Erasmus Student Network
ESN is one of the biggest student organisations in Europe. It was during the Erasmus gathering in Ghent in 1989, that the need for an organisation that offered support to exchange students while abroad became clear. Not long after, on the 16th of October 1989, the first local association was born in Utrecht, the Netherlands. With a constantly developing and expanding network, we are present in more than 1000 Higher Education Institutions from 45 countries. We have around 15,000 active members who are in many sections supported by so-called buddies mainly taking care of international students. Thus, ESN involves around 50,000 young people offering its services to around 350,000 international students every year.
Beyond this, ESN devotes itself to supporting the creation of a more mobile and flexible education environment by supporting and developing student exchanges and by providing an intercultural experience also to those students who cannot access a period abroad under the idea of "internationalisation at home".
From organising integrating activities for exchange students to contributing to the increase of employability of local youth, ESN’s scope of work is very wide. ESN gathers young people from various cultural and educational backgrounds who contribute to the diversity of the organisation’s work while creating opportunities for the personal and professional development of their peers.
The variety of activity can be divided into six causes ESN members advocate for on all levels of the organisation: culture, education & youth, environmental sustainability, health & well-being, skills & employability and social inclusion.
ESN operates on three levels: local, national and international.
Erasmus Student Network Belgium
ESN Belgium is a non-profit organisation (ASBL/vzw) and the national branch of the Erasmus Student Network in Belgium. Our mission is to foster student mobility in Higher Education in Belgium and to provide opportunities for cultural understanding and self-development under the principle of “Students helping Students”.
Each year there are over 10,000 Erasmus students in Belgium and over 50.000 International full-degree students in Belgian University cities. The volunteers of the Belgian network offer support in different fields, from help to finding accommodation and offering practical advice, to organising social and cultural events for both international and local students to foster mutual cultural understanding.
Currently, there are 18 local sections, as we call them, in 11 cities (Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, Liège, Louvain-la-Neuve, Mons, Hasselt, Kortrijk, Geel and Mechelen) involving around 200 local volunteers.
To coordinate the network in Belgium, support and inform the sections, as well as representing ESN Belgium on the international level and towards partners and stakeholders, a National Board is elected every year. These elections extend to the National Coordinators and Audit Body. They make up the support structures of the National Organisation, together with the cause and supporting committees (beLEGAL, beCOM, bePART). These working groups are composed of local volunteers and are led by the corresponding National Board members and National Coordinators.
The so-called “NB/NC” develops national events and projects, such as national trips in collaboration with Yes-Trips! or the National Weeks, where the causes of ESN are highlighted. Three times an academic year, our Big National Platforms are held. Representatives from each section meet at the national level to receive training in various fields or decide on important matters related to the organisation.
If you would like more information or if you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
Structure
To see the full structure of the network, you can visit the ESN Belgium Wiki
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