden from 1982 until 1985, funded by a grant by the Swedish Government. By 1985 the grant was running low and so NUS UK offered to host WESIB in their London headquarters. In 1988 the office moved to the ÖH offices in Vienna and remained there until 2000, when it was decided that for reasons of being near the European institutions the office should move to Brussels and was hosted by VVS.
Structures
The highest structure of ESU is the Board Meeting, bringing together representatives from all the National Unions of Students it represents. The Board Meeting sets the policy direction of the organisation, and elects members to see to run the organisation. There are currently 17 elected members, formed into an executive committee, four content committees and one cross committee with members from the other committees. These are:Executive Committee
Responsible for the political direction, day-to-day running and overall responsibility for the organisation, the Executive Committee is composed of a chair, a vice-chair and three other members . It works according to a workplan (as with all other structures) which is set by the board meeting, and is accountable to the Board Meeting for its implementation.Academic Affairs Committee
The Academic Affairs Committee has four members who deal with issues such as quality assurance in education, ECTSECTS
ECTS may refer to:* Elementary cognitive tasks, from psychometrics* Engine coolant temperature sensor* European Calcified Tissue Society* European Computer Trade Show* European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System...
, qualification frameworks, student centered learning and many others that directly have to do with education. It represents European students in various groups working on the Bologna process
Bologna process
The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
and oversees the bi-annual publication Bologna with Student Eyes.
Social Affairs Committee
The four person Social Affairs Committee is tasked with social affairs in higher education. This includes questions of access to higher education, financial affairs of students, health, accommodation, work and so on. The committee represents ESU within groups working on social affairs both in the Bologna process and the Lisbon strategyLisbon Strategy
The Lisbon Strategy, also known as the Lisbon Agenda or Lisbon Process, was an action and development plan devised in 2000, for the economy of the European Union between 2000 and 2010....
.
Student Union Development Committee
The Student Union Development committee is made up of two members and concerned with the development of the European students movement, both in general and in individual countries. It assists students in countries where the student movement lacks a strong position in society and helps build the capacity of the student unions which are members of ESU. The committee also oversees study visits and publishes a handbook on student union development.Committee for Internal Development
This two person committee deals with the internal structures of ESU, including the financing and support for members and elected representatives as well as being charged with creating an overall communications strategy for the organization.Gender Equality Cross Committee
The only cross committee within ESU is made up of one member from each of the other committees and has the overall task of mainstreaming gender equality into all of ESUs work as well as increasing awareness of gender issues both with in ESU and amongst the member unions.Full members
- Austrian National Union of StudentsAustrian National Union of StudentsThe Austrian Students' Association by statutory body is the general students' representative body in Austria and serves as the students' government by federal law...
(ÖH) - Belarusian Students' Association (BSA)
- Federation of French-speaking Students in Belgium (FEF)
- Flemish Union of StudentsFlemish Union of StudentsThe National Union of Students in Flanders is an organisation that represents the students of Flanders ....
(VVS) - Student Union of Republika Srpska (SURS)
- National Assembly of Student’s Councils in the Republic of Bulgaria (NASC)
- Union of Bulgarian Students (UBS)
- Croatian Student's Council (CSC)
- Pancyprian Federation of Student Unions (POFEN)
- Student Chamber of the Council of Higher Education InstitutionsStudent Chamber of the Council of Higher Education InstitutionsIn the Czech Republic the Student Chamber and the Council of Higher Education Institutes, Studentská komora Rady vysokých škol together with the Czech Rectors Conference forms the official representation of Czech Higher Education Institutes on the basis of the Higher Education Act of the Czech...
(SK RVŠ) - National Union of Students in Denmark (DSF)
- Federation of Estonian Student UnionsFederation of Estonian Student UnionsEesti Üliõpilaskondade Liit is a federation of Estonian student unions. It was founded on 23. November 1991, shortly after Estonia regained independence. EÜL as umbrella organization currently represents over 95% of Estonian students.EÜL’s main goal is to represent students’ interests on...
(EÜL) - Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (SAMOK)
- National Union of University Students in FinlandNational Union of University Students in FinlandThe National Union of University Students in Finland is the largest national organisation providing benefits and services for students in Finland. Its members, including student unions and one student body, consists of over 140,000 Bachelor's and Master's degree students as well as and...
(SYL) - National Federation of Student’s Associations in France (Fage)
- National Union of Students of FranceUnion nationale des étudiants de franceThe National Union of Students of France is the main national students' union in France....
