On 28 June, Europa Nostra and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) came together in an online event to formalise their partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and to launch their pilot project “Cultural Heritage on Erasmus”, which received the endorsement of Themis Christophidou, Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of the European Commission, and Sabine Verheyen, MEP and Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education. Joined by over 50 students, young professionals, and experts from around Europe and beyond, the event not only celebrated this exciting new initiative but additionally gave attendees the opportunity to share why cultural heritage and Erasmus are important to them. 

Manon Richard, EU Projects Officer at Europa Nostra, and Kostis Giannidis, President of ESN, began by presenting the project and the partnership. They emphasised that this joint project of Europa Nostra and ESN seeks to make cultural heritage a greater part of the Erasmus experience while promoting Erasmus mobility opportunities for heritage students. They explained that the project aims at connecting young representatives of both organisations, namely the European Heritage Youth Ambassadors – a joint initiative of the European Students’ Association for Cultural Heritage (ESACH), Europa Nostra, and the European Heritage Tribune – and the ESN country representatives. Together, the partners shall organise cultural heritage activities for local and international students and exchange with peers beyond borders, ensuring the activities can be replicated in the longer term. Manon Richard and Kostis Giannidis each expressed the pride felt in this new development which brings together two key symbols of the European Union which speak directly to the hearts and minds of young Europeans: culture and education. 

In order to officialise the partnership, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Secretary General of Europa Nostra, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic, who signed virtually from the heritage site of Delos Island in Greece (watch the video), and the President of ESN, Kostis Giannidis. Together, they agreed to come together to promote the engagement of the younger generation in saving Europe’s cultural heritage and ensuring a better future, and set the preliminary basis for a long and meaningful collaboration between the two organisations. 

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