NEWS
From RUN-EU to Strasbourg: driving Europe’s future at ESA 2026
25 June 2026
Six RUN-EU students were among the 250 participants selected to take part in the European Student Assembly (ESA) 2026, held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and bringing together student voices from across Europe.
This year’s edition marked a significant expansion of the initiative, bringing together 250 students selected from 2,889 applicants. Participants represented 196 universities, members of 54 European University Alliances, and came from 34 countries and 54 nationalities, reflecting the diversity and international character of the European higher education landscape.
Over three days of debate, collaboration and policy-making, students worked together to address key European challenges and contribute to the future of Europe through democratic participation. Bringing together a wide range of academic backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, ESA 2026 provided a unique platform for dialogue, civic engagement and cross-cultural exchange.
The Assembly concluded with the voting of 85 policy recommendations, of which 84 were adopted, highlighting the commitment of participants to shaping innovative and inclusive solutions for Europe’s future.
Through their participation, the RUN-EU students contributed to important discussions at the European level while strengthening the Alliance’s commitment to active citizenship, student engagement and European cooperation.
Sofia Abreu • Polytechnic University of Leiria
“The event was a great success and an outstanding experience. It consisted of three intensive days, marked by significant learning and the exchange of ideas.
What I appreciated most was, without a doubt, the opportunity to collaborate in an international and multicultural environment with people holding diverse perspectives, which made the whole experience even more dynamic and enriching. I would also highlight the opportunity to be at the European Parliament, which added a particularly meaningful dimension to all the work carried out.
In my view, the most memorable moment was the vote on the recommendations that we had been developing over the course of four months, as it demonstrated that all the dedication and effort invested throughout the process led to a concrete and tangible outcome.
With regard to RUN-EU, this event allowed me to gain a clearer and more concrete understanding of the importance of these alliances in higher education. Rather than being merely partnerships between institutions, it became evident that such alliances play a fundamental role in creating highly enriching opportunities for students, offering more dynamic learning experiences.
I was also struck by the number of existing alliances, which reinforced the relevance of European universities in fostering greater cooperation and knowledge exchange between students and institutions. Projects such as ESA enable engagement with diverse academic and cultural realities, promote the development of transversal skills, and encourage a more international, participatory, and integrated vision of higher education.”
Sajad Amiri • Häme University of Applied Sciences
“I feel honoured to be chosen to take part in ESA25 representing the RUN-EU Alliance and the Faculty of technologies and engineering, Häme University of Applied Sciences, HAMK.
Walking in the European Parliament amongst 250 chosen students across Europe was life changing experience.
Since January, together with our panel members, we worked to develop 10 policy recommendations on educating without borders.
During our three days at the European Parliament, we had the chance to finalise what we had been building for months, we had inter-panel debates in person, and saw the final recommendations presented to the Assembly. I am especially proud that all 10 recommendations were adopted.
I am truly grateful to EUC Voices for this wonderful experience, and for creating a space where students like me can share our voices, ideas, and hopes for the future of Europe.”
Staša Karapandžić • Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences
“As a software engineer pursuing my master’s studies in Business Informatics in Vorarlberg, Austria, I have been able to combine professional growth with international academic experiences through several RUN-EU SAP and BIP programmes. However, participating in the European Student Assembly 2026 (ESA 26) was a completely different and truly unique experience.
What made ESA especially meaningful for me was its scale and diversity, bringing together 250 students from across Europe and beyond, representing a wide range of universities, academic backgrounds, and nationalities. As someone from Serbia, it was especially valuable for me to engage in discussions within such a truly international environment and exchange perspectives with students from all over Europe.
I was personally part of Panel 5 – “Unlocking Digital Potential: How can the EU empower inclusive digital literacy and cybersecurity and build resilience?”, a topic closely connected to my work and studies in software development and digital systems.
Working in such a diverse setting demonstrated how important collaboration is when addressing shared digital challenges.
Additionally, ESA showed me how RUN-EU students can actively contribute to building a more connected, innovative, and resilient Europe.”
Pedro Pérez • University of Burgos
“It has been a valuable experience both academically and personally.
One of the most enriching aspects is the balance between online learning and intensive face-to-face work.
Of all the moments I experienced in Strasbourg over those four months, I believe that meeting people from other countries with different contexts allowed for discussions that enrich a person. This makes you see Europe as something real and well-supported, rather than something institutional.”
ESA is part of the EUC VOICES (European Universities Community VOICES) project, co-funded by the European Commission through Erasmus+, which aims at giving the voice to students from European Universities alliances in order to promote the European citizenship.
This is achieved through 3 main activities: European Student Assembly, Ambassadors Forum and EUC Alumni Network, implemented by a consortium of universities: Université Grenoble Alpes (WP1) and Universitatea Tehnică din Cluj-Napoca (WP2), Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie and the European Student Network (WP3), JuliusMaximilians-Universität Würzburg (WP4), Università degli Studi di Torino and the RUN-EU member NHL Stenden (WP5). It empowers students across Europe to participate meaningfully in shaping the Union’s future by turning student voices into thoughtful, actionable policy proposals.
The RUN-EU Alliance congratulates all six of our students: Sofia Abreu (Polytechnic University of Leiria, Portugal), Sajad Amiri (Häme University of Applied Sciences, Finland), Cezary Szymanski and Márton Parádi (NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences), Stasa Karapandzic (Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, Austria) and Pedro Perez (University of Burgos, Spain), for their excellent work and contributions.