(UNEF) - National Union of Students in Germany (fzs)
- Students Organisation League of Georgia (SOLG)
- National Union of Students in Hungary (HÖOK)
- Student Council of the University of Iceland (SHÍ)
- Union of Students in IrelandUnion of Students in IrelandThe Union of Students in Ireland is the national representative body for third-level students' unions in Ireland. The Union of Students in Ireland is the sole national representative body for students in Ireland but does not represent students from two of the seven Irish Universities, namely...
(USI) - National Union of Israeli StudentsNational Union of Israeli StudentsThe National Union of Israeli Students is the national representative body of university students in Israel.-Members:...
(NUIS) - National Union of Italian University Students (UdU)
- Student Union of Latvia (LSA)
- Lithuanian National Union of Students (LSS)
- Lithuanian National Union of Student Representations (LSAS)
- National Union of Students in Luxembourg (UNEL)
- Luxembourg University Students (LUS)
- National Student Union of Macedonia (NSUM)
- Kunsill Studenti UniversitarjiKunsill Studenti UniversitarjiThe Kunsill ta’ l-Istudenti Universitarji is the Maltese national student union, the oldest organization of its kind in Europe. KSU was founded by Arturo Mercieca in 1901, as the Comitato Permanente Universitario...
(KSU - Malta) - Dutch National Students AssociationDutch National Students AssociationThe Dutch National Students Association or ISO is one of two national representation and spokesman of students in the Netherlands at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, VSNU , Association of Higher Professional Education, IB-Groep, etc.The purpose of ISO is to improve the quality of...
(ISO-Interstelijk Studenten Overleg) - Dutch National Union of Students (LSVb)
- National Union of Students in Norway (NSU)
- Norwegian Association of Students (StL)
- Students' Parliament of Poland (PSRP)
- Academic Forum for Information and External Information in Portugal (FAIRe)
- National Alliance of Student Organizations in RomaniaNational Alliance of Student Organizations in RomaniaThe National Alliance of Student Organizations in Romania is the largest single national-level student federation in Romania. It represents over 63 organizations from cities across the country.It has existed since 1999, but it gained legal status only in 2000...
(ANOSR) - Student Union of Serbia (SUS)
- University Student Council of the Slovak Republic (ŠRVŠ)
- Slovene Student Union (SSU)
- Coordinator of Student Representatives of Public Universities (CREUP)
- Swedish National Union of StudentsSwedish National Union of StudentsThe Swedish National Union of Students , is an umbrella organisation of students' unions at higher education facilities in Sweden. The organisation was founded in 1921...
(SFS) - National Union of Students in Switzerland (VSS-UNES-USUVSS-UNES-USUSince 1920, VSS-UNES-USU is the umbrella organization of the representative Students Bodies of most of Switzerlands Higher Education Institutions and represents the interests of students on a federal and supranational level...
) - National Union of Students of the United Kingdom (NUS)
- Ukrainian Association of Student Self- government (UASS)
Associate organisations
- Association of Nordic and Pol-Balt LGBTQ Student Organizations (ANSO)
- Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA)
- Erasmus Student NetworkErasmus Student NetworkErasmus Student Network is a European wide student organisation. Its goal is to support and develop student exchange. It is composed of over 12'000 members from more than 370 local sections in 36 countries in Higher Education Institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and university...
(ESN) - European Dental Students Association (EDSA)
- European Pharmaceutical Students' AssociationEuropean Pharmaceutical Students' AssociationThe European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association is a non-profit, non-governmental, non-political and non-religious association which represents 32 Pharmacy Students’ Associations from 28 countries, representing around 120.000 pharmacy students all around Europe...
(EPSA) - European Union of Jewish StudentsEuropean Union of Jewish StudentsThe European Union of Jewish Students is an umbrella organization for 34 national Jewish student unions in Europe and the FSU, representing over 200,000 Jewish students...
(EPSA) - Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisation (FEMYSO)
- International Federation of Medical Students' AssociationsInternational Federation of Medical Students' AssociationsThe International Federation of Medical Students' Associations is a non governmental organization representing associations of medical students. It was founded in May 1951, and currently maintains 102 National Member Organizations from 95 countries across six continents...
(IFMSA) - International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Youth and Student Network (IGLYO)
- International Students of History AssociationInternational Students of History AssociationThe International Students of History Association is an international non-governmental organization of students of history. Based and active mainly in Europe, ISHA's goals are to facilitate communication and provide a platform of exchange for students of history and related sciences on an...
(ISHA) - Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU)