European Students' Union
Institution | see member list |
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Location | Rue de l'Industrie 10, 1000 Brussels, Belgium |
Established | 1982 |
Members | 44 (38 Countries) |
Affiliations | European Youth Forum |
Executive Committee | see executive committee |
Website | http://www.esu-online.org/ |
Part of the Politics series on |
Students rights |
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Concepts / Theory
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The European Students' Union (ESU) is the umbrella organisation of 44 national unions of students from 38 countries, representing over 15 million students. The aim of ESU is to represent and promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at a European level towards all relevant bodies and in particular those of the European Union, Council of Europe and UNESCO. ESU is representing the voice of the students in Europe by being a consultative member to the Bologna Process. ESU is also a full member of the European Youth Forum (YFJ), the ESU nominee for 2006 was elected as YFJ president.
History
On 17 October 1982, seven National Unions of Students (NUSes) from The United Kingdom, Sweden, Iceland, France, Denmark, Norway and Austria gathered in Stockholm to create WESIB, the Western European Students Information Bureau. In February 1990, WESIB dropped the "W" to become the European Student Information Bureau following the political upheaval in Europe at the time. In 1992 the name was changed into the National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB). This reflected the recognition of the changing mission of ESIB from just an information sharing organisation to political organisation that represented the views of students to European institutions. In May 2007 the name changed to European Students' Union (ESU).
Over the years the office of ESU has moved around Europe and was first hosted by the member NUSes. Following the establishment of WESIB in Stockholm the office was based in the SFS Office in Sweden from 1982 until 1985, funded by a grant by the Swedish Government. By 1985 the grant was running low and so NUS UK offered to host WESIB in their London headquarters. In 1988 the office moved to the ÖH offices in Vienna and remained there until 2000, when it was decided that for reasons of being near the European institutions the office should move to Brussels and was hosted by VVS.
Structures
The highest structure of ESU is the Board Meeting, bringing together representatives from all the National Unions of Students it represents. The Board Meeting sets the policy direction of the organisation, and elects members to the Executive Committee to run the organisation.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee (EC) is elected for a one-year term at the annual Board Meeting by representatives of the member organisations, with each country (not organisation) given two votes. The President and Vice-Presidents together make up the Presidency of ESU, and are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organisation along with the seven General Members of the EC. [1]
Title | Name | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Presidency | President | Lea Meister | Switzerland |
Vice Presidents | Liva Vikmane | Latvia | |
Blazhe Todorovski | Macedonia | ||
General Members | Beth Button | United Kingdom | |
Frederik Bach | Denmark | ||
Chiara Patricolo | Italy | ||
Gramoz Shpendi | Finland | ||
Aleksandar Šušnjar | Croatia | ||
Adam Gajek | Poland | ||
Milana Jankovic | Serbia |
Member organisations
Country | English Name | Local Name | ESU Abbrev.[nb 1] |
---|---|---|---|
Armenia | Armenian National Students’ Association | ANSA | |
Austria | Austrian Students' Association | Österreichische Hochschülerinnen | ÖH |
Belarus | Belarusian Students’ Association | Задзіночанне Беларускіх Студэнтаў | BSA |
Belgium | Federation of French-speaking Students | Fédération Des Etudiants Francophones | FEF |
Flemish Union of Students | Vlaamse Vereniging van Studenten | VVS | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Students' Union Republic of Srpska | Unija studenata Republike Srpske | USRS |
Bulgaria | National Assembly of Student’s Councils in the Republic of Bulgaria | Nacionalno Predstavitelstvo na Studentskite Saveti v Republika Balgaria | NASC |
Union of Bulgarian Students | UBS | ||
Croatia | Croatian Students' Council | Hrvatski Studentski Zbor | CSC |
Cyprus | Pancyprian Federation of Student Unions | Pagkypria Omospondia Foititikon Enoseon | POFEN |
Czech Republic | Student Chamber of the Council of Higher Education Institutions | Studentská komora Rady vysokých škol | SKRVS |
Denmark | Union of Danish Students | Danske Studerendes Fællesråd | DSF |
Estonia | Federation of Estonian Student Unions | Eesti Üliõpilaskondade Liit | EUL |
Finland | National Union of University Students in Finland | Suomen Ylioppilaskuntien Liitto | SYL |
Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences | Suomen opiskelijakuntien liitto | SAMOK | |
