Thanks to FAGE

Komit has been in Paris with the European Students' Union (ESU) for Board Meeting 82 (BM82). During the one-week-long meeting, Komit, on behalf of SFS, took part in and followed up ESU's activities, presented the European Students Convention (ESC45), which is planned to be arranged in Sweden, and elected elected representatives to ESU. We have in true organizational tone discussed and revised political governing documents. BM82 with introductory seminar for experience exchange was held between 23 and 28 May 2022.

The financial year 2022/23 will be led by Matteo Vespa from Italy together with Katrina Sproģe from Latvia and Horia Onita from Romania. The Executive Committee (EC) consists of two representatives of SFS 'friend organizations: Tór Marni Weihe from the Faroe Islands and Emily MacPherson from Norway. 

As well as at SFSFUM, the budget and business plan (Plan of Work, PoW) were adopted. Next year, the ESU will work with the Europau University, support for Ukraine and the development of internal operations. SFS is critical of the scope of the business plan and demanded to delete parts. Partly for tendencies of unhealthy organizational culture where much has to be done in a limited time and with limited resources, which contributes to burnout, and partly because SFS believes that certain issues are of a local, regional or national nature. We believe that the ESU should primarily operate in areas where, as an organization, they have a real and actual opportunity to influence higher education in Europe.

In contrast to SFS's position, there are driving forces within ESU for a broader area of ​​focus. SFS worked under BM to ensure that ESU does not prioritize issues that are not directly related to higher education. Unfortunately, the ESU has once again chosen to adopt a comprehensive business plan in our view.

Furthermore, revised versions of the following policy documents were considered and adopted: 

  • Revision of the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy
  • Revision of the Introduction to ESU's Policies for Higher Education
  • Statement on Brain Circulation (Brain Drain) 

The ESU also has "Internal motions (IM)" which are similar to internal rules for ESU meetings. For example, there are IMs that regulate how long an IM may apply, rules for how processes take place, and then more light motions that prescribe, for example, singing or movement activities after a certain period of time or a certain moment. 

At the initiative of SFS, it was also assumed that IM had already expired that the meeting would sing "here comes Pippi Longstocking" under special conditions. The motion has its background in that the Swedish delegation is often first on site on the morning of the meeting. With the aim of drawing attention to the Swedish spirit of timekeeping, the meeting will sing Pippi if the meeting does not begin within a certain time. IM applies to a maximum of eight BM and during the pandemic, Pippi Longstocking ceased to apply. Komit has chosen to wait for the physical meeting and we now have an IM again that will get the participants up in the morning!

Another hotly debated issue during the meeting was Northern Macedonia's possible membership of the ESU. Earlier in the spring, ESU's study visit team (SVT) had gone on a study visit and in its report it recommended an extension of the trial period to a maximum of 2 years, something that SFS also voted for. The outcome was as proposed.

The meeting was not completed on time and will end within a week online. What we see in Europe and the rest of the world is an attempt at return and recovery from the corona pandemic. Internationalization and mobility have had a setback when physical travel was restricted. This is also stated in several reports, the most recent from the Foundation for Internationalization, STINT.

Finally, Komit not only participated in BM in Paris, but also celebrated ESU 40 years on BM's last night! Current and former members of SFS participated in this event.

We say thank you to SFS, one of the French equivalent of the Fédération des Associations Générales Etudiantes (FAGE), which hosted the BM and the event!

Committee 2022

Linn Svärd, Ismail Bazine, Moa Johansson, Gustav Ekström and Henrietta Berner.