European Societies Network: Empowering Europe’s Emerging Leaders Through Cross-Border Collaboration
The European Societies Network is a pan-European platform that brings together student societies and youth organisations working on European affairs, public policy, and governance. Its mission is to strengthen cross-border cooperation, support knowledge-sharing, and empower young Europeans to play a meaningful role in shaping the future of the continent.
Founded in 2025 on the initiative of Jakub Mirkowski (European Union Society) and currently coordinated by him together with Victoriya Hermanchuk (KSE EU Club), the Network connects leading university organisations across Europe, including the UCL European Society (University College London), KSE EU Club (Kyiv School of Economics), futurEU Club (Hertie School), Minos Leuven (KU Leuven), IE European Union Club (IE University), and the European Union Society.
With member organisations jointly representing over 350 students active in European public life—including participants in EU institutional events, contributors to public debates, and individuals engaged in dialogues with European Commissioners—the Network brings together a community that is both academically grounded and civically engaged. Working with teams representing diverse academic cultures and national contexts, the European Societies Network operates as a genuinely intercultural partnership. Importantly, its activities extend beyond university campuses: the Network works with European institutions, think tanks, and civil society actors to ensure that its initiatives reach wider communities.
The Network was created in response to the fragmentation of youth-led European initiatives, where expertise and innovative ideas often remain confined within national or institutional boundaries. It addresses this gap by promoting transparent governance, inclusive decision-making, and a non-partisan approach to public policy. Through regular coordination meetings, its members exchange good practices and design collective initiatives that increase their impact on public debate. While rooted in the European policy space, the Network also embraces a global outlook by promoting dialogue on Europe’s role in a rapidly changing international environment.
To deepen analytical engagement, the Network serves as a platform for policy-oriented cooperation. Members collaborate on analytical commentaries and evidence-informed opinion pieces addressing key European policy challenges. Grounded in the principles of openness, continuity, and shared ownership, the European Societies Network is building a new generation of young Europeans who are connected across borders, informed, and actively shaping the continent’s future.
More information about the Network is available on the website of the European Union Society.
Zuzanna Jarzyńska, European Union Society