Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is the biggest student association in Europe. It was born on the 16th October 1989 and legally registered in 1990 for supporting and developing student exchange.
We are present in more than 1000 Higher Education Institutions from 42 countries. The network is constantly developing and expanding. We have around 15,000 active members that are in many sections supported by so called buddies mainly taking care of international students. Thus, ESN involves around 40,000 young people offering its services to around 350,000 international students every year.
Mission, Vision & Values
The vision and mission of the Erasmus Student Network were discussed and approved at the Annual General Meeting in Thessaloniki 2019.
Vision
By 2025, ESN will be the global network of the Erasmus Generation, committed to improving international education and providing self-development opportunities to two million young people, fostering intercultural understanding and creating positive change in society.
Mission
Enrichment of society through international students.
Values
The values of Erasmus Student Network that all members stand and work for are: unity in diversity, diversity in the unity (we all have different backgrounds, but share one common aim and goal), students helping students (we passionately commit ourselves to volunteering for the benefits of others), fun in friendship and respect (we enjoy relations based on respect), the international dimension of the life (we are open-minded, mobile, like to discover and explore, to co-operate and to interact to break borders), love for Europe as an area of peace and cultural exchange (we live and benefit from the cultural richness of Europe to the utmost), openness with tolerance (we understand and accept others and learn from them), cooperation in the integration (we share a holistic view towards internationality).
Structure of ESN
The Erasmus Student Network is structured into 3 layers
International
The international level consists of the International Board and Committees.
The International Board of Erasmus Student Network consists of 6 elected board members for a mandate of one year. The six board members cover the following positions: President, two Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Communication Manager and Web Project Administrator. Every year a new Board is elected at the Annual General Meeting of ESN.
ESN International Committees are also included as a support body.
The Committee for Education (ICE) aims to make ESN an expert and opinion leader in International Higher Education, raising the status of ESN as an important organisation in the field of youth and higher education at the local, national and European level.
The Network Committee (NEC) works in a broad list of topics concerning the improvement of the quality of our Network. Besides providing services that are wanted and needed to our sections, we do also implement a strategy that supports the Vice-President of ESN.
The Finance Committee (FICO) supports the Treasurer of ESN International in his activities and is responsible for the creation, coordination and implementation of long-term strategies in its area, under the supervision of the Treasurer.
The Communication Committee (ComCom) provides support to the International Board (IB) as well as to all bodies of ESN International in order to maintain and improve ESN’s communication strategy.
The IT Committee (ITcom) aims at strengthening ESN by developing IT systems for the whole Network and by providing assistance and advice about technological matters in general.
National
Read about national level here.
Local
Local level consists of sections operating at universities. Every section is unique, with their own board, members and activities. You can find a list of sections in the Czech Republic here or read more about what we do here.