What is an international student organisation?

An an organisation run by students from various countries, usually also for students. Characteristic for these organisations is that they are non-profit organisations, and are not linked to any political party. Also typical for an international student organisation is that it has networks all over Europe by being active in numerous academic cities and European countries. They are in the first place mobilising students to study abroad. Second, they create possibilities to make studying abroad easier for students. For example, by giving information and organising activities in Europe like study trips, projects, summer and training courses.

What can they offer you?

When you are interested in studying abroad, the first thing you need is good information. International student organisations can help you with this by informing about different exchange or international programs. When your exchange program is chosen, the next step is helping you with practical matters like accommodation etc. During your stay abroad, international student organisations can also help you integrate in local community by participating in different activities.

Next to studying in another country, another possibility is joining a board. Working together with students from all over Europe gives you the possibility to develop or strengthen your social-, leadership-, (project) organising-, finance or marketing skills. These skills are very valuable for your future career!

Joining an international student organization also broadens your interpersonal world. Not only by taking many of the possibilities that they offer you, but also through the experiences that come along with it. Think about new friendships from all around Europe you build up, or how learning more about specific cultures in Europe brings forth more respect and appreciation among each other.

Our student partners:

AEGEE

Association des Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l'Europe (AEGEE) is one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe; it is represented by 15.000 students, active in 232 academic cities, in 43 countries all around Europe, which presents amazing culture variety. AEGEE is a secular, non-profit organization, not linked to any political party. All projects and activities are based on voluntarily work of its members.

In order to really promote international co-operation and avoid creating any physical or mental borders AEGEE does not recognize any national level or national administration in its unique organizational structure. The structure of AEGEE is based on a local level where 241 autonomic AEGEE locals directly implement AEGEE aims in a way that serves best the needs of their local community, and a European level, which gives the great common frame and direction for all local activities and provides a platform for international co-operation in multicultural teams.

http://www.karl.aegee.org/

EMSA

EMSA was created in 1991, at the European Medical Students' Congress in Leuven and was founded in 1991, at its first General Assembly, that took place in Brussels. It is a non-political student organization made by medical students for medical students!

The basic idea behind the general EMSA structure is to give students at the European medical faculties direct access to various activities, where they can too play an active part and learn with others. The individual European medical student can become active member and be a part of EMSA, without having to obtain some sort of position first. EMSA is a daily European project where everyone has an active role to play, where it be sending a small mail to students informing on a minor detail to representing European students before a platform of medical professionals from all over Europe.

http://www.emsa-europe.org/

ESN

Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe, founded in 1990 for supporting and developing student exchange. ESN is present in 296 Higher Education Institutions from 33 countries. The network is constantly developing and expanding. ESN works for the creation of a more mobile and flexible education environment by supporting and developing the student exchange from different levels, and providing an intercultural experience also to those students who cannot access a period abroad ("internationalisation at home")

The main focus of ESN is placed on exchange students, who often face problems (and feel abandoned) in their new environments. Therefore ESN offers help in academic, social and practical integration process. This is mainly done through activities in the local sections, which include cultural and social events such as trips to various places within the country, film nights, buddy group and language projects and international food fests and last, but not least, parties.

http://www.esn.org/

ESTIEM

The organization known as ESTIEM (European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management) was created to increase communication and cooperation between students and institutions of technology in Europe within the field of Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM). The IEM concept rests on the integration of technological understanding and management skills. The studies provide analytical capacities, engineering knowledge and practical management experiences, which make IEM students valuable since they are able to do business while understanding the underlying technology. As the demand for internationalization is constantly growing in the uniting Europe, young people with both a European orientation and experience will be most needed.

ESTIEM is the only Europe-wide organization of IEM and represents today through its 62 member groups over 45,000 students in 25 countries. Founded in 1990, it aims at establishing and fostering interrelations among students of IEM. Multinational project teams organize a wide scope of Europe-wide activities such as exchanges, conferences, case competitions, lectures and workshops. This makes ESTIEM a unique network connecting people with different cultural backgrounds and experiences.

http://www.estiem.org/

EUROAVIA

EUROAVIA is the European Association of Aerospace Students, founded in 1959 and present in 31 cities in 17 European countries, with a total of about 1200 members. Being a non-political, non-profit association, EUROAVIA is managed exclusively by students with its various activities being entirely financed by membership fees. Particular projects are financed by sponsors and participation fees.

Each year various activities are organized throughout Europe. These can be divided in local and international events. Local Groups are responsible for local events, which include: visits, workshops, lectures, parties and social events. International activities are coordinated by the International Board, including: fly-ins, Congress meetings, symposiums, the Design Contest / Design Workshop and also airshow presences.

http://www.euroavia.net/

IAAS

Founded in 1957 in Tunis by 8 countries, the International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related Sciences is at the moment one of the world's biggest student organizations and one of the leading agricultural student associations. IAAS gathers students studying, majoring or researching in agriculture and related areas like environmental sciences, forestry, food sciences, landscape architecture etc. Its committees are spread in universities in over 40 countries worldwide.

The aims of IAAS are to promote the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas among students, and to improve the mutual understanding between countries and cultures. To do this, activities like seminars, working camps, international meetings, exchange weeks, an international exchange program and small-scale development projects are organized.

http://www.iaasworld.org/

IAPS

The International Association of Physics Students (IAPS) is an association of physics students and student societies from around the globe. Since 1987 IAPS has worked continously to promote peaceful relations and collaboration between physics students. We support our members in their academic and professional work, as well as discussing and acting on scientific, social and cultural issues. IAPS is a recognised non-governmental organisation run entirely by students from around the world with a spirit of mutual understanding and equality.

IAPS runs an annual International Conference for Physics Students (ICPS), visits to global research institutions, summer schools, exchange programmes and multinational meetings all over the world. IAPS collaborates with numerous international bodies including amongst others: the European Physical Society, the Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society (their student wing runs a national competition to sponsor their students to attend our events).

http://www.iaps.info/

IAPSS

The International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS) is a platform for political science students and students interested in political science issues. The Association is international, politically independent, non-profit and student-run, and aims to have global impact in the political science sphere. Providing its members with knowledge, information and skills regarding current matters in the field of political science and their approach, IAPSS seeks to play a role in the lives of Political Science students in the world.

It aims at engaging their potential and stimulating them to become active participants in shaping their local communities and the wider international society. In its eleven years of existence, IAPSS embraced over75 association members, approximately 10.000 individuals, from more than fifty countries spread all over the world. It evolved from a loose network to an Association with a permanent secretariat in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where a team of six students is working on a daily basis to initiate and coordinate projects and activities on the local, regional and international levels.

http://www.iapss.org/

IFMSA

The International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) is an independent, non-governmental and non-political federation of medical students' associations throughout the world. In 2009 IFMSA had 97 National Member Organizations from 92 countries on six continents and represented more than 1 million medical students worldwide.

The IFMSA was founded in May 1951 and is run for and by medical students on a non-profit basis. It is officially recognized as a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) within the United Nations' and recognized by the World Health Organization as the International Forum for medical students. It exists to serve medical students all over the world and offers the biggest medical students exchange program.

Do you want to become active in the biggest medical student network of the world? Learn more about global health issues and develop yourself as a future doctor? Apart from that IFMSA provides medical students with a valueble International experience and you will get in contact with fellow students who share the same interests as you!

http://www.ifmsa.org/