The European Student Assembly (ESA) is an annual gathering of students from various European Universities Alliances to debate current issues and draft political recommendations for the future of Europe.
This year, from 10–12 April, more than 250 students from 170 institutions involved in 41 European Universities Alliances gathered at the European Parliament in Strasbourg to discuss topics corresponding to European and global issues, and to propose recommendations for dissemination among the stakeholders and decision-makers at a local, national and European level.
UCD students had an opportunity to apply to participate in ESA 2024 thanks to UCD's membership of Una Europa. UCD Global facilitated and provided support for the student visits.
Alimat Babatunde, a third year Civil Law student at the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law, represented UCD and Una Europa at ESA 2024. Read about what Alimat had to say about her experience below. Plus, check out Alimat's video on (opens in a new window)Instagram.
"One day in November I received an email from the UCD School of Law [disseminating a message from UCD Global] about an upcoming event called the European Student Assembly (ESA24). The event promised to bring students from across Europe to the European Parliament in Strasbourg to discuss pressing issues we are facing, as a continent, such as AI, healthcare, and migration. This event was alluring to me as I am deeply interested in the European Union and how we as a society interact with policies. I expected the Assembly to be filled with analytical conversations and discussions about how to create a better future. Hence, I applied to participate with no hesitation.
The Assembly started on the 10th of April and ended on the 12th of April. Over 250 students were present. We were welcomed to the Parliament by several representatives from different universities in the area such as Michel Deneken, the President of the University of Strasbourg; Stefano Guerrini, the Executive President of the Franco-Italian University; Eva Martha Eckkrammer, the Executive President of the Franco-German University, and many more. They delivered speeches encouraging us young people to go out and dream. It was significantly motivating to hear that we should turn our dreams to reality because nothing is out of our reach.
I was a member of Panel 4, ‘Seeking a Better Future in the EU’. My panel delved into what policies the EU should adopt to guarantee treatment of migrants from outside of the Union with dignity. I chose this panel because I am passionate about human rights and the treatment of minorities. There have been incessant violations of human rights at borders so that was an important factor to my choice in joining this panel.
Each panel had been working on their policies since their selection and was expected to present them in front of the entire Student Assembly. During the Assembly each panel was sent to a conference room to discuss and redraft their policies in order to improve them before proposing it to the rest of the student body. I honed my persuasive language skills as well as my research skills while working on the policies. I had the opportunity to meet my fellow panel members and to get to know them on a professional and personal level.
Our policy recommendations included training programmes to ensure a more robust and effective border control system, utilising a private blockchain technology as a means of securely sharing sensitive information among agencies, implementing cutting-edge border control regulations to combat human trafficking, smuggling and human rights violations, and integrating migrants by providing a housing scheme in industrial areas. As part of the experience of the Assembly, I engaged in inter-panel debates where I was introduced to different panels’ policy recommendations and debated their purpose.
After my panel finished our proposal, we submitted it to the co-ordinators, and they presented it the next day. The Assembly conducted a voting process in the same manner as the Parliament, where each student voted on every proposal with the choice of for, against or abstain. This was a thrilling experience. Furthermore, when the time came for our panel’s policies to be voted on, all our proposed policies passed.
The ESA 2024 was a great opportunity that allowed me to grow and learn. I learned how policies were drafted and what constitutes a great proposal and structure. Furthermore, I discovered more about Una Europa, the European Universities Alliance UCD is a part of, and the opportunities it grants to students. Overall, this journey has opened my eyes about my future career goals and working on the political international stage."
ESA 2024 presented 82 recommendations, with 3 rejected, ultimately proposing 79 policy recommendations for the student body to advocate for in front of stakeholders and decision-makers in the coming period. Learn more about the policy recommendations and next steps (opens in a new window)here.
Check out Alimat's video on (opens in a new window)Instagram.
(opens in a new window)Read about other Una Europa students' experiences at ESA 2024