Events

If you were ever wondering what makes the perfect recipe for a great ESN event, let me give you a few tips: some ESN countries willing to learn and share best practices, a few good people to organise a smooth interactive event that runs perfectly on time, a chance to celebrate the 25-years-anniversary of our beautiful network, with a pinch of smiles and hugs everywhere and the flavour of a gorgeous city. In a few words, this is the best description for the Western European Platform that took place between 16^th and 20^th October in Utrecht, the birthplace of the very first ESN section.

The first day of the event marked the exact date of the 25^th anniversary, which was beautifully celebrated through the release of a new ESN promotional video - #ThisisESN. If you have not seen that yet, prepare for goose bumps, it is really something else… On the same note, Stefan Jahnke, the president of our network, gave a brilliant speech on the importance of being united and keeping on growing and continuing doing something meaningful for mobile students. The social media was also on fire, with pictures of flag parades, celebrations, ESN25 cakes, people coming together from all over Europe, and most of all the Thunderclap campaign that had a social reach of over a million people.

The actual plenaries started on Friday and were opened by a speech from Desiree Major, the first president of ESN International, who explained how 25 years ago a few sections joined together to form this once very small organisation that now developed to such a level of professionalisation and incorporates over 450 sections in 37 countries, with more than 29 000 volunteers offering their services to over 180 000 international students every year.

But what made this event stand out more than ever were the workshops and small sessions. They were especially organised to be as interactive as possible in order to get new and old ESNers involved as much as possible, to make the most out of the experience. The topics were diverse, from how to organise an international event, to project-specific workshops such as Mov’in Europe or Exchangeability, general sessions on leadership and personal development, ESN CV or how to attract trainees for your sections. But what they all had in common was a great quality of information transmitted in a stimulating, interactive way. This led to new ESNers learning quite a lot in a short period of time, but also made older members learn from the fresh ideas and the enthusiasm the sections were bringing. It was in any case a win-win situation for both sides. At the end of the day, everyone could agree that it was one of the best events they had ever attended.

As for me, it was truly inspirational to be there as both a newbie within this network, but at the same time as someone who has been lucky enough to get involved with the international side of ESN sooner than most people do and now has the chance to share the knowledge and experience accumulated this way with newer generations. These kinds of events make you realise how well this sense of community can be fostered by each and every one of us, all volunteers, “students helping students”, and how together we have the strong and loud voice that alone would not be likely to be heard.

Written by Oana Dumitrescu - Vice Chair for Competence Development at ESN International Committee for Education and former (hyper)active member of ESN Southampton

Dear ESN'ers, 

On the 30^th of September 2014 I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the culmination of New Europeans “Talking Europe” project. This project had travelled through six British cities finishing with a seminar in the Welsh capital, Cardiff. It aimed to generate interest and discussion around the topic of opportunities afforded by European Citizenship and the impact this has on us all.

I took part in this event on behalf of ESN UK and had the opportunity to interact with speakers from a variety of organisations such as the Community Service Volunteers, European Voluntary Service, TUC Wales and New Europeans. The event was opened with a speech about diversity in Europe and a brief overview of the project to that point. The aspects being discusses were very interesting to compare as they were all highlightining how European Citizenship is viewed differently based on locality. Moreover, I found it very fascinating to hear about how varied opinions were in the UK, especially considering the hostile stance of the media towards the European Union.

The event went on to discuss various projects with a speaker from the European Voluntary Service outlining their work moving towards creating a framework to promote democracy amongst youth in Europe. Their plan was to train “Young EU Ambassadors” to champion the notion of European Democracy in an attempt to raise the level of active participation in the next European elections.

It was then time for me to give my presentation. I first spoke about ESN in general, the structure of the organisation working down from international level to local level. I also explained the group more about the aims and objectives of ESN and how we try to achieve those in the United Kingdom. The participants seemed greatly interested in the projects that ESN UK promotes and they were shown the Mov’in Europe video. Even though none of them had been Erasmus students they still found it poignant and moving! I also spoke about SocialErasmus and how the project aims to promote Erasmus students giving something back to their host communities. I then fielded some questions and got the impression that the group seemed very engaged with the work of ESN!

