The EMN Annual Conference was this time aimed at international student migration and held in Cyprus on 29 - 30 October 2012. This meeting was organised not only within the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU but was also tied in with the EMN’s main study for 2012 titled Immigration of International students to EU Member States.
The conference served to support the policymaking process in the field of immigration and international students from third countries, notably in the development of the planned review of Council Directive 2004/114/EC. The conference further raised awareness about the work of the EMN and engaged with a wider audience of policy makers and practitioners at EU and national levels, and aimed to highlight and create synergies with the work of other EU and national institutions and agencies relevant to the theme.
The conference programme was structured into five thematic sessions. The Conference was opened by the Cyprus Minister of Interior, the Cyprus Minister of Education and Culture and the European Commission (DG Home) representative. The first session gave a presentation of the analysis and comparison of the existing policies, measures and practices carried out in the EU Member States and Norway as well as the early findings from the EMN study on Immigration of International Students to the EU.
This session was followed by a high-level, round-table plenary discussion. