Welcome to the ESU’s Conference of the student bodies of the European alliances of HEIs!
This page provides information about ESU’s ‘Conference of the student bodies of the European alliances of higher education institutions’. You’ll find all the information needed to better understand the work ESU does on the topic of alliances of HEIs and the student representation in it: from the member student bodies to resources and materials.
During the BM84, held by GSOA in Tbilisi, May 2023, the European Students’ Union (ESU) established a place where the students’ representatives from all the European alliances of HEIs would be able to share their experiences, struggles and best practices to always better defend students rights. This place is the ‘Conference of the student bodies of the European alliances of higher education institutions’.
Better known as the ‘Conference’, it is a way for ESU to go further on student representation at European level with the complementary view of the student representatives from the student bodies of these types of alliances.
In addition to sharing best practices and discussing common problems and solutions through meetings and exchanges, the Conference provides a consultative body to improve ESU’s stances on the topic of the alliances. With the view of the student representatives of the alliances and our member NUSes we ensure a complementary view and give additional insights for ESU.
The principle is simple: all the student bodies from an alliance of HEI that are formally recognised as such by the alliance can be members of the Conference. We meet at least two times a year, online, before each Board meeting and once a year, in person, to get to know each other better and discuss issues of common concern.
The student representatives and their experience contribute to the ESU policy making process and outreach.
ESU’s Conference is supported by a group of dedicated students – the Steering Committee – which is responsible for the membership process and overseeing the Conference’s work.
The Steering Committee consists of 6 individuals, out of which three are members of ESU’s Executive Committee. The other three are being selected annually from through the student bodies members, with an internal call.
ESU’s Conference member
Become a member!
Our aim is to reunite all the student bodies from all the alliance of HEIs created within the European universities initiative, but not only. You can become a member anytime. To request to join the Conference, you just have to:
1) Submit to ESU a letter of request to be part of the Conference by sending it to conference.alliances@esu-online.org;
2) Provide proof of establishment within the governance of the alliance;
3) Communicate the appointed student representative(s) to the Conference;
4) Provide proof that the student representative(s) you want to appoint fulfill the below criteria.
Note that:
A. Every member can have up to two (2) student representatives from two different Higher Education Institutions at the Conference.
B. The student representatives participating at the Conference must be democratically appointed by the student body of the alliance.
C. Student representatives appointed to the Conference must provide proof of their democratic election to the alliance student body, or of democratic appointment by their local student body to such a position, at the level of their Higher Education Institution (HEI)
D. Within a member of the Conference, if the number of eligible and willing student representatives, as defined in point k, is lower than two (2) coming from different Higher Education Institutions, the remaining spot(s) can be filled by representatives appointed as per point j, provided that the local student body of their Higher Education Institution supports their nomination to the Conference.
Competences and responsibilities
The ESU’s Conference has been established to promote student rights & participation within the alliances of HEIs across Europe.
Thus, the Conference is given the following competences:
- The Conference is a consultative body to ESU. It is consulted in the drafting of ESU policy documents related to the European Universities Initiative and other possible transnational initiatives related to higher education.
- The Conference enables exchanges between its student bodies, organises capacity building activities for them and liaise with ESU when the student bodies need ESU’s support.
The members of the Conference have the duty to:
- Engage in discussions about topics related to the European universities and other possible transnational initiatives related to higher education;
- Promote ESU and the Conference in their respective HEIs and countries, in the whole student body structure and towards the respective student populations;
- Give feedback to ESU on what they expect from the organisation and on how they would like to be involved in ESU’s work;
- Promote the self-Identification of their alliance student body as members of the Conference;
- Disseminate articles and other documents related to European Universities among all student representatives of their alliance;
- Respond to any requests formulated by the Board Members of ESU;
- Inform the Conference about any European University-related events at all levels;
- Provide feedback about reviews, trainings and conferences to the Steering Committee;
- Enhance student participation in European Universities and promote the democratic student representation in the governance of the alliances;
- Contribute towards the planning and the implementation of different activities to benefit the Conference;
- Offer contact information about the student bodies, in order to make sure the Steering Committee is always in contact with them.
You can find the complete details of the Structures and Proceedings HERE
Resources
- Structures and Proceedings
- ESU Resolution: Critical view of the first call
- ESU Resolution: Students’ perspective on the first cycle of European Universities, towards the second call
- ESU Resolution: European Universities: It is about the students
- ESU Statement: ESU’s Reaction to the EU Council conclusions on the European Universities: let’s do it right for students’ interest
- ESU Resolution: Legal statute for alliances of HEIs and European Degree
- ESU Resolution: Financing of the European universities alliances
- ESU Resolution: Strengthening student representation within the framework of the European Alliances of Higher Education Institutions
- Results of the 1st call
- Result of the 2nd call
- Results of the 3rd call
- Current call
- Council conclusions on the European Universities initiative
- Commission’s Communication: A European Strategy for Universities
- Council conclusions on a European strategy empowering higher education institutions for the future of Europe
- Council recommendation on building bridges for effective European higher education cooperation
