NEWS
RUN-EU Student Ambassador Shares Insights from EUSAF 2025 in Warsaw
2 October 2025
In early September, Thomas Crabbe, a student at Howest University of Applied Sciences, represented RUN-EU at the European Universities Student Ambassadors’ Forum (EUSAF) in Warsaw.
EUSAF serves as a platform where students from European Universities Alliances (EUAs) can come together to share their perspectives and ideas about the current state and future direction of higher education in Europe. The initiative is designed to enhance student engagement, strengthen their sense of identity and belonging within their own alliances and across the broader EUA network, and ensure their voices reach decision-makers.
Read below Thomas’ reflection on his participation.
“First of all, I want to thank everyone who entrusted me with representing RUN-EU at EUSAF. This experience has been both valuable and enriching, giving me the chance to learn, share, and grow alongside fellow ambassadors from across Europe.
After arriving in Warsaw on Tuesday and spending the first night in an Airbnb, I moved into the student dorms on Wednesday and joined a group of people to go to the registration for EUSAF.
That afternoon, the first session was a welcome event.
The ESN organisers introduced the program for the week. We broke the ice with group activities and attended informational sessions about ESN, EU4All, and Poland’s role as the student president of 2025.
On Thursday, we began by presenting our posters, where each alliance introduced itself and shared best practices. It was inspiring to hear about the work being done in other alliances and to recognize common challenges. In the afternoon, we joined workshops on event planning and explored what it really means to act as an ambassador.
Friday was devoted to open panel discussions on topics chosen during the week. I led the discussion on social media and how we could better communicate EUSAF to our alliances and to students. With my group, I also reflected on representation: do we as a group of 46 ambassadors need an ambassador who speaks for us, and how we could strengthen ESN’s event letter with our own ambassadors’ voice.
Throughout the week, I had many insightful conversations with fellow ambassadors. We exchanged ideas on best practices, student engagement, and the importance of ensuring that the voices of all students are heard.
A recurring issue across almost all alliances is that students often don’t know about the alliances, or, if they do, they hesitate to spend their free time volunteering. Together, we brainstormed solutions, including the idea of organising university-wide events to make alliances more visible and attractive.
Looking back, what I will remember most is the sense of connection and shared purpose. EUSAF showed me that, despite our different alliances, we face similar challenges and can work together to overcome them. I return home inspired, motivated, and grateful for the friendships, knowledge, and confidence I gained.”