23.05.2025 Calabria Meeting Strengthens Student Council Vision and Launches Path for EUPSA

Pictured left-to-right:  Sibel Alara Taşa (Çukurova University, President of the EUPeace Student Council), Rijad Crvenjak (University of Sarajevo, Secretary of EUPeace Student Council) 

From 5 to 11 May 2025, the EUPeace Student Council (STC) and the team working on EUPeace's Campus and Student Life (work package 5 of our EU-funded project) convened in Calabria for their first face-to-face annual meeting of the year. The week was marked by strategic discussions, new initiatives, and important decisions shaping the future of student representation in EUPeace.

A key highlight was the Students' Peace Declaration initiative, spearheaded by the students of the University of Sarajevo. Scheduled for September 2025, the signing event seeks to establish a lasting student-led initiative advocating peace and societal cohesion. The declaration will be translated into multiple languages and is currently being finalised before publication.

Another central topic was the agreement to hold the first-ever EUPSA (EUPeace Student Alliance) meeting during the EUPeace Campus Festival in Limoges in October 2025. While no elections will be held yet, the gathering aims to build inter-university connections and lay the foundation for future student leadership independent of the STC.

The Student Council also restructured its internal work groups and reaffirmed the pressing need to establish local EUPSA-affiliated student groups in each partner university. These groups will serve as essential links between students and the broader EUPeace Alliance.

In addition to the intensive internal agenda, the meeting was enriched by valuable contributions from other student initiatives, which fostered dialogue and cooperation beyond the core EUPeace structures. Alessandro Lanzone, Sibel Alara Taşa, and Clement Desaphy presented EUPSA and the broader EUPeace initiative to the presidents of student associations at the University of Calabria, aiming to strengthen local collaboration. Furthermore, ESN Italia delivered an in-depth presentation to the Student Council, outlining the structure and operational approach of the Erasmus Student Network/ESN, as well as opportunities for collaboration between ESN and European university alliances such as EUPeace. Particularly insightful were the contributions of Simone Lepore, upcoming President of ESN International, and Elena Faria, Vice President of ESN Italia, who offered strategic perspectives on student engagement across Europe.