“There is a particular kind of energy that emerges when young people from across a continent come together to imagine what “European” actually means in practice. I was lucky to be part of that energy for three intense days,” writes Charles Stelandre. A representative of the ChallengeEU Student Council from ECAM LaSalle took part in the EUSAF Conference 2026 in Warsaw.
In July, I had the opportunity to represent the ChallengeEU Student Council at the EUSAF Conference 2026 in Warsaw.
Between the skyline of Varso Tower and the more grounded conversations taking place in workshop rooms, the event offered a rare chance to sit with peers from other European University Alliances and ask difficult questions about funding models, project sustainability, and what it truly takes to build institutions that outlast any single cohort of students.
Best practices were shared, but so were tensions and unresolved debates about governance, student voice, and who alliances are really built for.
Conversations stretched long into the night: alliances comparing notes, students exchanging views on what works and what does not, and a shared recognition that the future of European higher education cooperation depends not only on frameworks developed in Brussels, but also on people willing to sit in a room at 1 a.m. and talk things through.
Thank you to the organisers for creating such an inspiring and thoughtful event, and to the ESN team for providing the framework that made these exchanges possible. Thank you also to SGH Warsaw School of Economics for hosting the event with such professionalism.
I am grateful to the ChallengeEU team, especially Claire Gozé and Erin Monaghan, as well as to everyone whose support made this participation possible. Finally, thank you to my friends Rebeca Rocha and Sohaib Al-Hadheri for their support in preparing for the event.
I am truly grateful to have been part of this experience and to bring back questions worth exploring further within ChallengeEU.
Charles Stelandre
EUSAF Conference 2026 in Warsaw was a European forum bringing together student representatives from European University Alliances. Held on 2–4 July 2026 at SGH Warsaw School of Economics, the event created a space for students to exchange experiences, share good practices and discuss the future of higher education in Europe. Its programme included workshops, collaborative sessions and networking activities focused on student engagement, alliance governance, stakeholder cooperation and the role of students in decision-making processes.
