ESAA Magazine 2015

Dear Reader, The ESAA brings together all European Union funded exchange students and alumni to offer them a dynamic platform for networking, professional development and intercultural learning while at the same time promoting higher education in Europe and worldwide cooperation. The ESAA will increase the visibility of the Erasmus+ as an excellent example of higher education in the EU. It provides its members with a number of various opportunities, from travelling, through meeting people from all over the world, to becoming creative and bringing unique ideas to life. We organise intercultural pre-departure training seminars, have an experienced entrepreneurship incubator and support our members’ social projects with dedicated funds. This publication will guide you into the world of ESAA. We wish you a pleasant read!

AIMS AND FUNCTIONS About ESAA Aims and functions We offer Erasmus+ students and alumni a dynamic platform for networking, professional development and intercultural exchange. What is the aim of Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Association? The Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Association (ESAA) aims at providing one sin- gle, comprehensive platform for past, present and future Erasmus students and alumni. In oder to achieve this, three long-established student and alumni organi- sations (ESN, EMA and OCEANS Network) and the garagErasmus Foundation (the new Erasmus alumni network for recruitment and youth entrepreneurship) have combined their efforts. The ESAA – potentially the largest network of European and international students and alumni – offers a dynamic platform for networking, professional development and intercultural learning while at the same time pro- moting higher education in Europe and worldwide cooperation. Its goals are to ensure that the Erasmus+ programme and its underlying values remain effective and visible, as well as to provide a forum to contribute to its further development. By increasing network opportunities, training skills and competences, fostering intercultural dialogue and enhancing knowledge of EU education and cooperation policies, the ESAA aims at profitting from the synergies of the four composing organisations, as well as with the partnership with the EU institutions, universities, the private sector and civil society. Why do associations such as this need to exist nowadays? In recent years, Europe has developed in the context of a rapidly evolving world. The global economic situation has brought significant challenges for both Euro- peans and non-Europeans, and especially for young people and their career pros- pects. Against this background, the ESAA can provide a significant contribution. Firstly, to encourage young Europeans to be strong in the sense of belonging to a single community and culture. Secondly, to provide students and alumni with 6

AIMS AND FUNCTIONS better chances to face the professional and social challenges ahead, especially when it comes to finding employment. Last but not least, the ESAA also aims to facilitate dialogue between EU partners. The ESAA functions as a multi-dimension- al platform for networking, promoting dialogue, and providing academic as well as professional exchange. We believe that the ESAA can enhance training and job opportunities for its members and project the cultural and social appeal of Europe also outside of the ‘old continent’. How does the ESAA promote higher education in Europe and support the process of internationalisation? First of all, thousands of volunteers across the world in almost every corner pro- mote EU-funded joint degree and exchange programmes. In doing so, the ESAA can increase the awareness and visibility of Erasmus+ programmes and higher education in the EU in order to make more and more people aware of the oppor- tunities and benefits available to them. Secondly, the ESAA fosters relations within Europe as well as in other parts of the world, connects universities, students and alumni, and gives them a platform for exchange and dialogue. The ESAA can make Europe more international and make the rest of the world more aware of what Europe has to offer. 4 Jan Philipp Albrecht Member of the European Parliament Germany to Belgium . 2005 “ I studied law with a focus on European and international law in Bremen. In 2005 I went to Brussels for one semester as an Erasmus exchange student in order “to get closer to Europe”, get to know other cultures and see European law from another perspective. That was very helpful. My time at the Université Libre in Brussels helped me to tie my studies to politics. During this semester I also was an intern at the European Parliament. Erasmus was a great experience for me and influenced my choices in life. I once said to a fellow student: “If I come back to Brussels this will be as a member of the European Parliament.” Who would have thought that this would happen so soon!” http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/statistics/ay-12-13/annex-5_en.pdf 9

