Erasmus Student Network
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) was established in 1990 as a politically independent organisation of European students. Its main objective is to support exchange students during their semesters abroad.
ESN is currently represented at 240 universities and institutions of higher education in more than 30 countries, and the network is still growing steadily. Each institution has its own ESN section which is run by student volunteers.
Throughout Europe, a large number of student volunteers are committed to helping some 150,000 exchange students. In Austria, ESN is currently represented at 17 different institutions and comprises some 150 employees. Each semester, the network supports approximately 4,000 exchange students.
The main objectives of ESN are as follows:
- to work in the interest of exchange students
- to promote intercultural exchange and the integration of exchange students
- to represent the needs and expectations of exchange students at the local as well as the international level
- to provide important information on academic exchange programmes
