Arqus participates in the 2nd edition of the European Student Assembly

The European Student Assembly 2023 kicks off today at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. ESA will be held from 31^st May to 2^nd June with the main goal of gathering students from most European University Alliances to debate current issues, draft political recommendations for the future of Europe and advocate them among stakeholders and decision-makers.

The 210 student participants have been selected out of more than 1400 applications for their engagement and motivation. They come from 28 different countries, 40 Alliances and 144 universities. Aleksandra Kabala, a student at the University of Wroclaw, is representing the Arqus Alliance in this major event, one of the flagship initiatives of the European University Community (EUC). She will be participating in Panel 8, “Cities of the future. How could sustainable cities contribute to European autonomy and people’s welfare?”, with the issue of sustainability at the centre of the discussion. Besides, Aleksandra will cover the event on the Arqus Instagram account, sharing her experience with our followers.

The participants of the ESA 2023 will produce a collection of recommendations on 10 debating topics, each one assigned to a different Panel:

• Panel 1 – Deliberative versus representative democracy? How to reduce the gap between citizens and policy-makers and create a more united Europe?
• Panel 2 – Lessons from the past? How could the French-German history of reconciliation serve as a model to overcome conflicts and build unity?
• Panel 3 – How to secure fair and sustainable access to energy in Europe at different levels?
• Panel 4 – From farm to fork. How can local food distribution channels contribute to a fairer and more sustainable European food system?
• Panel 5 – Taking better care of each other. What should be the European approach to mental health?
• Panel 6 – How to ensure a fair and sustainable digital transition in a context of exploding demand and raw material scarcity?
• Panel 7 – Is the EU in a position to develop an efficient foreign policy and an autonomous defence policy that would ensure the safety of its citizens?
• Panel 8 – Cities of the future. How could sustainable cities contribute to European autonomy and people’s welfare?
• Panel 9 – Excellence versus inclusion? How can European universities contribute to provide a more inclusive access to skills and knowledge?
• Panel 10 – European Year of Skills – What role can higher education institutions play in reducing the skills gap in Europe?

Each thematic group will produce 6 to 10 Policy Proposals that answer the key challenges and questions discussed in each of the Panels.

The general document, gathering around 80 Policy Proposals, will be submitted to European Union institutions, national policymakers, MEPs and other stakeholders as the Recommendations of the European Student Assembly.