Aalto University student attended the European Student Assembly
From April 10th to 12th 2024, more than 250 students representing 59 nationalities from 170 universities in the European University Alliances met in Strasbourg to debate current issues, formulating policy recommendations on the future of Europe and advocate them among stakeholders and decision-makers. A group of ten students represented the Unite! alliance that Aalto University is part of. Aalto鈥檚 representative was Sofia Pascolo, a first year Master鈥檚 student in Creative Sustainability, a joint master of Design, Business and Engineering.
79 approved policy recommendations developed by students
Prior to the Assembly, the students worked remotely on topics addressed during the Strasbourg event. 鈥淎fter four months of working with motivated students from different countries and different backgrounds, we finally gathered in Strasbourg for three intense days directly at the European Parliament. The opportunity to work in these spaces, where pivotal decisions that affect the lives of all of us are made, was an incredibly stimulating experience鈥, says Sofia.
Among the policy recommendations developed by the 11 panels, a total of 79 were democratically approved by all students and will be disseminated to the European institutions in the upcoming months. See all the policy recommendations .
鈥淚 was involved in Panel 1 covering the important topic of the European election year. Our policy recommendations aim to address the lack of information and the problem of misinformation, and to suggest ideas to encourage citizens' engagement in European affairs. The European Student Assembly is an excellent example of initiatives aimed at strengthening this engagement by amplifying student voices and promoting a sense of European belonging.
Participating in ESA allowed me to gain valuable insights into European policymaking processes and deepen my understanding of European challenges and opportunities. Indeed, besides working primarily on our panel topic, we were involved in inter-panel debates which further increased the exchange of opinions and knowledge between students. I participated in the inter-panel debate of Panel 2 Greener is better. How can the EU establish a responsible growth in the context of climate change? and Panel 8 Cure of the future. What approach should the EU adopt regarding health and more particularly the advancements of biomedicine?
The best part about this experience was the opportunity to play a role in addressing these complex issues for the future of Europe. Doing this together with like-minded and passionate students from all over Europe and beyond made the whole experience even more enjoyable and meaningful鈥, explains Sofia.
Applications to the 2025 European Student Assembly will open in the fall 2024.
Unite! University Alliance 鈥 your gateway to internalization
As an Aalto student, you鈥檙e a Unite! student. Unite! is an alliance of nine leading technical universities in Europe. It鈥檚 packed with opportunities to grow, internationalize, and connect with fellow students. We offer international courses on technology, multi-disciplinary topics, languages, and culture. We also provide funding for building extra-curricular activities with other Unite! students.
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