European Students' Union

On 17 October 1982, seven National Unions of Students (NUSes) from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Iceland, France, Denmark, Norway and Austria established the Western European Students Information Bureau (WESIB) at a gathering in Stockholm. In February 1990, WESIB dropped the "W" to become the European Student Information Bureau (ESIB) following the political upheaval in Europe at the time. In 1992 the name was changed yet again into the National Union of Students in Europe. This reflected the recognition of the changing mission of ESIB from being a pure information-sharing organisation into a political organisation that represented the views of students in European institutions. In May 2007, the current name, European Students' Union (ESU), was introduced.

Over the years, the office of ESU has moved around Europe and was first hosted by the member NUSes. Following the establishment of WESIB in Stockholm, the office was based in the SFS Office in Sweden from 1982 until 1985, funded by a grant by the Swedish Government. By 1985 the grant was running low, and so NUS UK offered to host WESIB in their London headquarters. In 1988 the office moved to the ÖH offices in Vienna and remained there until 2000 when it was decided that for reasons of being near the European institutions, the office should move to Brussels and was hosted by VVS.

The highest ESU structure is the Board Meeting, bringing together representatives from all the National Unions of Students it represents. The Board Meeting sets the organisation's policy direction and elects members to the executive committee to run the organisation.

Executive committee

The executive committee (EC) is elected for a one-year term at the annual Board Meeting by representatives of the member organisations, with each country (not organisation) given two votes. The president and vice-presidents together make up the presidency of ESU, and are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organisation along with the seven general members of the EC.[1]

Title		Name	Country
Presidency	President	Martina Darmanin	Malta
	Vice Presidents	Zamzam Ibrahim	United Kingdom
		Jakub Grodecki	Poland
General Members		Pegi Pavletić	Croatia
		Matteo Vespa	Italy
		Stanimir Boyadzhiev	Bulgaria
		Meral Nur	Austria
		Kristel Jakobson	Estonia
		Martin Hammerbauer	Czech Republic
		Ruben Janssens	Belgium

Associate members of ESU are pan-European and international student organisations that have similar goals to ESU. The criteria for associate membership require the organisation to be democratic and student-run, have either students or NUSes as members, and represent students from at least 8 countries that are parties to the European Cultural Convention. Associate organizations can attend and speak at all ESU meetings, but cannot vote at Board Meetings.[2]

• Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA)
• European Dental Students Association (EDSA)
• European Deaf Students' Union (EDSU)
• European Nursing Students Association (ENSA)
• European Medical Students' Association (EMSA)
• European Pharmaceutical Students' Association (EPSA)
• European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS)
• Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisation (FEMYSO)
• International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS)
• International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA)
• International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO)
• International Students of History Association (ISHA)
• Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU)

Year	Name	Country
2021-present	Martina Darmanin	Malta
2020-2021	Gohar Hovhannisyan	Armenia
2019-2020	Robert Napier	Malta
2018-2019	Adam Gajek	Poland
2017-2018	Helge Schwitters	Norway
2016-2017	Lea Meister	Switzerland
2015-2016	Fernando Galán	Spain
2014-2015	Elisabeth Gehrke	Sweden
2013-2014	Rok Primozic	Slovenia
2012-2013	Karina Ufert	Lithuania
2011-2012	Allan Päll	Estonia
2010-2011	Bert Vandenkendelaere	Belgium
2008-2010	Ligia Deca	Romania
2007	Koen Geven	The Netherlands
2006	Justin Fenech	Malta
2005	Vanja Ivosevic	Croatia
2004	Johan Almqvist	Sweden
2003	Stefan Bienefeld	Germany
2002	Martina Vukasovic	Serbia
2001	Jacob Henricson	Sweden
2000	Remi Bordu	France
1999	Antti Pentikäinen	Finland
1998	Peter Sondgaard	Denmark
1997	Agnieszka Bolimowska	Poland

Prior to 1997 ESIB was Chaired by a NUS instead of an individual

Year	Union	Country
1996	Hökosz	Hungary
1995	SYL	Finland
1994	SYL	Finland
1993	SFS	Sweden
1992	SFS	Sweden
1991	VVS-UNES	Switzerland
1990	NUS (UK)	United Kingdom
1989	NUS (UK)	United Kingdom
1988	ÖH	Austria

• Eurodoc
• European University Association
• Education International

• ESU Website
• Blog of the ESU Committee on the Commodification of Education