new association, applied for membership in ESN and requested the NP to expell their former section. The new association got accepted as ESN Wien WU and the request was granted. The decision had to be confirmed by the CND in Örebro, since the student union at WU objected against the NP decision. The student union at WU formed their own network EBN – Erasmus Buddy Network- which has been within a competitive relationship with ESN in Vienna ever since. This lead to the abandonment of the strong going Erasmus Nights on Monday and Wednesday, as they were organised by EBN. With EBN threatening ESN Austria with arbitral court, the NB decided that it was necessary to take up insurance. ESN sections, which already had the status of an association, joined in the insurance policy. Starting in 2013, the rest of those ESN sections, who had no official status yet, were asked by the NB to establish associations too, to secure the legal status of the network. This process was finished in February 2015. In 2012, the ESN sections of the University of Graz and
meeting in May 2012, the position of the Vienna Coordinator was officially established. Currently, the position is held by Paul Kratzwald (ESN WU Wien). The inclusion of the coordinator and regular Vienna section meetings have helped to plan events together and set up a common structure in order to present a more professional face towards the exchange students. ESN Austria took part in the 25 Years Erasmus celebrations with different events and festivities. An honorary highlight was a delegation of Austrian politicians, who work at the European Parliament, joining the celebration. In coordination with the International SocialErasmus week in late autumn 2013, ESN Uni Wien organized various events such as a Date Auction, cookie and hot wine selling, Free Hugs and Blood Donation, which were very successful. ESN Uni Graz, who also organized a cookie baking, is currently also planning a number of SocialErasmus activities for the future. The National Board 2014/15 has implemented numerous new changes to the structure and working of ESN Austria. Susanne Gottlieb and Johannes Birkmeyer led the overhaul of the Statutes of ESN Austria, the creation of the Standing Orders for ESN Austria, the revision of the National Board structure and the reconception of the National Platform, among them introducing an independent Chairing Team and having the NP entirely in English. There has been an significant increase of international guests on Austrian NPs. The Board also introduced the National Events Policy Paper, in order to regulate the organisation of National Events and establish a set of rules that are binding to all
the Technical University of Graz hosted the CEP in Graz. The head of OC was the president of ESN Uni Graz, Katrin Brunnhofer. In July 2013, ESN Austria hosted the CHAT meeting in Vorarlberg. CHAT stands for Switzerland (CH) and Austria (AT). The two ESN countries are collaborating in the framework of a NB-Partnership. As of now, there is still a workflow of ideas going on. ESN in Vienna was also participating in the EYE (Exchange your Exchange) programme. Lead by the University of Vienna section, students have visited Brno, Prague, Bratislava and Budapest. Over the last years, ESN Austria has developed an AGM Point System, which allows distributing places on the AGM equally and fair. This system has proven to be very popular among other countries’ networks as well, as various ESN countries have picked it up to use it among their own members. Furthermore, Austria’s WPA Benedikt Aumayr has established the Austrian ESN Wiki, taking inspiration from the Wiki of ESN Switzerland. In 2011, an information brochure for the cooperation partners was set up with information about the network and the sections. A second, more detailed edition was printed in March 2014. Furthermore, ESN Austria produced several gadgets such as Roll Ups, T-Shirts and postcards for external promotion. Since 2012, the seven sections in Vienna have been working more closely together on a local level. Before, Silke Doppler (ESN Uni Wien) had been unofficially taking up the role of a coordinator, managing the communication and meetings between the sections. During a Vienna section
50 | HB 2014
sections and the OC. During the same year Eduk8 member Silke Doppler from ESN Uni Wien established together with other Austrian Eduk8 members the national training programme “Eduk8AT”. By the beginning of 2015, there have been six prospective sections in Austria from four different cities in the pipeline.