Dark blue background on the left side, and the text "Unveiling ESN’s 2025 Projects, ESN is proud to present 4 new exciting projects". On the right side is an image of 3 young people in a small conference room, looking at a big screen
Monday, 17 February, 2025 - 17:26

ESN is proud to present the new projects starting now in 2025, four exciting projects that have been approved: Erasmus Talent and Innovation Labs (ETI Labs), Voices of Change (VoC), Mobile Minds in Motion (MMM) and Automatic Recognition Assessment (AUREA). 

Through these new projects, ESN is showing commitment to bridging the gap between academic learning and the demands of the labour market, supporting the achievement of automatic recognition for mobile students undergoing credit mobility, fostering a healthy and sustainable mobility environment and creating spaces where young people feel empowered to speak up and make a difference. These projects will address key issues in the lives of young people and international students. ESN has been working on projects and activities to promote better mobility and empower young people for more than two decades.

Erasmus Talent and Innovation Labs (ETI Labs)

The ETI Labs project aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and the demands of the labour market by creating stronger cooperation between higher education institutions (HEIs) and businesses. Recognising the challenge of preparing students for an evolving job market, ETI Labs will focus on equipping students with key competencies in digital, green, and entrepreneurial fields. By fostering collaboration between academia and industry, the project will facilitate real-world problem-solving, enhance employability, and contribute to Europe’s digital and green transitions. The project builds on the concept of "Science Shops," using them to support direct business-education cooperation.

The project is led by Erasmus Student Network (ESN), in collaboration with EURASHE, Association of European Regions (AER), ESSCA School of Management, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), MCI Management Center Innsbruck, and ALGEBRA University College.

Overall, the primary goal of ETI Labs is to create sustainable cooperation models between universities and businesses through the development of Erasmus Talent & Innovation Labs. These labs will allow students to engage in challenge-based learning, directly addressing real-world issues posed by companies. The project will focus on fostering competencies in critical areas such as digital transformation, sustainable development, and social entrepreneurship, all while enhancing the employability of Erasmus+ participants.

The ETI Labs project aligns closely with the Erasmus Student Network’s (ESN) goals of enhancing student mobility, promoting inclusion, and improving employability. By facilitating practical collaborations between students and businesses, the project supports ESN’s mission to prepare students for the demands of the global job market. ETI Labs also strengthens ESN’s involvement with European University Alliances, further embedding innovation and business partnerships into the Erasmus+ program. 

The project will run from the 1st of January 2025 until the 31st of December 2027, and will have the following work packages:

Automatic Recognition Assessment (AUREA)

The AUREA project is designed to address the critical need for seamless automatic recognition of learning periods for mobile students engaged in credit mobility. By identifying key barriers, analysing conditions that hinder automatic recognition, and proposing evidence-based solutions, AUREA seeks to create a more inclusive and accessible higher education landscape across Europe.

The project is led by the European Students' Union (ESU) in collaboration with the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), the European University Foundation - Campus Europae (EUF), the European University Association (EUA), Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Ghent University (UGent), Philipps University of Marburg, and Kadri Zeka University (KZU).

In essence, the AUREA project aspires to break down barriers to mobility, ensuring that every student can benefit from the transformative opportunities that international education offers. Through case studies and quantitative data analysis, the project will assess where and why automatic recognition fails, uncover systematic challenges, and offer targeted capacity-building activities to support higher education institutions. The findings will lead to a comprehensive set of good practices and policy recommendations, equipping stakeholders to tackle these obstacles effectively.

The project will run from the 1st of January 2025 until the 31st of March 2027 and will have the following work packages:

Mobile Minds in Motion (MMM)

The Mobile Minds in Motion project's vision is to foster a healthy and sustainable mobility environment by promoting mental health prevention among Erasmus+ students. It aims to raise awareness of and understand better the importance of mental health prevention related to the mobility experience. 

This project is led by the University of Brasov in collaboration with the Erasmus Student Network, the European University Foundation, Selcuk University, University of Porto, University of Alcalá, and Vytautas Magnus University.

The project will map the preventive aspects of the mental health issues of mobile students and conduct surveys and focus groups to better understand the topic. Based on these findings, it will develop educational materials and a self-assessment tool, piloted through webinars and workshops, as well as disseminate all findings and materials through awareness-raising campaigns, webinars, and national events and build the online community of MMM.

The project will run from the 1st of December 2024 until the 31st of October 2027, and will have the following work packages:

Voices of Change (VoC)

Voices of Change (Voc) is designed to empower young people across Europe and foster intercultural dialogue. By promoting peace education, active citizenship, and societal engagement, the partnership seeks to create inclusive spaces that inspire youth to become change-makers in their communities.

The project involves the European Scout Bureau (BES), Erasmus Student Network AISBL (ESN), ESN France, ESN Portugal, the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP), and the Romanian National Organisation of Scouts (ONCR).

At its core, the collaboration addresses how to build organisational capacity and volunteer development by enhancing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of young leaders. The project aims to improve the quality of programmes and provide better support for underrepresented communities and vulnerable groups. Through long-term initiatives, the project fosters social integration, equips young people to handle crisis situations, and creates spaces for dialogue on emerging societal challenges. The initiative focuses on removing barriers to participation, integrating underrepresented groups, and empowering young people as peer supporters and advocates for inclusivity.

The project will run from the 1st of January 2025 until the 31st of December 2026 and will have the following work packages:

The four new projects reinforce ESN’s goals of creating a more inclusive and accessible educational landscape for the Erasmus Generation. We are looking forward to a new year and lots of work on our new projects and invite everyone interested to be a part of this incredible journey.