INTERVIEW WITH ADAM TYSON “ The ESAA brings together four complementary organisations ... achieving a wider outreach. ” Why was the ESAA created? What were the challenges before professional expertise among themselves, and promote new ESAA and what do you expect from this new organisation? ideas and start-ups with the corporate world. The ESAA was created to match the way the EU supports higher education. We launched Erasmus+ at the end of 2013, Is the ESAA another umbrella organisation or a service a wide-ranging programme of EU funding for education, provider? Will the presence of Board members training, youth and sport. While it introduces some new el- from grassroots organisations ensure a bottom-up ements, it also brings together a number of previously sup- approach or is ESAA’s work from the top down? ported activities for higher education mobility such as Eras- Well it’s both! mus and Erasmus Mundus under one roof. It is not only supposed to act as an umbrella to create an en- Over the past years, we have been really impressed by the vironment in which existing associations can work together work done by the volunteers helping students prepare for where it makes sense, but also where they can maintain their their study periods abroad, providing buddies to welcome own identity. I don’t think that means it is from the top down. and look after them, forming links between students and On the contrary you allow each organisation to have its say, course coordinators, and keeping alumni connected to yet to also combine forces to fill the gaps between them and share news and advice once their course has ended. This all to develop new activities where they are needed. adds to the quality of the student experience. And it’s a service provider too, because that’s the way the We were looking for a way of channelling this enthusiasm Commission can best support its activities. Everyone in- and experience into the new programme. So the ESAA volved is a volunteer (which incidentally makes their work all brings together four complementary organisations to work the more impressive). The Commission has contracted ICU- together in achieving a wider outreach, creating meaningful Net to provide dedicated manpower and the financial and synergies and potentially being able to be much more visible logistical support they’ll need to organise information ses- to a large number of stakeholders. sions, other meetings and also develop a community on line. The ESAA’s goal is to support students and alumni, to track Then the volunteers can focus on the content. graduates and make them feel part of a community. It’s a community that can share its experiences among its mem- How will you ensure that you reach your target audience? bers and further afield. Alumni can help promote the pro- I think we have a target audience of our own – our mem- gramme and act as ambassadors for European higher edu- bers. We’ll want to inspire and engage them to play their part cation. And for Europe as a whole. in our activities. And then they should see the benefits for themselves. How will the ESAA work? But there’s a wider audience too, as we want to show the ESAA is already working! ESAA comprises a Board represent- benefits of international mobility. It’s interesting that mobility ing the four associations. Two strands of ESAA each focus on doesn’t just benefit the people who move. The students or the specific needs of a particular group of people. The Credit staff who stay at home learn so much from visiting or return- Mobility Strand focuses on activities for students and alum- ing students or teachers. ni of the shortterm credit mobility – the traditional Erasmus And further still we need to demonstrate these benefits to the mobility, both in its classic intraEuropean mode, and in the wider world: to other students, educational establishments, brand new international mobility component. The Degree decision-makers, employers. We can show part of this through Mobility Strand caters especially for the current and past the results and statistics in our impact studies. But there’s part students of the Erasmus Mundus joint master degree pro- of it that only really becomes clear when people tell their own grammes. Then there are a lot of shared activities – such stories. Erasmus+ is all about people sharing their knowledge as promotional activities, communication with members, IT and experience, and the ESAA should be creating the context platform, etc. Particularly networking can help alumni share and sharing the stories to make this happen. 10

Adam Tyson Head of Unit, Higher Education, European Commission Adam is Head of Higher Education, Modernisation Agenda and Erasmus at the Directorate General for Education and Culture at the European Commission. He is responsible for developing EU higher education policies, overseeing the im- plementation of the Erasmus strand of the Lifelong Learning Programme and preparing proposals for the future. In his previous post as Head of Policy and Inter-institutional Coor- dination, he was responsible for overseeing the development of policy in all areas covered by DG Education and Culture and for ensuring good relations with the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the other EU Institutions. In previous posts in the Commission, Adam has worked on issues such as combating poverty and social exclusion, fighting discrimination on a wide range of grounds and been responsible for Communication and Speechwriting for the Commissioners for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Before moving to the Commission, Adam spent ten years in Brussels working for the UK Government in the fields of labour and social affairs. www.eurashe.eu/about/experts/tyson “ Erasmus+ is all about people sharing their know ledge and experience, and ESAA should be creating the context and sharing the stories to make this happen. ”

The Erasmus Student Network is the biggest network of The ESN works for the creation of a more mobile and flex- student organisations in Europe. Since its establishment in ible education environment by supporting and developing 1990, the ESN has grown to currently 498 associations, so student exchanges as well as also providing an intercultural called ‘sections’, in 37 countries. Altogether, there are around experience to those students who are not able to access a 14,500 active members. Often they are supported by other period abroad (“internationalisation at home”). students who act as mentors for international students. The ESN thus annually involves around 29,000 young people and offers its services to around 190,000 international students under the principle of students helping students. www.esn.org The garagErasmus was founded in order to mobilise talents their language skills, but they also gain intercultural compe- and business ideas that aim to help the Erasmus Generation tences, become more self-reliant and form an international to find and create jobs. mindset. Moreover, students with an international experience tend to have a greater sense of initiative and entrepreneurship Since its launch in 1987, the Erasmus study experience has than non-mobile students. These skills are greatly appreciat- enabled more than 3 million Europeans to experience mobil- ed by employers and are among the key aspects sought by ity in a different country. For the participants, studying abroad recruiters internationally. has most often been a defining period in their lives and creat- ed some of their most cherished and memorable experienc- es. While on a foreign exchange, students not only improve www.garagerasmus.org Foundation

The Erasmus Mundus Students & Alumni Association (EMA) exchange knowledge thereby becoming highly adaptable, was founded in 2006 as an initiative of the Directorate Gen- flexible and internationally connected. eral for Education and Culture of the European Commission with aim of connecting students and graduates of Erasmus Over the years, the EMA has grown an international organ- Mundus joint degree programmes. isation with over 11,000 members and with presence in 174 countries. The EMA focuses on promoting the excel- In a nutshell, Erasmus Mundus degrees are highly compet- lence of the Erasmus Mundus programme, sharing of inter- itive master’s and doctoral programmes that offer the op- cultural experience as well as networking and professional portunity to study one course at several European & partner development of its members. universities leading to joint or multiple degrees. It’s a mo- bility programme thus students move from one institution to another over the course of the programme. This offers students the opportunity to experience different cultures, www.em-a.eu The OCEANS Network, the organisation for Cooperation, Being an OCEANS member is not only about sharing a study Exchange and Networking among Students, was originally experience, but it is also about friendship, about discovery founded in 2010 to strengthen academic and intercultural and diversity. It is also about networking and professional links between the EU and other industrialised states – name- advancement, and it is very common for members to find ly the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New valuable career opportunities, inspiration and directions Zealand. Since 2015, the OCEANS Network has opened up by getting in touch with like-minded people from all over to welcome and support all exchange students and alum- the world. At a broader level, the OCEANS Network aims at ni coming from or going to more than 70 countries par- turning the temporary academic exchange experience into ticipating in Erasmus+. What all OCEANS members have in a lasting resource that not only enriches the single individ- common is their important role of connecting the EU and uals with different skills and personal or professional con- their home country, or the countries where they had their nections, but also contributes to a climate of peaceful and exchange. improved cooperation among Europe and other countries in The main objective of the OCEANS network is to provide an accessible and inclusive platform to develop long lasting re- lationships between people, universities, cultures, countries. the world. www.oceans-network.eu Erasmus MundusAssociation

