Erasmus Student Network (ESN)

Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is one of the biggest student associations in Europe. It was born on the 16th October 1989 and legally registered in 1990 for supporting and developing student exchange. The network is present in more than 1000 Higher Education Institutions from 42 countries, and it is constantly developing and expanding. It has around 15,000 active members that are in many sections supported by so-called buddies mainly taking care of international students. Thus, ESN involves around 40,000 young people offering its services to around 350,000 international students every year. ESN is mainly on a volunteer basis, and has an average annual growth rate of 12% since 2005. it is operating on three levels: local, national, and international. 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").