The Student Board's role is to serve as a unified voice for all students in the alliance and to promote Una Europa initiatives and opportunities in the international collaboration among 11 universities. The board also aims to develop Una Europa's operations and address issues faced by students within the alliance.
The newly selected Una Europa Student Board for this term met for the first time at the end of May in Krakow, during the Una Europa General Assembly. Both Saana Laaksonen and Henna Heino have a keen interest in cultures, traditions, and languages, which has led them to international affairs during their studies. Their background in Una Europa student organizations and the Student Union of the University of Helsinki has inspired them to develop practices and opportunities for the increasingly international student field.
Saana particularly wants to amplify the voice of students in Una Europa. She believes that students have a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge, but it is easy to get lost in the structures of a large international organization. "I think this can be achieved by making student decision-making more structured and efficient. As a former member of the Una Europa Helsinki student group, I believe it would be beneficial to involve students outside the Student Board in decision-making," Saana states.
Henna, on the other hand, wants to promote common practices so that the board has a unified understanding of shared rules, for example, regarding meetings. "Una Europa is still young and finding its footing. Therefore, creating common customs and norms is important for students so that everyone can get on board," Henna emphasizes.
The future of the European higher education sector raises many questions. Technological transformation also affects the university sector, and students are contemplating the significance of their education in an evolving landscape of career opportunities, and the integration of AI into their studies. Saana highlights the importance of higher education alliances like Una Europa in promoting openness and collaboration, especially in a time when the political landscape seems to be turning more inward.
Henna sees the differences between European universities as a challenge and stresses the importance of maintaining diversity. It is also important to appreciate local traditions and countries histories and not force one “correct” way for all, particularly concerning joint degrees. " This is also the challenge with the “European university degree” idea that has been tossed around. Whatever is planned in the future the phrase “well planned is half done” rings quite true.," Henna underscores.