Ten participants from the Unite! alliance, including Graz University of Technology student Laila Zildžić, discussed the future of Europe at the European Student Assembly 2024 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.The European Student Assembly (ESA) is a pioneering format for all European university alliances and a platform for students to establish international contacts, expand their university network and become politically involved at EU level. This year, a total of 250 students from 170 universities and 41 European university alliances met at the European Parliament in Strasbourg for the 2024 ESA. The students developed and formulated political recommendations for the future of Europe and presented these to the decision-makers in the European Parliament.
The process and results of ESA 24
In the run-up to the meeting in Strasbourg, the participating students were divided into eleven thematic groups and asked to prepare up to eight proposals on their respective panel topic. The groups dealt with specific questions on fundamental topics such as “The European election year”, “In search of a better future for the EU”, or “The EU as an actor in the global world”. The selected students had already worked on initial drafts in online meetings beforehand, which they concretised during the meetings in Strasbourg and turned into recommendations and proposals for the relevant European interest groups.
The meeting concluded with the voting and adoption of 79 recommendations, which were presented to European decision-makers in a joint final report.
Laila Zildžić: representative of TU Graz
One of the participants in the Unite! delegation was Laila Zildžić, a Bachelor’s student in Software Development and Management at TU Graz. The 20-year-old took part in Panel 6, which focused on the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. Here, she worked on recommendations for the classification of high-risk AI systems, effective educational measures for AI-generated content and support for AI-related research in the interplay between humans and technology.
Personal development and conclusion
For the 20-year-old TU Graz student, taking part in ESA24 was an important step in her personal and academic development. “It was a unique opportunity to play an active role in shaping European policy and to gain valuable international experience working with students from different disciplines and cultures,” says Laila Zildžić. The IT student is actively involved in Unite! as one of the three SURE! students at TU Graz, she represents the interests of students in the university alliance.