The next talk detailed a CSV project which took young people, who under normal circumstances would not have the chance to travel into Europe, and gave them a taste of what European mobility really is. We saw a video about a project whereby a group of Welsh young people were taken to a village in France to experience the different language, culture and life in general in a different European place. It was pleasing to see how positively the young people were affected by merely one excursion into Europe. The CSV work emphasised how lucky we are to have the opportunity of free movement in the EU countries...yet many take it for granted!

The seminar, and the project closed with a speech from the New Europeans, highlighting the success of the project and the need to progress and develop on the ideas presented at both the metting in Cardiff and the other events held all around the UK. There were many great projects discussed and it was a very good opportunity for ESN UK to be leading by example when it comes to promoting mobility and offering chances to those we support. 

Best,

Chris

Written by Chris Lally - Education Officer ESN UK

On the 3th, 4^th and 5^th of October 2014, ESN UEA (University of East Anglia, Norwich) hosted this year’s National Board Meeting (NBM) in Norwich: it was the biggest NBM yet, with over 60 participants representing around 27 countries across Europe. The NBM was chaired by Marie Schneider, the new NB Coordinator, and Vice-President Dominique Montagnese. The event was an amazing opportunity for everyone to come together and share ideas, with highlights including the Euro-dinner, where we celebrated ESN’s 25^th anniversary. A group of very diverse people were able to inspire each other and lifelong friends were made thanks to the weekend’s activities.

The NBM planning included plenaries, useful presentations and small group workshops, thus allowing the National Board representatives from each country to share their opinions and ideas with their peers.

The first day meant discovering more about national youth councils, grant applications for the ‘Erasmus +’ programme and also a presentation called ‘Welcome Day: a Spanish example’, which talked about how each section in Spain uses the same literature and Welcome Day material, making ESN Spain easily recognisable across the country. The participants went on to learn more about how important and useful getting a trainee could prove, as well as the exact steps a sections should follow in case they wanted to embark on such a project. They were also reminded how important communication through all present media is nowadays, since there are still many people out there whom ESN should get involved in our actions and international mobility. 

The second day was more focused towards small group sessions, which allowed participants more freedom to choose which workshops they wanted to take part in. This part also included a ‘Meet your Colleague’ afternoon, where everyone attending the NBM split into groups according to the position they currently hold in their National Board and were asked to discuss the issues and ideas they had encountered while occupying the positions in question. They all reached the conclusion that, in the future, National Boards should be streamlined so that every position is the same, with the exact same duties across every ESN country. Such an idea could also prove useful for sharing knowledge in general in order for all National Board Members to hold the same information. The participants were also asked to create posters, thus stimulating their creative thinking while encouraging them to have fun at the same time.

All in all, the NBM was a great success and by the end of the weekend the participants had gathered a lot of new ideas and information to take back to their home countries. As a member of the Organising Committee, I could say that putting together such an important event can be a difficult task, but the memories we shared with everyone participating in it, as well as the pride of having succeeded in meeting everyone’s expectations made us realise it was all worth it. Also, as a new committee, we really enjoyed taking part in the plenaries because these open discussions gave us the opportunity to ask a lot of questions and find out more about the running of ESN. Last, but not least I would like to thank everyone who came and we all hope you enjoyed your stay in Norwich!

Written by Esther Coyte-Broomfield - ESN UEA (University of East Anglia) Vice-President 

Nowadays, Europe as well as the European Union are regarded as topics which everyone talks and is supposed to know about. Nevertheless, we do tend to take them for granted. During the last year the Sussex European Institute organised a series of events so as to promote the European values, rights and duties we so often forget about. Sponsored by the European Commission Representation in the UK, the events included talks, open discussions and essays on various European topics and were destined to raise awareness among the wide public.

On the 4th of September 2014, Andreas Mathikolonis, ESN UK President, and Madalina Cretu, ESN UK Publications Specialist, attended the last conference held by SEI in collaboration with New Europeans, which focused on 'Citizenship and the Future of Europe'. The idea of feeling European above feeling nationalistic is the embodiment of the EU core values: ‘respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities’ (Article 2, Treaty on European Union). However, not everyone is ready to embrace the European melting pot we are all part of and see it as a blessing.

