A Joint Strategy for Student Services in Europe?

• European Conference on July 8–9, 2026 in Kiel
• Organisers: Deutsches Studierendenwerk and the European Council for Student Affairs (ECStA)
• Host: Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein
• Key question of the European Student Affairs Conference: Do we need a common strategy for student services in Europe?
• Policy debate with the European University Association (EUA) and the European Students’ Union (ESU)
• European housing crisis, AI, mental health: 50 expert presentations from student affairs professionals from Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, and Canada

Berlin/Kiel, April 22, 2026. A lack of affordable housing for students is a Europe-wide issue, as are funding challenges and the psychological strain on students in times of multiple crises. Do European student service organizations and higher education institutions need a common strategy to tackle the problems? This is the key question of the European Student Affairs Conference (ESAC), to which Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW) invites participants on 8 and 9 July 2026 in Kiel.

The conference is co-organized by the European Council for Student Affairs (ECStA), the European umbrella organization of student service providers and comparable institutions supporting students’ social needs across Europe. The host of ESAC is Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein, the regional public service provider in the most Northern federal state in Germany. The conference organisers expect more than 100 international experts in the social dimension of higher education.

Policy and practice in student services will be the focus in Kiel.

Policy: Prof. Sunniva Whittaker of the European University Association (EUA), Emmanuelle Dubrana, Vice-President of the French national student services organisation (Cnous), and Arno Schrooyen, Vice-President of the European Students’ Union (ESU), will engage in a discussion at the opening session with Matthias Anbuhl, Chairman of the Board of Deutsches Studierendenwerk and President of ECStA, and analyse the challenges for student service organisations and their partners across Europe.

Practices: Around 50 expert presentations, examples, exchanges, and discussions will address topics such as the student housing crisis, wellbeing and mental health, AI, and digitalisation of services. Student services professionals and international experts from France, Italy, Poland, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Canada, and Germany will share their knowledge.

Three examples:

• Dr Isaora Rivierez from the French Observatory of Student Life (OVE) and Dr Kristina Hauschildt from the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW) present data from the EUROSTUDENT project on students’ mental health across Europe
• Daniele Maoddi and Giuseppe Giuzio from the Italian umbrella organization ANDISU will present Italy’s plan to build “60,000 new beds in student housing by 2027”
• Kelly Heather from the University of Toronto will demonstrate how her university is developing AI competencies in student services

Media representatives are warmly invited to attend ESAC 2026. Registration can be completed via an informal email to: presse@studierendenwerke.de

Conference website with the current program: www.esac2026.eu