Added Value for All!

Together with the European University Association (EUA), the European Association of Institutions of Higher Education (EURASHE) and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) we are the so-called E4, a group of key players in higher education at European level. We also collaborate with other university associations in certain areas; for example, we are working with the European University Foundation (EUF) to find a different way to calculate Erasmus scholarships in order to cover actual living expenses and tuition fees in the host city. We work with individual universities mainly in the context of projects that are concerned with such topics as student well-being or Green Erasmus.

When we collaborate as a students’ organisation with European organisations that represent universities, they benefit from this because the students’ organisation offers them support in terms of the specific topic, the concrete initiative or a certain project. For universities working with us on projects, this kind of collaboration gives them the opportunity to include students’ perspectives in their work and help shape project outcomes and achievements. Another advantage is our pan-European network, which allows us to communicate the results of our project to a wider audience of student activists, which they can use as a source of inspiration or reference point for their own endeavours.

As an organisation that represents students, it is normal that our positions differ from those of the organisations that represent universities. However, when we achieve common positions, these have the strength and legitimacy to be supported by the organisations that represent the two most important groups in higher education. This also increases the likelihood that they will be addressed by decision-makers. The added value of project collaboration with universities is that students learn about the challenges of implementing student-centred policies from the perspective of university administration, and they can work together to find ways to overcome these challenges.

Together with the European University Association (EUA), the European Association of Institutions of Higher Education (EURASHE) and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) we are the so-called E4, a group of key players in higher education at European level. We also collaborate with other university associations in certain areas; for example, we are working with the European University Foundation (EUF) to find a different way to calculate Erasmus scholarships in order to cover actual living expenses and tuition fees in the host city. We work with individual universities mainly in the context of projects that are concerned with such topics as student well-being or Green Erasmus.

When we collaborate as a students’ organisation with European organisations that represent universities, they benefit from this because the students’ organisation offers them support in terms of the specific topic, the concrete initiative or a certain project. For universities working with us on projects, this kind of collaboration gives them the opportunity to include students’ perspectives in their work and help shape project outcomes and achievements. Another advantage is our pan-European network, which allows us to communicate the results of our project to a wider audience of student activists, which they can use as a source of inspiration or reference point for their own endeavours.

As an organisation that represents students, it is normal that our positions differ from those of the organisations that represent universities. However, when we achieve common positions, these have the strength and legitimacy to be supported by the organisations that represent the two most important groups in higher education. This also increases the likelihood that they will be addressed by decision-makers. The added value of project collaboration with universities is that students learn about the challenges of implementing student-centred policies from the perspective of university administration, and they can work together to find ways to overcome these challenges.