A PARTNERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE
The international level of ESN consists of the International Board working in Brussels and the Council of National Representatives which represents each country that is part of ESN. Five groups called Committees are assisting the International Board managing projects and events. These bodies are responsible for the overall administration and organization of the network whilst also running international projects.
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) was founded as a non-profit student organization in 1989 with the aim of developing and supporting student mobility in Europe and beyond. Its foundation was a response to the initiation of the ERASMUS exchange program which started in 1987. ESN is one of the biggest pan-European student NGOs in the field of student mobility. ESN works for the creation of a more mobile and flexible education environment by supporting and developing student exchange from different levels. Following our mission “to foster student mobility in Higher Education under the principle of Students Helping Students (SHS)” we make students feel at home wherever they are in Europe.
The national level of ESN coordinates the activities of countries, organizes national platforms where all sections gather. In addition, they promote student mobility and cooperate with the national agencies responsible for exchange and develop projects at the national level. National Boards exist in 20 countries.
ESN operates on three different levels: international, national and the local level, all providing different services ranging from information provision to cultural activities and language tandems to both international and local students.
Currently, ESN is one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe and is continually growing. Since 2005, the European headquarters of ESN has been based in Brussels and every year the network welcomes more and more sections all over Europe, with their number growing at 13% per year.
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The local level (sections) form the basis of ESN and deal directly with the international and exchange students and the universities. The sections organize the welcome and integration of international students with various social and cultural activities: Buddysystems (one local student helping an international student),language exchanges, cultural trips, etc… In total there are more than 360 Sections, 12.000 active members working as volunteers for ESN and 150.000 students using the services of ESN.
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34 Countries 13% Annual Growth
More than 360 sections
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Erasmus Student Network
A EUROPEAN WIDE NETWORK
ESN CARD: Empowering the Network
The ESNcard project was launched in 2005. The aim of the project is to have an international student card for all exchange students and ESN volunteers. More than a simple student card, the ESNcard gives students the possibility to benefit from the partnerships that exist on the local, national and international level. In 2010, there were 80.000 ESN cards distributed all around Europe and the ESNcard is lagely recognized around Europe as an official international student card. The card is used by 200 sections in 20 countries. The front of the card is the same for all the cards and the back can be personalized by the country or the section with the logo of their partners and supporters. A space is dedicated to the partners of ESN International. Each card has a personal code and ESN international has the complete database for each country and section.
THE EUROPEAN CARD
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used in 20 countries
80.000 cards every year in more than 200 sections
from 40.000 cards in 2005 to 80.000 currently
In 2011, ESN will provide a website dedicated to the ESNcard project which will be the showcase of the ESN card services for members.
FI– 1.800
UK – 1.000 LT– 1.900
NL – 5.800 BE– 2.100
PL – 3.200
DE– 2.000 CZ – 900
FR – 5.000
AT – 5.100 CH – 3.500
HU – 1.200 RO – 200
PT – 7.600
IT – 14.000
BG – 600
SP – 8.500 GR – 1.000
CY – 600
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ESN CARD
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WHY WORK WITH ESN ACCESS TO A NEW CLIENTELE ESN, through its local sections and with the support of the universities has direct contact with incoming international students. When these students arrive in a country they require a wide range of services and support. Thus, due to positive relationship that we have with students there is trust in the advice and services that we offer to them.
trainings
internships
learning mobility
social responsability
skills
competence development
Our international aim is to offer services to our sections that they can provide to the students that they represent. As a general rule, the students are looking for good quality, accessible and fairly priced services responding to their needs. In addition, the aim of our sections is to provide a smooth transition and integration into the host country by proposing various activities and offering services to the students.
youth
Moreover, in the process of their work with universities, sections have close relations and valuable contact with other administrative bodies within the university such as the Student Union or International Relations Office.
international projects
Pan-European organization
eXchange
OUR TARGET AUDIENCE GENERATION MOBILITY
Age: 19 – 30 years old- 23.7 years being the average age Education: All are University/Higher Education students/graduates Languages: Bilingual or Multilingual with nearly all being English speakers Employment: 55% of students want to work in international companies Finances: All supported financially by EU grants or other National Institution grants
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EU support
A NEW IMAGE FOR YOUR COMPANY
Being a partner of ESN demonstrates your involvement in the future of Europe and in the youth of Europe. Supporting ESN is an expression of interest in the possibilities of young people and the added value they bring with them after a successful mobility period. Providing financial, professional or tangible support of daily activities of a volunteer student organization likewise creates a positive public image for your company and brings social recognition and a long-term professional reputation for your brand. Furthermore, as a network ESN is continually growing at a rate of 13% per year and our international reputation is growing as well due to our work and involvement in various social and educational projects. We will therefore be providing more services and offering more opportunities to a larger number of students from a wider geographical area in the future.
multicultural environment The exchange/international student target audience is composed primarily of highly-skilled, graduate level students with a high level of education. They are selected by their universities to participate in exchange programs due to their motivation and achievements at university. They are also ambitious people who will look for high-level jobs due to their International outlook and multilingualism. Therefore, they are an exciting and promising target group for both the present and future. Currently, ESN is the only pan-European network offering these unique services directly to the aforementioned target audience of exchange and international students
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COMMUNICATION ESN Magazine
IN THIS ISSUE:
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- SOCIALERASMUS - YOUTH RIGHTS - ESN COMMITTEES
ESN COUNTRIES:
ESN MACEDONIA ESN ITALY
The ESN Magazine is a quarterly magazine produced by ESN International and written by ESN members from across the 34 countries of the network. It is accessible online and printed versions are sent to all the local sections. The magazine contains articles, reports and stories about ESN projects, exchange students’ experiences and insights into the work of ESN sections and countries. Partners can purchase, at a reduced price, a half or full page to advertise their services to ESN members. Check out past editions here: esn.org/magazine
TOOLS FOR SUCCESS ESN.org The official ESN website www.esn.org receives around 35,000 unique hits per month and is the first place that exchange students and universities visit for information about ESN, its projects and events. We offer the option to place banners and links on the main page or on the partner page of the website.
