From Stockholm ……to Lisbon
Once upon a time a few pioneers gathered in Stokholm in 1982 to establish WESIB , an information sharing organisation and  did not probably imagine that they were founding a European student trade union movement , now the umbrella organisation of 47 national unions of students from 36 countries representing over 10 million students.

Last May when ESIB became the European Student Union (ESU)  EI welcomes this name change  , signifying the work of ESU as a union, highly representative, strong and well recognised by all stakeholders in the higher education sector, and in the trade union movement.

 

 

The aim of ESU which is to represent and promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at a European level towards all relevant bodies is similar to EI aims to represent the interest of teachers and to advocate for strong  quality public higher education systems
The cooperation between ESU and EI started at the end of the nineties through joint work at the UNESCO level through the World Conference on Higher Education and led to the signature of a partnership agreement in July 2004. Over the past three years ESU and EI have enhanced their joint work particularly at the European level in the context of the Bologna process to create a dynamic partnership helping to set the higher education policy agenda. As representatives of the two main stakeholders within the higher education sphere, namely the students and the staff of the institutions, this link is important to recognise and build upon. This partnership is also looking at ways in which these relationships at the national level can be developed and strengthened through encouraging our members to develop similar partnership agreements.
ESU is a full actor of the trade union movement in Europe and a natural partner for Education International.  At a time where governments are moving away from public funding of higher education and pressing for increasing tuition fees, EI and ESU must enhance their joint work for an alternative fairer higher education based on the principle of an accessible higher education for All.

Years after years ESU demonstrated its capacity to represent the interests of students all over Europe. Strong students representation and participation are  key elements for a democratic functioning of higher education institutions. A lot of things remain to be done and EI is prepared to continue and enhance its cooperation with ESU.

Happy Birthday to ESU and to all its members. Be strong, innovative, liable. You are the future of Europe.