Why “organise”?Why “organise”?

Karina UfertEuropean Students’ Union, Chairperson

Why organise?

17th October 1982: Norway, United Kingdom, Sweden, Iceland, France, Denmark and Austria created Western European Students Information Bureau (WESIB)

Aims:

Coordinate the flow of information between the union members and international bodies, like UNESCO, Council of Europe

Why organise?

Political changes in Eastern Europe (80-90ies) – “Iron curtain” goes down

WESIB becomes ESIB (European Student Information Bureau) in 1990

Membership: from 16 in 1990 to 31 in 1992! First policy papers – Human Rights and Democracy, Equal Opportunities

The rise of Bologna…

In 1999, 29 Ministers signed so-called Bologna declaration, calling for establishment of the…

European Higher Education Area (EHEA), to ensure comparable, compatible and

coherent systems of Higher education in Europe

But without students.

ESIB responds:

• Already in 2001 – reference to “students as competent and constructive partners”

• In 2003 ESIB present at Ministerial Conference, presenting students’ view on Bologna process

• In 2005 ESG are presented and adopted by the Ministers

• In 2007 ESIB becomes ESU – what does it mean?

ESU as a “political animal”

Focus: European framework on higher education

Paradigms in higher education

Funding through EU budget

Europe: driving forces

•Quality assurance – European standards and guidelines (currently under revision)

•EU funds – Lifelong learning programme, including ERASMUS

Rest is difficult to capture – Ministerial communiqués, Director general declarations, Council conclusions, Commission staff papers, European Parliament reports…

For example, did you know that tuition fees enhance equity?

ESU: actions

European level – influence the framework:•Act through mass media to emphasise core policy lines, such as access to higher education, more funding for higher education•Set the agenda – ESU co-chairing Social dimension working group •Encourage discussions on sensitive issues: Loan scheme•Influence politics on EU level (EP elections 2014?)•Stakeholder or lobbyist?

National level – support implementation:•Information provision and communication to NUS (47) •Creating space for sharing practices •Capacity building (also through enhancement visits)•Communication to the national media •Empowerment for a constructive dialogue with decision-makers

ESU in 2013:

• Final negotiations on Erasmus for all (and the loan scheme)

• ESG revision – draft from E4 group to BFUG• Council conclusions on Equity (tackling drop-out

rates)• Agenda for Social dimension working group • Interactive platform on funding of HE in Europe,

advocacy tools, trainings • “Constructing” employability – training for NUS • Looking for alternative means to support degree

mobility (Nordic compensation scheme?)

ESU has…

• Access to information• Access to decision-makers• Access to mass media (IHT, The Times, The

Economist, University World News, etc.)• 10 elected reps (and 3 coordinators)• Office in Brussels (7 employees) • 47 national unions in 38 countries

Together we need to find, how to use it for the needs of students.