The aim of ESU is to represent and promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at the European level towards all relevant bodies and in particular the European Union, Bologna Follow Up Group, Council of Europe and UNESCO. Through its members, ESU represents almost 20 million students in Europe.

ESU’s mission as adopted at its 61st Board Meeting: ESU’s mission is to represent, defend and strengthen students’ educational, democratic and political and social rights. ESU will work for sustainable, accessible and high quality higher education in Europe.

ESU is diverse, democratic and open-minded.

• We represent all students in Europe, understanding the diversity of the students. ESU is inclusive and strives for solidarity within the students’ movement.
• We are independent. ESU structures facilitate the accountability of the elected representatives, works with respect towards all members and their different opinions and functions transparently.
• We are unconventional and open for new thoughts. We, as experts of higher education bring in courageous and smart ideas through a fresh and spontaneous, but professional attitude.

Since decisions concerning higher education are increasingly taken at the European level, ESU’s role as the only European-wide student platform is similarly growing.

• Bringing together, training and informing national student representatives on policy developments in higher education at the European level;
• Organising seminars, training, campaigns and conferences relevant to students;
• Conducting European-wide research, partnership projects and campaigns;
• Producing a variety of publications for students, policy-makers and higher education professionals.

See also ESU’s statutes and standing orders (as adopted at the Board Meeting in Bergen, Norway, May 2016), ESU’s activity reports and ESU’s Plans of Work.

Equal educational and social opportunities in an open and democratic Europe where students shape a sustainable future.

Here you can download various versions of logos related to ESU and its project in different formats.

See our guidelines for logo use.