Outgoing and newly elected representatives from the European Students’ Union (ESU) met together in Amsterdam on 6-7 January for a “knowledge handover meeting”, which also resulted in the articulation of 2011 priorities for various ESU committees. ESU is an umbrella organisation comprised of 45 national unions of students from 38 countries. The central aim of the group is to promote the educational, social, economic and cultural objectives of students at the European level in line with European institutions and actions.

The ESU’s Executive Committee retains its current members, but three other committees have new individuals serving. The Academic Affairs, Social Affairs, and Student Union Development Committees have all welcomed new personnel. In various ways, these bodies have committed to advancing the ESU’s overarching agenda, which will focus on students’ financial issues, the social dimension of higher education, “developing a student quality concept for higher education, and the promotion of a European student mobility treaty”.  The work plan endorsed by ESU’s Board in late 2010 includes detailed information on each of these priority areas and will serve to guide the committees’ work throughout the year.

ESU