On 2-3 June 2026, Erasmus Student Network (ESN) participated in the 3rd FOREU4ALL Workshop, "From Campuses to Communities: Enhancing Engagement and Sense of Belonging in European Universities", held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The workshop brought together representatives of European University Alliances, higher education institutions, students and other stakeholders to explore how alliances can foster stronger communities and create a greater sense of belonging for students and staff across Europe.
As a long-standing advocate for international student mobility and student engagement, ESN welcomed the opportunity to contribute to discussions on one of the priorities for the future of European higher education. European University Alliances represent an important step towards creating a more connected and integrated European Higher Education Area, and ESN strongly supports their ambition to provide students with more international learning opportunities.
The workshop's focus on strengthening communities and fostering a sense of belonging closely aligns with ESN's research and advocacy. Findings from ESNsurvey XV show that while engaging with the local community is one of the main motivations for studying abroad, 53.47% of exchange students do not participate in any activities within their host institution or local community. Moreover, only around a third of students report engaging frequently with members of the local community, highlighting that many mobility experiences remain centred around an "international bubble". This lack of local engagement can reduce the long-term impact of mobility by limiting opportunities for cultural exchange and language development.
Addressing this challenge requires strong cooperation between higher education institutions, European University Alliances and student organisations. Across Europe, many ESN local associations already collaborate closely with their respective European University Alliances. Through organising activities for international and local students, promoting mobility opportunities, supporting peer-to-peer initiatives and contributing to student engagement, they help strengthen the alliances' connection with their local communities while fostering transnational cooperation among students.
As part of the programme, ESN joined the roundtable discussion "Hearing the Students' Voice". The discussion explored how European University Alliances can strengthen student engagement and build a stronger sense of belonging across their communities. Drawing on ESN's experience and research, the discussion highlighted several priorities for the future development of the alliances. These included increasing student awareness of alliance opportunities, strengthening peer-to-peer support, ensuring meaningful student representation in governance structures, recognising student engagement through mechanisms such as micro-credentials and, where appropriate, ECTS recognition, and creating transparent feedback loops that enable student co-creation rather than one-off consultation. The discussion also emphasised that a strong European community is built through people. Student organisations, ambassadors, mentors, and student representatives play a key role in making alliance opportunities more visible and relevant to the wider student population.
Beyond the panel discussion, ESN actively participated in the thematic working group "How can we overcome mobility barriers, fostering inclusion and diversity in European University Alliances?". Throughout the collaborative design process, participants worked together to transform ideas into practical prototypes addressing some of the most pressing challenges faced by European University Alliances. Building on ESN's experience in supporting international mobility, we contributed to the development of a prototype focused on strengthening knowledge exchange between prospective and returning mobile students.
The workshop demonstrated the value of bringing together Alliances, universities and student organisations to jointly design solutions for the future of European higher education. ESN is proud to contribute the student perspective to these discussions and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with the FOREU4ALL Community of Practice and European University Alliances to ensure that students remain at the heart of the European Universities Initiative.
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