News
ESAA Kick-Off Event in Brussels
Kick-Off Event of the Erasmus+ Students and Alumni Association (ESAA) on June 11th and 12th 2015 in Brussels. As a new and dynamic platform, ESAA will enhance cooperation among its members, their networking, professional development and intercultural learning, while promoting European higher education and developing new partnerships worldwide.
250 participants gathering for an official reception and kick-off conference
Brussels, Belgium – 01 June 2015 - In the field of European higher education, a new organisation is being established: the Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Association (ESAA). It will bring together European Union funded exchange students and graduates by uniting four existing associations under one new umbrella:
- Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association (EMA),
- Erasmus Student Network (ESN),
- garagErasmus (gE),
- OCEANS Network.
As a new and dynamic platform, ESAA will enhance cooperation among its members, their networking, professional development and intercultural learning, while promoting European higher education and developing new partnerships worldwide.
This new initiative will officially be launched during a reception on the 11th June at 7 pm and a subsequent kick-off conference on the 12th June, 9:30 am - 5 pm at the Management Centre Europe (MCE) in Brussels.
Tibor Navracsics, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport said:
“Erasmus+ is one of Europe’s flagship projects, and rightly so. Studying in another country, whether for a short or longer period, is a great experience for young Europeans: It helps them to enhance their skills as well as to understand and accept cultural and other differences. Student and alumni associations offer crucial support to help young people make the most of this opportunity – before, during and after their stay abroad. That is why I am very pleased that ESAA will help to channel this support and know-how even more effectively. I am looking forward to seeing new activities that will further improve the mobility experience, encourage networking and help promote the opportunities Erasmus+ offers to a wider audience.”
More than 250 participants have been invited to join us for this occasion, including members of the four founding associations, representatives of the European Commission as well as other stakeholders involved in the creation of ESAA. Xavier Prats Monné, Director General of the DG for Education and Culture, and Chantal Gaemperle, Group Executive Vice-President of LVMH, will open the conference on European Higher Education and ESAA. Further panel discussions and workshops will be held to discuss a variety of ESAA related topics, such as Erasmus+ and its impact, Intercultural Dialogue and Youth Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Europe. The conference will close with a TED-style call for action to collaborate within ESAA in order to help promote Erasmus+ on a global platform.
The aim of the event is to showcase the establishment of this new umbrella association, to discuss the strategic development of ESAA, to highlight the benefits of bringing together our four organisations and much more.
For more information on the event and ESAA visit our website: www.esaa-eu.org
