The onsite meeting in Paris, held on 17-18 March 2025, brought together members of the 4EU+ Student Committee (SC) for two days of engaging discussions, collaboration, and cultural exploration. Hosted at Sorbonne University and Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, the gathering provided a unique opportunity to strengthen student representation within the 4EU+ Alliance.
Read the firsthand reflection from the 4EU+ Student Committee members, who discuss their experiences and progress during their Paris meeting below.
Hey everyone,
We would love to share some highlights from our recent onsite meeting in Paris, on 17-18 March!
Our adventure kicked off at the beautiful Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, right in the heart of Paris, in front of the Panthéon. We were welcomed by Stéphane Braconnier, the President of the University, in the Salon Bleu (fun fact: now it’s only a meeting room, but it was previously the dining room of the Dean).
The day was packed with inspiring sessions, and we dove straight into discussions on student representation and heard updates from Berni Hasenknopf, Chair of the 4EU+ Academic Council. We collaborated on drafting a formal mandate for the Student Committee and worked on our very own Code of Conduct. These sessions weren’t just talk; they were about building the framework that will guide our actions for the coming months.
Of course, we had to relax after a day of intense brainstorming, so we let ourselves be guided by our Parisian colleagues through the city. We enjoyed a lovely stroll around Île de la Cité, a scenic boat ride on the Seine, admiring the Eiffel tower and the Louvre. The day ended with a lively dinner at Bouillon Racine, in a historic “Art nouveau” setting.
The next day, we moved to Sorbonne University’s Pierre et Marie Curie Campus. We were welcomed by Stéphanie Bonneau, Vice-president for Studies and Campus Life, who greeted us and set an energetic tone for the day, which was filled with more engaging sessions.
We tackled our Onboarding Procedure, focusing on how to bring new SC members into the fold seamlessly. Then we talked about our action plan on ways to actively contribute to the Alliance and measure our impact. Another exciting topic we discussed was our new language tandem project : imagine a setting where you can improve your language skills, make new friends from different cultures, and even earn ECTS credits.
This landmark event is vital to the SC's effectiveness as a student representation body, as in-person meetings foster meaningful debates and yield significant results. All participants recognized the importance of such gatherings and emphasized their commitment to holding one annually :
“This level of collaboration would not have been feasible online. I would like to thank Pantheon Assas and Sorbonne University for making this in-person meeting possible, where we were able to collaborate more effectively and make significant progress on our work.”
”Being together for two days enabled us to connect on a personal level and to create long lasting connections. Sitting around the same table also sparked spontaneous brainstorming sessions, while everybody was aiming to improve our role in the Alliance.”
Let’s keep this momentum and continue to work together to build One Comprehensive European Research University, with students at the core.
Stay tuned for more updates, and let’s keep shaping our path one meeting at a time!