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Social Media
ESN.org 35.000 unique visitors/month
ESN is present on the largest social media websites: Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook there is an ESN Network called “ESN Erasmus Student Network”. Our Facebook Page is currently followed by 50.000 users. A post on this page generates between 40.000 and 80.000 impressions.
ESN Newsletter: 6.000 subscribers
46.000 followers on Facebook 3000 online readers
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3500 printed Magazines/year
Direct Mails
ESN International communicates directly with its sections through its mailing lists which allow for a fast and efficient way to inform the whole network about news, events and partnerships.
ESN Newsletter The ESN Newsletter is distributed to all ESN sections and all registered members twice a month. It aims to bring together the local, national and international levels. The ESN Newsletter is an extremely effective tool for reaching all ESN members and informing them of upcoming events, opportunities and partnerships. Currently 6.000 people receive the newsletter. The ESN international partnerships are promoted via this media tool. Check out the last newsletter: esn.org/newsletter
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ESN Galaxy ESN Galaxy is an online network tool developed by ESN to allow sections and members to access information about events, activities and projects in ESN. The main benefits of this system are: local websites become a source of knowledge and information for the whole network; it is possible to have a European - wide search through the ESN resources and information which collected can be used for statistic proposes.
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Social Erasmus
PROJECTS
BUILDING EUROPE
The aim of the project is to enrich society through international students. This project gives international students the opportunity to act as volunteers helping the local community. It includes multicultural information meetings in schools, as well as ecological and cultural events (Erasmus Forest) and charity actions (International Santa Claus).
ESNSurvey
Results of ESNSurvey ’08
Exchanging
cultures
Results of Erasmus Student Network Survey 2006* Seweryn Krupnik, Jagiellonian University Ewa Krzaklewska, Erasmus Student Network
S. Bauwens, W. Bonifazi, V. Boomans, E. Krzaklewska, n. Lopez, T. nikolic, D. Pederiva and M. Tokova
ExchangeAbility
* Both of the authors are PhD students at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Ewa Krzaklewska is the Vice President of Erasmus Student Network 2005/2006 and 2006/2007.
The main aim of the project is to make ESN accessible for disabled students at all levels of its activities. This means that ESN wants to provide the conditions and opportunities for students with disabilities to actively participate in student life. As ESN is active in the field of student mobility we would like to give students with disabilities the possibility to benefit of the exchange programs. The project also aims, in the long term, to increase the number of disabled exchange students and to create optimal conditions for them during their exchange.
Research Projects
Research Projects Research Projects PRIME Research
Youth Projects
Youth and Education Education
PRIME 2009
Problems Of Recognition In Making Erasmus
ESN goes GREEN! In 2010 ESN International committed itself to making the organisation more environmentally friendly by including green pledges in the board action plan for 20102011 and making the changes part of the long-term strategy of the organisation. The plan of a Greener ESN also aims to inspire the sections of the network to implement environmentally friendly measures in their work at the local level. Examples of our work include producing our publications using recycled paper, reusing packaging materials, buying ‘green’ office supplies as well as donating old office equipment for use to sections or charities. We are also committed to working with partners and friends of the organisation to encourage them to follow our green principles whilst trying to learn about how we can extend our green credentials.
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Every year, ESN launches a survey that explores the current issues connected to academic and non-academic mobility. This is one of the biggest and most successful projects of ESN - in recent years more than 36,000 students responded to our online surveys. Many groups - students, teachers, academic and European institutions collaborate with us on the project.
Madara Apsalone Tomas Bort Stefan Fiedrich Tony Filoni Julia Panny Daphne Scherer
Students in Europe enjoy great opportunities of mobility through exchange programs such as the Erasmus Programme. However, they still have to face various barriers and obstacles, a continuous problem of course recognition among them. ESN with the financial support of the European Commission conducts in-depth qualitative research into the academic aspects of the Erasmus exchange programme with a particular focus on the problems and obstacles faced by students. The aim of the project is to provide suggestions for improvements in the programme and to work with the relevant national and international institutions to implement these changes.
PRIME
Problems of Recognition in Making Erasmus
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ESN, through its local sections and with the support of the universities has direct contact with incoming international students. When these students arrive in a country they require a wide range of services and support. Thus, due to positive relationship that we have with students there is trust in the advice and services that we offer to them. Our international aim is to offer services to our sections that they can provide to the students that they represent. As a general rule, the students are looking for good quality, accessible and fairly priced services responding to their needs. In addition, the aim of our sections is to provide a smooth transition and integration into the host country by proposing various activities and offering services to the students. Moreover, in the process of their work with universities, sections have close relations and valuable contact with other administrative bodies within the university such as the Student Union or International Relations Office.
Erasmus Student Network AISBL Rue Hydraulique/Waterkrachtstraat, 15 B-1210 Brussels. Belgium Tel.: +32 2 256 74 27 www.esn.org secretariat@esn.org