France | National Federation of Student’s Associations | Fédération des Associations Générales d'Étudiants | FAGE |
National Union of Students of France | Union Nationale des Étudiants de France | UNEF | |
Germany | Free Association of Student Bodies | Freier Zusammenschluss von StudentInnenschaften | FZS |
Hungary | National Union of Students in Hungary | Hallgatói Önkormányzatok Országos Konferenciája | HÖOK |
Iceland | National Union of Students in Iceland | Landssamtök Íslenskra Stúdenta | LÍS |
Ireland | Union of Students in Ireland | Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn | USI |
Israel | National Union of Israeli Students | התאחדות הסטודנטים בישראל تحاد الطلاب في إسرائيل |
NUIS |
Italy | Union of University Students | Unione degli Universitari | UdU |
Latvia | Student Union of Latvia | Latvijas Studentu apvienība | LSA |
Lithuania | Lithuanian National Union of Students | Lietuvos Studentu Sajunga | LSS |
Luxembourg | National Union of Students in Luxembourg | Union Nationale des Etudiant(e)s du Luxembourg | UNEL |
Macedonia | National Union of Students of Macedonia | NSUM | |
Malta | University Students' Council | Kunsill Studenti Universitarji | KSU |
Montenegro | Student Parliament of the University of Montenegro | Studentski Parlament Univerziteta Crne Gore | SPUM |
Netherlands | Dutch National Students Association | Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg | ISO |
Dutch Student Union | Landelijke Studentenvakbond | LSVb | |
Norway | Norwegian Student Association | Norsk studentorganisasjon | NSO |
Poland | Students' Parliament of Poland | Parlament Studentów Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej | PSRP |
Portugal | Academic Forum for Information and External Representation | Fórum Académico para Informação e Representação Externa | FAIRe |
Romania | National Alliance of Student Organizations in Romania | Alianta Nationala a Organizatiilor Studentesti din Romania | ANOSR |
Serbia | Students Conference of Serbian Universities | Studentska konferencija univerzitetâ Srbije | SKONUS |
Student Union of Serbia | Studentska Unija Srbije | SUS | |
Slovakia | Student Council for Higher Education | Študetská Rada Vysokých Škôl | SRVS |
Slovenia | Slovene Student Union | Studenska Organizacija Slovenije | SSU |
Spain | Coordinator of Student Representatives of Public Universities | Coordinadora de Representantes de Estudiantes de Universidades Públicas | CREUP |
Sweden | Swedish National Union of Students | Sveriges Förenade Studentkårer | SFS |
Switzerland | VSS-UNES-USU | Verband Schweizer Studierendenschaften Union des Etudiant-e-s de Suisse Unione Svizzera degli Universitari |
VSS-UNES-USU |
Ukraine | Ukrainian Association of Student Self-government | Українська асоціація студентського самоврядування | UASS |
United Kingdom | National Union of Students | NUS-UK |
Candidate members
Candidate members are NUSes that have submitted an application of membership to ESU, but have not yet been granted member status by the Board Meeting. Candidate members retain their status for one year and are subject to a "study visit" by ESU to ensure they meet membership criteria. As of September 2016, the candidate members are:[2]
Country | English Name | Local Name | ESU Abbrev.[nb 1] |
---|---|---|---|
Belarus | Brotherhood of Student Self-government Organizers | Братства организаторов студенческого самоуправления | BOSS |
Moldova | Student Alliance of Moldova | Alianta studentilor din Moldova | ASM |
Associate organisations
Associate members of ESU are pan-European and international student organisations that have similar goals to ESU. The criteria for associate membership require the organisation to be democratic and student-run, have either students or NUSes as members, and represent students from at least 8 countries that are parties to the European Cultural Convention. Associate organizations can attend and speak at all ESU meetings, but cannot vote at Board Meetings.[3]
- Association of Nordic and Pol-Balt LGBTQ Student Organizations (ANSO)
- Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA)
- European Deaf Students' Union (EDSU)
- Erasmus Student Network (ESN)
- European Dental Students' Association (EDSA)
- European Medical Students' Association (EMSA)
- European Pharmaceutical Students' Association (EPSA)
- European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS)
- Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisation (FEMYSO)
- International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS)
- International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA)
- International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO)
- International Students of History Association (ISHA)
- Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU)
Notes
References
- ↑ "Elected representatives". Structures. European Students' Union. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ "Candidate members". Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ↑ "Associate members". About us. European Students' Union. Retrieved 26 April 2016.