ASSOCIATIONS AND PROJECTS The projects Of Erasmus Student Network, garagErasmus, Erasmus Mundus Association, OCEANS Network Erasmus Student Network The daily activity of our local members consists of organising events and promoting initiatives that can improve the quality of life of exchange students, enrich society through international students and promote mobility amongst the locals, all on a voluntary basis. The international level provides support to the local sections through a wide range of international projects which cover a diverse range of fields. Here is a description of some of the ESN’s most important projects. Mov’in Europe: Mov’in Europe is an initiative that promotes mobility. Its aim is to raise mobility issues on the political agenda and provide better information about mobility opportunities for young people, students and young graduates. The implementation of the project occurs through the development of innovative and lively digital campaigns, a network of ambassadors who provide information about student mobility and initiatives all over the network, such as mobility days, fairs, conferences and promotion of mobility experiences. SocialErasmus: SocialErasmus promotes a social attitude among young citizens participating in mobility programmes. It helps facilitate their integration into the local community while at the same time giving them the chance to make a long lasting social change in society by volunteering. Through SocialErasmus activities, international students experience volunteering activities that allow them not only to understand society’s problems, but also to work on solutions. Thus, SocialErasmus provides an opportunity for inter- national students to get to know other realities and learn how they can contribute to improve society as citizens of the world. ESNcard: The ESNcard is the ESN membership card and also a student discount card, sold by the ESN sections in almost all countries where ESN is present. The project consists of the online platform ESNcard. org and the ESNcard itself. The amount of discounts is constantly rising, both online and in local stores all over Europe. Discounts are available in such diverse categories as travel, electronics and food & drink. 130,000 ESNcard holders have access to the services and benefits provided by the ESN network and its partners. ESNsurvey: The ESNsurvey is the biggest regular European research project planned and carried out entire- ly by students for students. It is conducted annually and surveys students at higher education institutions. ESN shares the results with the main stakeholders in higher education and mobility programmes and pro- vides recommendations for further improvement. In the last few years an average of 15,000 students have answered our annual survey. 15

ASSOCIATIONS AND PROJECTS garagErasmus The Erasmus generation, composed of extraordinarily talented people, is what drives the garagErasmus Foundation, which created the online platform Check-in Europe – the first professional network of the Erasmus generation. On this platform, former Erasmus students as well as like-minded persons with other international experience can upload their CVs and list their skills, competences and business ideas. Check- in Europe thus offers a huge marketplace where the profiles of all registered users are available for compa- nies and recruiters. Moreover, entrepreneurs, investors, and start-uppers will gain the opportunity to identify potential partners and new business opportunities across an enormous number of individuals. This digital community is also the powerful engine to bring the European idea to the local level. In 2014, garagErasmus launched the gE4Cities, a programme to establish local chapters of the association in many European cities. Currently, five ge4Cities have received formal recognition: Athens, Istanbul, Lisbon, Prague and Tours. These local garagErasmus associations can use the Check-in Europe platform to discuss relevant topics, match local talents and invite people to their events and meet-ups. The foundation’s local assocatios, which consist of a small group of volunteers, take care of the face-to-face matching of persons and ideas. The Check-in Europe platform is the ideal place where individuals who are interested in similar topics, who work in the same city, or who want to establish a start-up can find each other. Check-in Europe is at the backbone of all the association’s activities. Meet-ups of local associations, ‘gE4City’ (e.g. gE4Lisbon) and Joint Projects of alumni (coaching, mentoring), cities/regions (territorial marketing), companies (recruitment, business development abroad), investors/business angels/crowd funders (invest- ment) and universities (career guidance, start-up centres, alumni tracing, lifelong learning). In a nutshell, Check-in Europe facilitates online/offline matching between registered individuals and their counterparts across Europe: – Other alumni, for joint projects, coaching and mentoring – Recruitment agencies, for public and private employment – Investors, business angels and crowd funders, for investments – Companies, wishing to expand abroad, searching for contacts persons and business partners in target countries – Cities and regional authorities, wishing to raise the attractiveness of their areas for international talent (territorial marketing) – Universities, for better alumni tracing and more effective (international) career service – Universities, for a better and more comprehensive targeting of their lifelong learning offers In order to successfully promote and attract the Erasmus Generation, garagErasmus aims to connect uni- versities, cities and companies working together within a public-private logic to empower growth and inno- vation. garagErasmus enables local companies to find the international staff they need and to expand their business across Europe and beyond. Universities, as well, receive greater benefits for internationalising their career- and start-up services, and are able to trace alumni and their careers in an improved fashion. 16

