Students helping students

The Erasmus Student Network’s motto (ESN) is “students helping students”. Since its creation in 1989, ESN has held the conviction that the presence of international students enriches society: ESN sees diversity as a chance. ESN’s core activity is to welcome international students when they arrive in their host country, to provide them with support throughout their stay, and to help them integrate back into their home country upon their return – for example by helping international students, in the same way that they themselves were helped during their own placements. Support encompasses a wide spectrum of activities that differ from one place to another: from having a “mentor” (a student buddy that helps you with your first steps), to guided tours of the city, university or neighbouring countries, and even cultural events, helping to give a true insight to the local community and provide an informal education that develops links throughout our society.

ESN welcomes all international exchange students – most of them are Erasmus students but students from other exchange programmes or “free-movers” are also welcome to join. In doing so, ESN promotes a more mobile and flexible educational environment for all higher education students through projects such as Mov’in Europe. Mobility experiences give lifelong competences to those involved that will be of benefit in future employment, as well as creating positive social impacts in and across communities. This can also be experienced through “internationalisation at home” for those who cannot access a period abroad, by providing an opportunity to meet international people in ones’ home city.

Reach higher! Go further! Go social!

Several of the network’s projects aim to go further in the direction of integrating international students into the local community, thus ensuring a well-rounded exchange experience, and going further than ‘formal education abroad’. To involve students with the local community, and not only with the student population, the projects SocialErasmus and Erasmus in Schools offer students the possibility to volunteer in social activities. With SocialErasmus, students plant trees in their host country, donate blood, organise charity events and much more. With Erasmus in Schools, students visit local schools and carry out various activities with the children, aiming to remove stereotypes by presenting themselves and their home country and indirectly promoting mobility from an early age. In this sense the programme promotes education and training for social inclusion in line with the wider objectives of the new Erasmus+ programme, creating a beneficial network across our continent.

Developing further competences

Every day, we see the power of non-formal and informal education within the network. Both the volunteers and the students get to learn a lot by organising or participating in the various activities of the network. Young people gain competences in organisation management, communication skills, team leadership, civic engagement and self-confidence. Volunteering in ESN adds to the education of our young people and helps them achieve several objectives, be them personal, social or professional.

The motivation of former Erasmus students coming back from their mobility experience is the basis of this incredible dynamic on which the entire network is based. In helping to prepare young people for the challenges of tomorrow, through both formal and informal education, ESN is now present in more than 500 Higher Education Institutions in 37 countries, counting on around 13.500 active members – supported in most cases by mentors. Thus, the international network of ESN offers services to around 180.000 international students every year, which in turn develops relationships at the local, national and international levels. Together we are stronger to face the issues of an unknown future.

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