The European Students’ Union (ESU) is the umbrella organisation of 44 National Unions of Students (NUS) from 40 countries. The aim of ESU is to represent and promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at the European level towards all relevant bodies and in particular the European Union, Bologna Follow Up Group, Council of Europe and UNESCO. Through its members, ESU represents almost 20 million students in Europe. Established in 1982, ESU has witnessed many internal and external changes through the years while continuously developing itself to what it is right now: a professional advocacy and capacity building organisation that is influential and recognised as an important stakeholder at the European and international level.
Two of ESU’s key goals are to “promote equal opportunities for ALL students” and “facilitate widened participation in higher education, particularly for students from marginalized groups and those lacking representation.” These principles lie at the heart of ESU’s decision to engage in this project. Driven by its mission to advance student rights, ensure quality education, and advocate for a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable higher education system across Europe, ESU recognizes the critical need for students to actively shape their learning experiences. Active engagement ensures that students have a meaningful voice in both their educational environment and the policies that influence them.
This project offers a unique opportunity to address the specific challenges and opportunities within professional higher education (PHE), a sector that plays a vital role. ESU aims to strengthen the connection between higher education institutions and students in PHE, ensuring that programs are responsive to the practical and professional needs of learners while upholding inclusivity and equity. By contributing to the development of innovative practices and knowledge within the project, ESU seeks to increase student engagement and amplify its impact in this crucial area. This collaboration will not only advance ESU’s goals but also enhance its capacity to address the broader challenges students face in obtaining the skills and competencies essential for active citizenship, professional success, and meaningful participation in society.
-We will write policy recommendations on inclusive student engagement and civic participation in PHE.
-We will create an outreach campaign toolkit for PHE institutions and student organizations on volunteering and skills development for students.
-We will organise with EURASHE a Multiplier event at the end of the project in Brussels to disseminate the project results and invite a wide range of stakeholders who could contribute from the learning of the project.
Arno Schrooyen
Vice-President
Arno is currently serving as the Vice President of the European Students’ Union (ESU) for the 2024/25 term. Prior to joining the ESU’s Executive Committee in 2023/24, he studied a bachelor’s degree in hotel management in Brussels and is now doing a master degree in administrative science. He started his student journey back in 2019 on the local level. Later joined the national union of French speaking students of Belgium. Last year he joined the European level, entering the executive committee of ESU focusing on work related to Social dimension, public responsibility, internationalisation and mobility.
Jeanne Cuny
Project Officer
Jeanne is coordinating projects related to student engagement, inclusion and diversity in Higher Education, the European Student Card and the Bologna Process. She is a young professional who previously worked in the European Commission (DG EAC). She has experience in European Higher Education Policies and Projects from both institutional and beneficiary sides. She holds a master’s degree in European and International Studies from the Institut d’Etudes Européennes of Paris 8 as well as a master’s degree in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe.
Lisa Schivalocchi
Member Executive Committee
Lisa is studying Political Sciences and International Relations at the University of Pavia. She started her journey in the student movement 7 years ago. She has been student representative for several years, both at Department level and in the Academic Senate of the University of Trento and in the Student Council of the EC2U Alliance for the University of Pavia. During her years in the student movement, she also worked on the social dimension of HE, on internal quality assurance procedures and on student rights and democratic values in HE. She is serving as an EC member of ESU for the 2024/2025 term, where she is working on the Social Dimension of Higher Education and on the European Education Area.
Helena Saadeh
Communication Manager
Helena is handling the external communication which consists of the organization’s social media platforms and website. She is responsible for the SEO techniques and publishing/categorizing of the content. Helena creates and edits the graphics and videos for the campaigns and writes the scripts for interviews and podcasts. Concerning the internal communication, Helena is responsible for the flow of information regarding the communication within ESU, and the drafting of the internal and external newsletters. She is also responsible for training future interns and disseminating the projects and campaigns to the public.
Project Reference: 2024-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000251679
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Copyright - EngageAll Consortium
Navigation
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This website reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Website conceived and delivered by the Knowledge Innovation Centre