ASSOCIATIONS AND PROJECTS Erasmus Mundus Association EMA Events Globally: There are twelve Regional Chapters represented by EMA members spread across the globe with grassroot representation led by EMA Country Representatives in 174 countries. EMA provides funding for members to organised events to promote Erasmus+ (Erasmus Mundus programmes) and to orientate new EM beneficiaries before setting off to Europe. Other events are organised to connect alumni around the globe and link EMA members with industry professionals. EMA Career: The Professional Development (PD) Team organises a ‘Mentor Mentee Programme’ that offers space for EMA professionals to gain coaching skills while helping junior EMA members to find their career path. EMA Community / Social: One of the EMA objectives is to share intercultural experience. The Community Development (CD) Team makes sure that members stay engaged through projects such as ‘Paper Traveler’, EMA Day or ‘Love Beyond Borders’ to mention just a few. EMAnate: The EMA magazine, prepared by the Communications Team, offers a very diverse content that include EMA events and activities, photo competitions, success stories and articles. EMA Networked: Sust-EMA-bility is an initiative that promotes a culture that focuses on sustainable practic- es with particular interest in environmental issues. GeoMundus is a network of EMA members and students related to Geoscience disciplines who organise a yearly conference with focus on Geospatial technologies. EMA Entrepreneur Network is formed by members interested in starting their own business and is a plat- form to share knowledge of experienced entrepreneurs with fellow EMA members. Course Quality Survey: This research project is one of the most successful initiatives of EMA and is run by the Course Quality Advisory Board (CQAB) in close collaboration with the Erasmus Mundus Programme Representative Network (PRNet). EM graduate Survey: Research that analyzes the quality of over 180 Erasmus Mundus Programmes based on feedback of graduates and their post-study experiences. OCEANS Network What does the OCEANS Network do in concrete terms for students and alumni? First of all, it provides support to students prior their departure and during the exchange period, by organising pre-departure orientations and intercultural training seminars. This is useful to equip students with the required awareness to manage their study period abroad and to overcome possible cultural shocks caused by living on a dif- ferent continent for the first time. Our support does not stop with the end of the exchange period. In fact, OCEANS has been providing a number of opportunities for alumni’s personal and professional develop- ment, by organising webinars, seminars, conferences and workshops where members can learn useful soft skills or get to know more about a topic they are passionate about. In this sense, OCEANS provides a unique platform for networking, not only among members, but also by taking advantage of members’ connec- tions to create networking opportunities with external institutions, companies and organisations around the world. Additionally, the Network also acts as entrepreneurship incubator by organising entrepreneurship competitions and by providing support to develop and realise innovative ideas. Finally, OCEANS offers volunteering opportunities that allow members to grow both personally and pro- fessionally by taking on progressive responsibilities and performing leadership roles within the network. In sum, what OCEANS Network offers to students and alumni is international connections worldwide and opportunities for growth. 17

KICKOFF CONFERENCE velopment of the ESAA, to highlight the benefits of bringing together our four organisations and much more. Also, panel discussions and inspiring workshops were part of the ESAA kick-off conference: In the workshop “Inspiring stories from the Erasmus+ com- munity”, three members of Erasmus+ community shared their In the field of European higher education, a new organisa- story of self-discovery, personal development and success. tion is being established: the Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Georgiana Mihut talked about the importance of good quality Association (ESAA). It will bring together European Union higher education and gave advice on how to bring together a funded exchange students and graduates by uniting four group of people who voluntarily, without any reward, accom- existing associations under one new umbrella: plished very time-consuming and important study. – Erasmus Mundus Students and Alumni Association (EMA) – Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Rosa Maria Utset Gil talked about how moving out and go- – garagErasmus (gE) – OCEANS Network ing for some time abroad changed her life, how it boosted her self-confidence and helped her overcome her fears. Her most important lesson of her exchange: We are not aware As a new and dynamic platform, the ESAA will enhance inter- how influenced we are by our culture until we go abroad and ational cooperation, networking, professional development discover a completely new world. and intercultural learning among members, while promot- ing higher education in Europe and developing new part- Leasa Weimer inspired everyone, especially women, by nerships worldwide. This new initiative was launched during her story of doing a PhD, being EMA president and being a reception and the subsequent kick-off conference on the a mum of a newborn at the same time. She encouraged to 11th and 12th June 2015 in Brussels. be brave and go for it following the words “Leap and the net Tibor Navracsics, the European Commissioner for Education, will appear”. Culture, Youth and Sport said: “Erasmus+ is one of Europe’s The workshop “Youth entrepreneurship and innovation: flagship projects, and rightly so. Studying in another country, another way for Erasmus” was focused on topics related to whether for a short or longer period, is a great experience entrepreneurship and on sharing the experiences of the stu- for young Europeans: It helps them to enhance their skills as dents and alumni of different organisations of the ESAA. well as to understand and accept cultural and other differ- ences. Student and alumni associations offer crucial support The workshop started with a talk from Elizabeth Humber- to help young people make the most of this opportunity – stone of EMA who is leading the startup “Apply Yourself” before, during and after their stay abroad. That is why I am which offers application and admissions services to Erasmus very pleased that the ESAA will help to channel this support students. She talked about the challenges that startups face and know-how even more effectively. I am looking forward when entering the public sector, using the education sector to seeing new activities that will further improve the mobili- as an example. She pointed to many challenges in the sector, ty experience, encourage networking and help promote the for example pricing things in a sector in which institutions opportunities Erasmus+ offers to a wider audience.” do not have a lot of financial resources and aiming for profit in an area where activities are typically seen as social work. More than 250 participants were invited to join the ESAA for its kick-off, including members of the four founding associ- Next, Ben Gill from Oceans Network presented a talk on “How ations, representatives of the European Commission as well to be an entrepreneur” in which he shared his experience as as other stakeholders involved in the creation of the ESAA. an entrepreneur and talked about his early startups such as Xavier Prats Monné, Director General of the DG for Educa- goodchocalates.co.uk and Adventure Travel Film Club. He tion and Culture, and Chantal Gaemperle, Group Executive gave many tips to new entrepreneurs such as always check- Vice-President of LVMH, opened the conference on Europe- ing the numbers, not being afraid to enter new terrain and, an Higher Education and the ESAA. The conference closed most importantly, not giving up. Memet Unsal talked about with a TED-style call for action to collaborate within the ESAA “InnoCampus - An innovation and entrepreneurship platform in order to help promote Erasmus+ on a global platform. at universities”. InnoCampus is a prefabricated portable plat- The aim of the event was to showcase the establishment of ation (FabLab) spaces as well as a digital platform.Damien this new umbrella association, to discuss the strategic de- Lamy-Preto talked about the importance of networking for form, which consists of coworking, co-learning and co-cre- 20