Beginning with Churchill’s three circles and ending with the latest European elections, the United Kingdom has shown its particular status within the EU more than once. Nevertheless, the British people, just like any other citizens of another EU Member State, do take advantage of the free movement of persons within Europe. According to the New Europeans association’s website, there are over 1.6 million British citizens living abroad, in another EU country.

Professor Susan Millns from the University of Sussex explained the concept of European citizenship as a combination of the following key principles: ‘aspiration, participation, status, rights, duties, and identity, allegiance and loyalty’. In other words, any European citizen aspires to the advantages brought by their status, is motivated by their rights to take part into shaping the Union’s future, has to fulfil their duties just as any other citizen of a country and tries to forge an enriched identity for themselves, while showing their loyalty to the European countries as a whole. In 1993, the Treaty of Maastricht officially formalised the concept of European citizenship, encouraging people integrated in other societies than the one of their countries of origin to claim their rights.

Going back to the United Kingdom’s stance on citizenship and immigration, one can easily come across the provisions of the brand new 2014 Immigration Act. Mr Erik Longo from the University of Macerata explained the present changes taking place in the British immigration policy, which tend to put more weight and more responsibility on civilians than on authorities. One of the most striking changes introduced by this new bill is transferring some of the law enforcing power to landlords, who will be soon regarded as fully responsible for controlling their tenants’ documents and for making sure their residency in the UK is legal before renting their houses to them. Although such a piece of legislation may sometimes be useful, it can also encourage homophobic attitudes, which go against the EU principle of non-discrimination.

Furthermore, the concepts of integration and non-discrimination in the EU are not to be applied only for the Member States’ citizens. Minorities present in Europe, such as Muslims, should be regarded with the same welcoming attitude. At last week’s conference, Professor Paul Statham compared the way Britain, France Germany and the Netherlands deal with this aspect of the present world’s immigration tendencies. It appears that although efforts have been made, the minorities still feel discriminated. Moreover, giving those people even more rights does not solve the core problem in the end, which has more to do with homophobia and people’s lack of tolerance than with new rights written on a piece of paper.

If you now find yourself wondering why the ESN UK tries to tackle such complex notions and legislation instead of talking more about being Erasmus, let me enlighten you! The reality is that the ESN is all about Europe and the EU. It is about non-discrimination, free movement, unity in diversity and diversity in unity. And since us, the young generation, can change the world and fight for a better place to live in, why not start now? The main conclusion of the conference was that the EU brings us, the Europeans, together, closer and leaves us more united. As young European citizens, we probably could not imagine the world without the EU, without the free movement of persons in Europe and without the values we all stand for. The best way to fight against discrimination and euro-scepticism is by proving people how much Europe has to offer. Erasmus is an opportunity for young people to travel and see the world, thus spreading around them the perks of diversity and integration. If you count yourself among the ones who have benefited from such a thought-provoking experience, why not do the same for someone else and help them open their eyes and hearts towards Europe? After all, you know how they say: ‘United we stand, Divided we fall’.

Written by Madalina Cretu - ESN UK Publications Specialist

ESN UK held its 12^th National Platform and 1^st UK Training event last month in the city of Southampton. The six-day adventure was meant to provide all participants with valuable knowledge about the network’s principles and ways of functioning, and also give them important information about their new responsibilities. Almost 40 representatives coming from 12 ESN UK local sections attended the event, benefiting from plenary talks on various topics and inspiring trainings. The following article is a review of the key points discussed on this occasion, as well as an analysis of the general outcome.

First of all, what does ESN stand for and what is a National Platform? The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a European student association designed to help out international and exchange students during their stay in a foreign country. Although supporting the foreign students remains its main focus, ESN is also getting involved with the local students, giving them the chance to experience the process of ‘internationalisation at home’. The ESN volunteer community also seeks to inspire and motivate local students to seize the opportunity of studying abroad or of doing a traineeship in a foreign country thanks to the new Erasmus+ programme’s policy. In the context of the Erasmus Student Network, a National Platform is an official meeting of representatives coming together from all the sections of a country in order to discuss strategies and take important decisions at a national level. They usually happen two or three times a year and they allow members from all the local sections to bond and learn to work better together towards the same goals.

