BM71: Students meet in Gdansk to discuss higher education and student union governance

Student representatives across Europe met between 28 and 3 December in Gdańsk, Poland to discuss Higher Education and Student Union Governance. The 71st General Assembly (BM71) was organised by the Students’ Parliament of the Republic of Poland (PSRP) and the European Students’ Union (ESU).

The meeting started with the Board Meeting seminar, where student representatives together with university professors and policy-makers discussed ways to increase the meaningful participation of students in higher education governance. Several workshops were held, with the aim of learning how different union are financed, governed and communicate, but also to break stereotypes around marginalised groups.

During the General Assembly (BM71),  15 resolutions were adopted and 2 statements, namely on the role of education in promoting peaceful and cohesive societies and on the New Skills Agenda for Europe.

A new member union has joined ESU, namely “Brotherhood of Organizers of Student Self-Government” (BOSS) from Belarus.  BOSS is a non-governmental organization functioning for student activists and everyone interested in student self-governance. The organisation was created in May 2013 with the aim to develop the campaigns for creating a community of student activists and solidarity between student self-governance organizations of different universities and for becoming the legal umbrella for students’ initiatives and associations.