KICKOFF CONFERENCE entrepreneurs. He provided examples of how networking academic theoretical knowledge obtained in university for can be used to get new ideas and feedback, collecting use- real life problems. ful information and numbers, and as a means of reaching out to the clients. Pavan Siram from the EMA presented the Maurits von Roojen discussed employability from an educa- RealiseIT project and how it offers an opportunity to ESAA tional point of view. He talked about the role of higher edu- members to become entrepreneurs. cation institutions in connecting three involved stakeholders: student, educator and employer. The aim of the employability panel session panel was to an- swer the following questions: What impact will Erasmus+ have Vanessa Debiais-Sainton illustrated with statistics how inter- on the labour market and on employability within Europe? national mobility improves employment chances. It increas- How are foreign study experiences and related skills relevant es employment chances by 40 %, 10 % of students studying for recruiters in private and public organisations? How can abroad start their own companies. At the moment, only 5 % professional mobility in Europe be fostered? Four outstanding of students participate in Erasmus and more people should speakers discussed these questions with the ESAA commu- have access to it. Erasmus+ and the ESAA have a great im- nity: Dr. Christoph Anz, BMW Group, Director of Education pact in shaping modern education. Policy, Maurits van Rooijen, Rector and CEO of the London School of Business and Finance (LSBF), Vanessa Debiais-Sain- For more information on the event and ESAA ton, Head of Sector, Higher Education, Erasmus+, DG Educa- visit our website: www.esaa-eu.org tion and Culture, European Commision, Leasa Weimer, ESAA Board Member, EMA President. Dr. Cristoph Anz talked about the importance of internation- al experience and interdisciplinarity for leading positions. He mentioned also the necessity of having the ability to use the #ESAAkickoff #ESAAeu

THE ESAA BOARD Structure The ESAA Board The Board is the steering body of the ESAA and respon- sible for the major decisions concerning its function. It is composed of ten members nominated by the four organisations which constitute the ESAA. The members set annual strategy, develop work plans and decide on budgetary planning. Melania Lotti, Vice-President of the OCEANS Network She is responsible for the international development of the OCEANS Net- work. Interested in external relations and EU affairs, she has studied in Italy, the Netherlands and South Korea. Neringa Tumėnaitė, President of the OCEANS Network As a human rights activist, she has a strong interest in intercultural dialogue and youth empowerment through non-formal education, which is the perspective she brings to the ESAA. 22

THE ESAA BOARD Leasa Weimer, former President of the Erasmus Mundus Association She oversaw the strategic development of the EMA. She holds a PhD in higher education policy and works as a knowledge development adviser for a professional association on the internationalisa- tion of higher education. Emrah Karakaya, Vice-President of the Erasmus Mundus Association He has enjoyed the Erasmus programme 4 times: Erasmus, Erasmus Placement, Erasmus Mundus Master and Erasmus Mundus PhD. Edlira Alku, Representative of the Erasmus Mundus Association She studied in Italy, Germany and Hungary and now works as a senior manager at one of the biggest charities in London and brings to the board experience in governance and management. Pavan Sriram, former Vice-President of the Erasmus Mundus Association He is the founder of REALISE IT, an Business and Social incubator fo- cused on new ideas. He spent 7 years in various roles at the EMA. He also serves as an ESAA board member where he seeks to empower and inspire ESAA members. He believes in the true potential of ESAA to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. Stefan Jahnke, Former President of the Erasmus Student Network He used to lead one of Europe’s biggest student association with 13,500 members volunteering in 460 associations in 37 European Countries. Jonathan Jelves, Former Treasurer of the Erasmus Student Network In the ESN he was working primarily with issues linking mobile students to the private sector, through such projects as ErasmusIntern.org and ESNcard.org. Nicola Filizola, Vice President EU Affairs & Co-Founder, garagErasmus Foundation He is a communication senior professional and co-created the garagEr- asmus Foundation. Based in Brussels, he is the foundation’s person when it comes to relations with the European Commission, multinationals, universities and international stakeholders. Viviana Premazzi, garagErasmus Foundation She is a consultant for the World Bank and field coordinator in Turin for the project Greenback 2.0 – Remittance Champion Cities and researcher at the International and European Forum for Research on Migration (FIERI) in Turin. 2323