Already present in 37 countries, ESN has a strong branch in the United Kingdom as well. With 17 active local sections and many more Higher Education Institutions interested in joining the association, ESN UK stands for mobility, voluntary work, student support, reciprocal help and everyone’s right to information. The current National Board wanted to begin the academic year with something new: a proper training for the sections’ local members in order to make sure that everyone involved in ESN UK is on the same page. The training sessions aimed at helping the attendants to gather a better understanding of their own network so that they may transmit its values and heritage to the next generations of ESN’ers. Citizenship Foundation and New Europeans also held a workshop concerning the European Union and the United Kingdom’s stance on it, as well as Erasmus+ programme’s importance for students. Even though we sometimes tend to take the European Union for granted, it is also part of ESN’s role to promote the importance of such collaboration between countries towards a more tolerant and more welcoming Europe. Moreover, two of our national partners, Travelholics and Invasion trained the local members to become responsible trip organisers and monitors, thus being ready to accommodate every student’s needs and expectations throughout our national voyages.

The National Platform involved voting on important matters that are to shape ESN UK’s future for the next year to come. Whenever the sections were brought to make a decision, every one of them had only one vote, which was meant to voice their board and members’ opinion.  A secret ballot was held and the results were afterwards presented to the wide public. During the 12^th National Platform the attendants had to express their opinion concerning the candidacies of two recent ESN UK sections, ESN City (London) and ESN RGU (Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland), a new possible strategy and more innovative projects to be implemented at a local and national level. The voting helps officialising a decision that will become part of the network’s guidelines and gives our association the credibility it deserves. Both candidate sections were accepted to be part of ESN UK and are expected to develop their network by the end of this academic year.

The second part of the training was mostly focused on practical activities. The workshops were animated by experienced trainers and focused on topics such as team building, leadership, time management, social media, partnerships, effective team work, creativity and good planning. It also included brainstorming sessions meant to help everyone gather new ideas about future activities to organise in relation to ESN’s major projects:

    ExchangeAbility is an attempt to encourage students with disabilities to study abroad. MapAbility is a sub-project of this scheme meant to establish the level of accessibility of every university involved in the Erasmus+ programme. Having such a reliable source of information reassures disabled students and encourages them to pursue their dreams, proving once more that ESN is open to everyone who wants to enjoy an experience of studying abroad.

    SocialErasmus is another important means of illustrating ESN’s main interest: helping international students to integrate in the local community by contributing to its well-being through voluntary work and activities. After all, sharing is caring.

    Mov’in Europe represents a project wanting to promote mobility as a lifestyle and also ensure of the fair circulation of information. Students from everywhere have the right to know about the study abroad opportunities made available to them through the Erasmus+ programme.

    Eduk8 is a scheme designed by ESN’ers for ESN’ers, which includes training sessions designed to help members of the association develop new skills and competences.

    The ESNcard allows members from all over the world to hold a proof of their involvement with ESN. Often used as a discount card, it is recognised in all of the European countries that are part of the network.

    Problems in Recognition In Making Erasmus (PRIME) is a research programme which aims at tackling the major difficulties that international and exchange students are confronted with when going for a semester or for a year of studies abroad. 

Everything being taken into account, both the ESN UK 12^th National Platform and 1^st UK training event have been a success. All the participants managed to learn more from each other and from the workshops they attended, thus being ready to cope with the year-to-come challenges. The level of creativity surpassed any other previous ESN UK record and promised to enchant everyone’s eyes and ears with many delightful surprises. In order to finish on an even more promising note, the Nation Board is pleased to announce you that ESN UK was formally registered as a Community Interest Company on 2^nd September 2014, thus increasing its legitimacy and facilitating the signing of new possible important partnerships. Before setting off to the next ESN UK National Platform, we would like to thank again the Organising Committee of ESN Southampton for the brilliant job they did, as well as everyone who attended the event! May we do great things together this year and for the many years to come! 

Written by Madalina Cretu - ESN UK Publications Specialist