We collaborate closely with student-focused organisations through both informal and formal partnerships, in particular with the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) and the European Students’ Union (ESU), with whom we have signed Memorandums of Understanding which provide a framework for continued dialogue and cooperation.

Beyond consultation, we actively support student-led initiatives and create opportunities for collaboration, helping to amplify student perspectives and advance topics that are relevant to their academic experience and future.

Here’s a few examples on how UNICA engages with student organisations:

• Support the dissemination of initiatives and campaigns that advocate for improved student opportunities, rights, and conditions across higher education;
• Invite representatives to participate in UNICA initiatives to ensure student perspectives are included in discussions;
• Join and contribute to events organised by student organisations;
• Consult on issues affecting students and higher education, ensuring that their views inform our work;
• Collaborate on projects that address topics of common interest and advance student engagement.

Since 2024, UNICA collaborates with the Youth Outreach Unit of the European Parliament to bring students closer to the European institutions and to encourage young people’s engagement with European affairs. Through this cooperation, we support initiatives that provide students with opportunities to learn more about the EU decision-making process, exchange perspectives on current challenges, and strengthen their role as active participants in shaping the future of Europe.

Here are the different initiatives in which we have collaborated:

• UNICA took part in the European Youth Event 2025, with a delegation of 14 students from member universities. Two representatives of the network also contributed to the programme as panellists in two different sessions. As a result of the event, UNICA launched the publication “Young, Loud, Leading”, a collection of reflections from the attending students and their vision of the future of Europe;
• UNICA participated in the European Youth Week 2024 kick-off event in Brussels, with a short presentation during the session “University engagement for European Elections 2024 and beyond“, led by the Youth Outreach Unit;
• The Youth Outreach Unit supported the Video Competition “Vote for Europe” organised by UNICA in the context of the European Elections 2024;
• The Unit was a key partner in the first edition of the UNICA Days, in 2024, which focused on the Education and Research contributing to strengthening Democracy.

The UNICA Student Conference is the network’s event that gives centre stage to students, allowing them to lead discussions, debate with peers from other European Universities, and outline solutions for common concerns.

The Student Conferences have provided important forums for discussion, issued student recommendations on key issues, and gave rise to new initiatives within the network, such as the group “UNICA Green Academic Footprint” (which evolved over the years to UNICA Green & SDGs), created in 2011 following the input of the Student Conference held in Rome in 2010.

The Conference usually takes place every few years and is organized with the support of UNICA member universities, who nominate and assist the participating students in the months leading to the conference.

Ten editions of the Conference were organized between 2000 and 2021. The last UNICA Student Conference tool place online, in 2021, and resulted in the UNICA Student Declaration, a set of recommendations written by UNICA students to voice their perspectives, propose solutions to common challenges and outlines recommendations to support the development of a more inclusive, responsive, and student-centred higher education landscape.

Discover past UNICA Student Conferences: 2021 | 2017 | 2014 | 2012 | 2010 | 2008 | 2006-2000