MEMBER INTERVIEWS The ESAA Board Member interviews Here you find out more about what the board members think of the ESAA. Stefan Jahnke Former President of ESN and ESAA Board Member What are your expectations towards this What challenges do you see for the ESAA? new umbrella organisation, the ESAA? The main challenge I see for the ESAA is the differences in The ESAA offers us a fantastic opportunity to collaborate our four organisations. We all share the same aim; support- with four existing organisations with all very different experi- ing and promoting student mobility. We all have very differ- ences and know-how. This opens a lot of doors for everyone ent approaches though, and getting together has been a involved in the ESAA and for the organisations as such. We real challenge, especially at the beginning. The past year has have the great chance to provide added value to the Eras- shown that if we get together and cooperate, we can create mus+ programme by creating new collaborative projects something very special, something that will give European and initiatives which wouldn’t be possible for each of the or- student mobility real added value. ganisations individually. How have you been involved in shaping the organisation? How will you be involved, in the near future and in the long-term? As the former President of the Erasmus Student Network, I had the chance to be involved from the very beginning of the ESAA. I participated in the very first meetings with the other “ The main challenge I see in our four organisations. ” for the ESAA is the differences organisations and in the discussions regarding the structure, What effects will the ESAA have on your organisation? the mission and the future of the ESAA. There have been ESAA will give some of the over 14,000 ESN volunteers the some exciting times and many challenges have been over- opportunity to get active on a European or even Global per- come. I can clearly see the progress we have made since the spective of student mobility. I hope that these members can very first meeting and I am looking forward to representing build a strong network by meeting members from the other the ESN within ESAA until the end of my term in March 2017. organisations and cooperating with them. 24

MEMBER INTERVIEWS Emrah Karakaya Vice President of Erasmus Mundus Association (EMA) and ESAA Board Member What are your expectations towards this near future as well. However, there are still a lot of challeng- new umbrella organisation, the ESAA? es awaiting us. In my opinion, one of our most important I believe that this new umbrella organisation will be benefi- challenges is our identity. We receive a lot of questions from cial at both individual and organisational levels. At the mem- our members about the ESAA. Some are worried about the ber’s level, I expect the ESAA to be instrumental in connect- possible consequences for our identity and the brand name, ing the individual members of four organisations with each i.e., Erasmus Mundus. I hear comments like “Being a member other (EMA, ESN, garagErasmus and Oceans). These mem- bers have a variety of educational, socio-geographical and professional backgrounds. In doing so, our members can learn and harvest ideas from one another. Recent research has indicated that diversity brings creativity and innovation for individuals. At the organisational level, there are great op- portunities for cooperation and collaboration. In the end, all four organisations serve the interests of students and alumni and, I believe, we can have a bigger impact when we work together. “ I really believe that the ESAA does and will serve as a great platform for collaboration. ” How have you been involved in shaping which is a part of Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Association the organisation? How will you be involved, (ESAA), sounds a little bit too complicated, don’t you think?” of Erasmus Mundus Student and Alumni Association (EMA) in the near future and in the long-term? I initially got involved when we received the first proposal What effects will the ESAA have on your organisation? from the European Commission in 2014. Back then, I was Actually, changes have already started! I think the members one of the representatives of the EMA, collaborating with the of the Board and Working Groups have been really inspired representatives of other three organisations. Our task was to by the members of the other three organisations and their draft the vision, mission and organisational structure of the best practices, on both social and professional levels. For ex- ESAA. Later, in March 2015, together with Edlira, Pavan and ample, the ESN helped us not only to register the EMA as a Leasa, I was appointed as one of the ESAA board members legal entity but also to generate ideas for funding opportuni- by the EMA. In October 2015, I was elected Vice President of ties. This will all make EMA a sustainable organisation! I really the EMA for the next two years. Also the new EMA Steering believe that the ESAA does and will serve as a great platform Committee has been just established. Now we are working for collaboration. Each of the four organisations has a dif- together on how the future composition of EMA representa- ferent set of strengths and expertise and, at the same time tives on the ESAA Board should be. Stay tuned! requires different areas of improvement! When we look at What challenges do you see for the ESAA? help us to generate the most innovative ideas with the great- I think the ESAA Board has done a great job in less than eight est impact for the students and alumni of E+ (and therefore months. I hope we will keep this momentum going in the Erasmus Mundus) in the future! the big picture, we are sure that this diversity in the ESAA will 25 Erasmus MundusAssociation

