ESU’s international cooperation working group sets agenda for 2012

LONDON – ESU’s working group on International cooperation (ICWG), established in 2008 to facilitate the European Students’ Union communication with student bodies globally, has had a first planning meeting this year, hosted by NUS UK, on 28 and 29 January in London.

In the past four years, the ICWG has taken part in the structured dialogue with UNESCO, together with other regional platforms to voice concerns related to violations of student rights and safeguarding education as a public good – worldwide. Student movements from all around the world have attended ESU events, which also helped to make the content of the ESU events even richer (International Students Day 2009, 19th European Students’ Convention).
This year the ICWG has set a new aim, namely bringing students perspective to the Bologna Policy Forum, which will take place in April 2012 prior to the Ministerial Conference in Bucharest, which will gather representatives from more than 30 non-EHEA countries. ICWG would like to use this platform as an opportunity to send a strong message on the importance of involving students in decision-making processes on educational matters, which still remains a challenge elsewhere outside the Bologna Process.

The ICWG will furthermore organise the Global Student Summit 2012 in London on 17-21st September. Event will culminate with the Peace One Day 2012 concert in East London and the main organiser will be the NUS UK.

Mobilising students globally for acting against violence is what the founder of the Peace One Day, Jeremy Gilley, is a passionate believer about. On 29 January, he shared these ideas with ICWG at the headquarters of the NUS UK in London.

More about ICWG activities and progress will be available soon on ESU website under “ICWG” thematic section. To get in touch with them, please mail internationalwg@esu-online.org.