Laura De Vocht Education Officer ESN in Belgium Laura De Vocht Education Officer

Agenda What is ESN? ESN in FW-B Partnerships International Projects Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

What is ESN?

ESN in Numbers Year of foundation 1989 Exchange students 179,000 13,500 ESN members 442 HEIs 37 countries 1989 Year of foundation 179,000 Exchange students 12% growth rate since 2005 Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Section Visit | Wim Gabriels | President ESN BELGIUM

Former Exchange Students Goals Support and develop International Education and Intercultural experiences Former Exchange Students Exchange Students Local Students We assist three types of students. In the first place it is obvious that we work to improve the social and practical integration of international students but moreover, we also help with the reintegration of former exchange students. Last but not least we also believe in the concept of internationalisation at home for those students who are unable to access an exchange abroad and we provide relevant information about mobility programmes to prospective local exchange students. Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

ESN Structure ESN operates at three levels Local Level National Level International Level e.g. ESN ICHEC Brussels e.g. ESN Belgium International Board Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

ESN Sections in FW-B

ESN Belgium in Numbers 7 350 20 1990 12 9000 Year of foundation ESN members 20 HEIs 7 Sections FW-B 1990 Year of foundation 9000 Exchange students 12 Sections Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Overview Sections Brussels Louvain-La-Neuve Liège Mons ESN ICHEC Brussels Louvain-La-Neuve ESN LLN Liège ESN HEC Liège ESN HELMo ESN HEPL ESN Ulg Mons ESN Mons (UCL Mons) Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Local Activities Welcome Days / Orientation week Buddy Program Arrival Support Pick Ups Information or help with finding Accommodation Survival Information Language Tandems/Café’s Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Local Activities Cultural trips Social Activities Sports Activities Museums City Trips Social Activities Student Parties Movie Nights International Dinner Sports Activities Student Leagues Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

ESN Partnerships

ESNcard International, national and local discounts and deals A membership and discount card International, national and local discounts and deals More than 80,000 cards sold per year In development: www.esncard.org ESN cards are sold to exchange students and ESN members. Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Brussels Airlines €200 H/T 52KG Luggage 1 Change of date free of charge 5 x 20% Discount for family & friends Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Proximus Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

International Projects

SocialErasmus Flagship project of ESN in 2012 Aims of the project Winner of the EESC Civil Society Prize Aims of the project Giving international students the opportunity to contribute to their host communities with volunteer activities It was set up by ESN Poland in 2008 and it became an International project in 2010. Slogan: Reach higher! Go further! Go Social!  Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

SocialErasmus Integration into local community through volunteering Charity, Education & Environment In sync with the original values of the Erasmus Program Intercultural learning, integration, new educational systems Reach Higher, Go Further, Go Social! SocialErasmus (SE) is an international project of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) with the aim of involving international students, participating in university exchange, in to social and volunteering activities in their host country. The project promotes a social attitude among international students and facilitates their social integration into the local community while exploring the added value that resides in the diversity in Europe. SocialErasmus has three different pillars which the project focuses on:  Charity:Social activities with a charitable purpose.  Environment: Activities that promotes environmental thinking or serves an environmental purpose.  Education: Educational activities that integrate international students with the society.  The aim of the SocialErasmus project is to complete the stay abroad with the original values of the Erasmus Program. Erasmus is supposed to be an opportunity to get to know new cultures and education systems as well as to make new unforgettable friendships, but also it should be a kind of inspiration for a future life. Moreover, SocialErasmus project enables to experience something new, as consequence Erasmus program participants will get a new perspective, which would be beyond their cognitive abilities, if they did not take part in the Erasmus program. Mobility HEI | Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BELGIUM

Erasmus in Schools Flagship project of ESN in 2013 International students becoming guest teachers in schools in their host communities Brings new cultures & languages to pupils Raising the interest for international education Erasmus in Schools (EiS) is a special activity inside SocialErasmus. Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Erasmus in Schools Part of SocialErasmus Matching Erasmus students – schools: Previously: by NAs, but mismatch Now: ESN Sections start contacting schools More info? SocialErasmus coordinator Belgium: socialprojects@esnbelgium.org National Agencies take care of promotion towards schools, Sections take care of promotion towards student. Mobility HEI | Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BELGIUM

ESNSurvey Biggest regular European research project made entirely by volunteers Average of 13.000 answers Exploring different aspects of student mobility Employability Language Learning Entrepreneurship Environmental behaviour Many others New ESNSurvey 2015 Please help spread the word! The largest research project in Europe conducted entirely by volunteers Every year, the survey explores the current issues connected to academic and non-academic mobility A European-wide research project covering different topics concerning mobility and education. Conducted annually and surveys students at higher education institutions, with an average response rate of 10,000 answers. Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Did You Know That Students Who Have Been Abroad Are More Engaged In Social Activities Than Those Who Have Not? They also have a bigger circle of friends and are more open-minded ESNSurvey 2013

ExchangeAbility MapAbility Promotion of exchange opportunties Make ESN accessible Accessibility of HEI Increase mobility for people with special needs MapAbility Collect data and provide information to students Create a map of accessible Universities in Europe Foster the mobility of students with special needs In 2011 only 0.14% of the Erasmus students were students with dissabilities*. We thus proposed this project called ExchangeAbility which has 3 key actions: Promote exchange opportunities to students with special needs Make the Erasmus Student Network accessible Create awareness of accessibility of Higher Education Institutions Besides this, we also launched the Mapability project this year, financed by a grant, that will allow us to create a map of Europe explaining which University is adapted to wheelchairs or to blind students for example. It will help these students find a proper University and encourage them to go on exchange. * In ESN and other official entities, we don’t use “people with special needs” and the term “people with disabilities” is always prefered. Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

MapAbility Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Erasmus Impact Study Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Erasmus Voting Assesment 81% former Erasmus students voted 42,5% general election turnout 30% turnout young people More pro-EU feeling Greater sense of European identity Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

STORY STORY main objectives: Research on the quality of ERASMUS study mobility Research on the quality of placements and internships including ERASMUS Web platform matching the demand and offer of traineeships STORY is the last big project of ESN International and has three main objectives: foster traineeships through an online platform, study the problems of recognition in doing an Erasmus and study the main obstacles for internships. ESN is really well-known for our evidence-based advocacy therefore we will create recommendations for all parties involved in internship programs and we will also design a guide for (future) apprentices. Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE| education@esnbelgium.org

Thank you for your attention! Questions?