MEMBER INTERVIEWS Nicola Filizola Vice President EU Affairs and Co-Founder, garagErasmus Foundation What are your expectations towards this What challenges do you see for the ESAA? new umbrella organisation, the ESAA? The ESAA is the newcomer in the huge galaxy of students The ESAA is a new organisation, only few months old, and it and alumni related organisations in Europe. This fact by itself is the result of a large effort of synthesis among four already represents a great challenge as it is about positioning our established organisations with the support of the European work among several other organisations. Moreover, the ESAA Commission. I have been contributing my enthusiasm and my being a platform that serves and enriches other four organi- professionality to help this become a successful new platform sations, another challenge ahead is the continuous effort to that can help bridge students’ lives with their professional lives. work in teams while acting as one. As a Board representative, As co-founder of garagErasmus, I always seek the links be- I see that one of the major issues at the moment is to clearly tween the world of students and the corporate world and I communicate to the individual organisation members what believe we have a tremendous opportunity here. How would the ESAA is about and how they can benefit from it. There it be if the student’s life did not end with a dramatic jump into is a need to rethink and to find a collaborative mindset. I am the darkness, but instead already had the basis of a profes- sure this is possible and that I already see it on the working sional future interwoven? We at garagErasmus see the ESAA group level. A few months ago, the Board wanted to come as a platform where each organisation offers its best tools and up with a concrete plan of action and a mission. Now these capacities to encourage the other associations grow and im- are in place and it is time for some multi-level involvement. I prove. What are we in the end if not facilitators for millions in see an association with some huge potential, it is up to us to the Erasmus generation? We are keen to operate within the make the most of it and take it to the next level. ESAA as the engine that serves the ESN, EMA, OCEANS and the complete Erasmus generation to bridge the gap between What effects will the ESAA have on your organisation? higher education and the corporate world. I do not see any major changes for garagErasmus in the operation of the ESAA. We have been established and will How have you been involved in shaping continue to work on empowering mobility talents on their the organisation? How will you be involved, professional journeys. The Erasmus+ Students and Alumni in the near future and in the long-term? Associations can only help by increasing the capacity of ga- Since its very inception, I have been a part of the group that ragErasmus to reach out to all those with the goal to enlarge works on shaping the organisation. Together with my other their professional scopes and potential. In my view, the ESAA colleagues on the Board, I participated in the several meet- is an ideal place where the continuity of the four organisa- ings that took place to define the mission of the ESAA, to- tions occurs. Imagine, you are an ESN member or you have gether with the division of tasks for each working group. Not experience with the EMA or OCEANS and you’re an entre- an easy task, as in some cases we had to prioritise the larger preneur at the same time: you are looking for a partner to goals of the ESAA over the individual associations’ own inter- scale up your business in another country. Thanks to Check- ests. I collaborate with the smooth operations of the profes- in Europe, we intend to provide everyone with a concrete sional development group and I am also a board member for opportunity to match-make their needs with someone else’s the Credit Mobility Strand. I have the privileged position to be in another place. On the other hand, imagine you are simply able to see and work on the adaptation of each other for a looking for a job as you want to move to another place; it wider impact on the Erasmus Generation. Together with my isn’t easy adjusting to life in a new city. Using the same plat- colleague Viviana Premazzi I will continue to work on the form, our gE4s can organise meet-ups that bring you into two boards of garagErasmus and ESAA. There I can facilitate direct contact with local recruiters and companies. And all the mobility of millions of individuals who share our same this for the entire community. We definitely see the ESAA as dreams and goals. a multiplier and as an opportunity. 26 Foundation

MEMBER INTERVIEWS Neringa Tumenaite President of OCEANS Network and ESAA Board Member What are your expectations towards this What effects will the ESAA have on your organisation? new umbrella organisation, the ESAA? Our organisation has been through a lot of changes following I hope the ESAA will act as a force which creates strong syn- the new ERASMUS+ programme. Initially, the programmes ergies among the four partners, while also leaving space for for credit mobility mainly targeted six countries outside of each of its member associations to preserve what makes the EU, the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and them unique. New Zealand. As of 2015, the number expanded to mobility agreements with higher education institutions in more than How have you been involved in shaping 70 countries throughout the world. So our network has un- the organisation? How will you be involved, dergone a massive internal restructuring, and we’ve worked in the near future and in the long-term? a lot to make sure we can reach the new students and alumni We as OCEANS Network have been involved in creating the outside of Europe. ESAA from early on, together with our partners from the EMA, ESN, gE and the European Commission. We were able to foresee the strategic priorities for the umbrella associa- tion, co-draft its mission and vision and to identify points of cooperation. Perhaps one of our strongest points of refer- ence has always been trying to make sure that extra-Europe- an exchange students and alumni are well represented and catered to by the ESAA, and that it establishes itself as a body with a strong worldwide dimension. “ Right now, our main focus is how to make all of the ideas we have agreed on become alive and operational. ” What challenges do you see for the ESAA? Here, collaboration and support of our umbrella partners is I think we have already tackled a big chunk of challenges, of great value, for as a young network (only five years old!) such as coming together at a communal table with people we are keen to learn and develop our capacity. This is now and organisations from different backgrounds, and trying more important than ever as the growth in membership has to create something by which we could all stand by. Right the potential to increase 10 times within a year. So we have now, our main focus is how to make all of the ideas we have joined the ESAA at a very exciting time. agreed on become alive and operational, and that the ESAA continues to develop. “ The ESAA is the newcomer in the huge galaxy of students and alumni related organisations in Europe.” Nicola Filizola 27

