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

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

3. What is ESN?

4. 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|

5. Section Visit | Wim Gabriels | President ESN BELGIUM

6. 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|

7. 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|

8. ESN Sections in FW-B

9. 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|

10. 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|

11. 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|

12. 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|

13. ESN Partnerships

14. 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:
ESN cards are sold to exchange students and ESN members.
Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE|

15. 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|

16. Proximus
Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE|

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

18. International Projects

19. 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|

20. 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

21. 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|

22. 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:
National Agencies take care of promotion towards schools, Sections take care of promotion towards student.
Mobility HEI | Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BELGIUM

23. ESNSurvey
Biggest regular European research project made entirely by volunteers
Average of 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|

24. 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

25. 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|

26. MapAbility
Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE|

27. Erasmus Impact Study
Laura De Vocht | Education Officer ESN BE|

28. 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|

29. 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|

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

31. Thank you for your attention!
Questions?