Which topics should be discussed during the NBM?

Which topics should be discussed during the NBM?

After collecting topic suggestions from all National Board we have selected for you 14 topics!

Please read through the descriptions below and choose your 5 favorites, which you want to have in the NBM Besancon agenda.

Mark your 5 favorite topics below and vote!

National Board introduction

Every National Board will have 5 to 10 minutes to introduce themselves - structure, actions, successes and problems. 

Managing sections

There are different number of sections in the ESN member countries. That means, the working style of managing the sections in the country can vary a lot. Lets present the ways, how you are cooperating with your sections and gather some good ideas from others experiences:

- In which way are you working for and with your sections?
- How is the National Board supporting the sections when problems raise?
- How do you communicate and share information?
- Are you visiting local sections (e.g. study trips)? What are the aims? How is it organised? Results?
- Do you intervene, when sections have problems in cooperation with the respective university? How? Which results have you experienced? 
- How do you motivate local sections to reply email requests from NB?

Expanding the national network 

Sharing examples, how to recruit new sections:

- Approach actively?
- Wait to be approach?
- How to get the contacts? National Socrates Agency? University? IRO's?
- How to promote membership in ESN? Which tools to use?
- How to convince them of the benefits of membership in ESN?

National projects

 Focus on events, where all sections are collaborating:

- Which different national projects and events are the NBs organising for international students?
- Success stories and failures - how to organise a successful event? Where to start? How to do it? What to focus on? How to secure the cooperation of the section? Sharing best practices. 

Grants for national projects 

Possibilities of European Youth Foundation and Youth in Action grants. 

- How to apply?
- How does the International Board help?
- For which projects?

Internal national meetings 

Lets talk about different internal events taking place on the national level:

- Which national meetings are organised?
- What contains the agenda of a National Presidents Meeting? National Platform?
- Which national events are organised just for section members (e.g. ESN Olympics)? Motivation to organise such events? Outcomes?
- Are there any educational seminars or trainings organised for section members? What? How?

Finding financial support for National Boards

Which different possibilities are the National Boards using - sharing experience and ideas, discussion, suggestions.

Fundraising and national sponsorship

For all the NBs it is one of the most important issues to secure financial sustainability and to find national sponsors. Lets see, how the different NBs are fundraising:

- With which companies are you cooperating?
- With which companies is the cooperation most feasible and beneficial?
- Do you have national partners for the ESN Card?
- How do you approach companies? Or are you approach by them?
- How do you promote the benefits from cooperation with ESN?

Cooperation with National Socrates Agency 

The aim is to find out how the cooperation with the National Socrates Agency works in different countries:

- How did the cooperation start? How did you approach them?
- Is the cooperation working at all?
- How do they support the local ESN sections? 
- How is ESN involved in their projects and vice versa?

Recruiting, motivating and developing National Board members 

Many NBs are struggling to people to run for a position in the National Boards. But not only recruiting is a problem, but also motivating the members. Through a discussion we are trying to find answers to the following questions:

- How do you recruit ESNers for the NB?
- How do you show them the importance of the NB?
- Which are the most popular positions and how do you fill the impopular positions?
- How do you motivate your NB members to keep up the good work? What works the best?
- Do you invest in the development of the National Board members? Do you send them to special trainings? Do you boost their skills in some other way?
- What are the benefits in your country for a NB member compared to regular section members?

Communication and cooperation with alumni on local and national level

 How are alumni members involved in ESN sections:

- What is the role of alumni in different countries?
- Are there meetings?
- Are they invited to events?
- How can you benefit from them ;)

ESN International Committees

Introduction of the ESN International Commitees: International Education, Network & Events, IT, Communication and Finances. What they are working on, how you can get involed!
 

ESN Infocentre

 National Board members have access to the ESN Infocentre. Lets start using it for  and with NBs as good as possible!

- What do you think about this idea? Do you see it as necessary?
- How to do it? 
- Which files should we store and share?

National CV 

An idea coming straight from the national level and to be discussed on the international level of ESN...

What do you think about the develop a CV for the ESN member countries? This document should be prepare and updated by all ESN countries and stored in the InfoCentre. This can be useful for sharing the experience and good projects from the past and to follow the development of the countries. This would be the source to find out more about different capabilities, experience with projects and events. It might be very useful for finding partner sections for different projects financed by grants or just to start section cooperation.