ESAA Working Groups Professional Development The Professional Development Working Group offers strat- Promotion Working Group The Promotion Working Group has for the first year of egies and methodologies that can assist ESAA’s members ESAA taken on the challenging task of organising the Kick- in the acquisition of professional development skills. This off event. To organise the event, which included a public includes a platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration and conference for 250 participants and a two-day workshop the ability to work in diverse teams. The Working Group fosters for 160 participants from the ESSA’s member organisations, global and cultural awareness, helps ESAA members to devel- a team of eight volunteers worked together with Board op leadership and project management skills and a flair for en- Member, Stefan Jahnke, and the service provider ICUNet trepreneurship. The Working Group is responsible for the very to plan an exciting, yet efficient agenda. Bringing such a successful ESAA incubator that invites ambitious members to large number of people to Brussels and co-organising such bring their ideas / projects to the next level and find their bear- a large scale event between the four organisations was a ings in the start-up scene. mammoth task. The Working Group members divided themselves in teams, prepared agenda suggestions, brain- stormed session outcomes, possible speakers, logistics, the evening programme and much more. The positive feed- back on the event and the excellent results speak for them- Events Working Group As the ESAA continues to strategically develop, so do the selves: The team managed to organise a very special event to kick off the Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Association. WGs. The ESAA Events WG is the youngest ESAA WG, a As the trial of having a group of volunteers organising the transformation of the old ESAA Community Development lion’s share of the event was a success, the Board decided WG. In the previous WG, the members met several times on- that the contributions of volunteers will also in future be of line and once in person in order to discuss the community crucial nature in giving the right amount of participation and specific topics and, consequently, generate new ideas. Within ownership of such events to the volunteers of the ESAA. this new WG, i.e., the ESAA Events WG, the members aim at The task of organising events will be shifted away from the managing the ESAA events, such as the ESAA annual meetings Promotion Working Group and will fall under the respon- and ESAA Working Group meetings. Currently, the new WG is sibility of the Community Working Group. The Promotion working on helping out for the strategic and effective man- Working Group will focus on another very important task: agement of the upcoming events. the promotion of Erasmus+. For this reason, the Working Group will also be renamed the “Erasmus+ Promotion Working Group”. Survey and Research Working Group The Survey and Research Working Group keeps the ESAA community informed about important educational policies, research, dialogues on European level and the events that Communications Team The Communication Working Group (COMMS) covers all impact them. The R&S team will seek out opportunities to external communication aspects of the ESAA. Through its suggest seminars, events and conferences that are impor- bi-monthly newsletter it offers relevant information about the tant for ESAA members. The Working Group is composed ESAA, its member organisations and Erasmus+ to all its sub- of expert members from each member organisation of the scribers. Our Social Media channels like Facebook and Twitter ESAA and they have have expertise on various topics in mo- offer more regular updates about activities and campaigns bility. The Working Group takes care of annual surveys, fol- and use interactive content to engage with others. COMMS is lows E+ developments and distributes relevant policy news, also responsible for the design and content of the ESAA web- discussions, and/or events to the Communications team. site and our official magazine.

TEAMWORK Credit Mobility Strand The Credit Mobility Strand (CMS) forms a subgroup of the ESAA. It consists of the member organisations which primarily work with students and alumni from the credit exchanges of Erasmus+: The ESN, garagErasmus and OCEANS. The activities implemented under CMS for 2015 cover such diverse categories as volunteering, Erasmus+ events, professional opportunities and the making of an Erasmus+ promotional film. Social projects We believe it’s important that Erasmus+ students engage in social causes in their host communities. It’s an opportunity to truly connect and integrate with the local society, and to enrich the lives of the students as well as the local population. This support to the local community can also facilitate better understanding between people of different cultures and backgrounds. For this reason, the CMS has created a grant scheme to which members of the ESN, garagErasmus and OCEANS can apply to receive funding for projects which engage Erasmus+ students in local social causes. Over 30 applications were received and during the autumn many of these projects will be implemented with a combined support of EUR 25,000 from CMS. Worldwide events The Erasmus+ programme stretches beyond the borders of Europe into all conti- nents. Therefore it is important for the ESAA and CMS to have a truly global presence. In order for students outside of Europe to become aware of the fantastic opportu- nities of Erasmus+ and of studying in Europe, the ESAA must be there to spread the word. For this reason, the CMS has set up a grant scheme where members of the ESN, gE and OCEANS can apply to if they wish to organise Erasmus+ events outside the borders of Europe. Many applications have been received and during the autumn of 2015 more than EUR 20,000 is being granted to these global events. Professional opportunities The transition between education and working life is very important. Yet still today there is often a lack of integration between the world of education and professional life. In order to promote a better connection between the two, the CMS implement- ed fully funded study trips to the exciting companies Airbnb and Innocampus which members of ESN, gE and OCEANS could apply to and get an inside look behind the scenes. More than 100 applications were received and 20 lucky people were chosen to make the trips to Dublin and Istanbul in October. We the Erasmus generation We want everyone to know and feel the power of an Erasmus+ experience, how it can empower your professional life and enrich your understanding of the world. The best way to learn about Erasmus+ is by listening to the stories of those who have experienced it. During the autumn a film crew will interview several alumni of Erasmus+, from all parts of the world, to hear their experiences first-hand. The result will be a video called “We the Erasmus Generation” which will leave no doubt that the Erasmus+ experience is truly life changing. 30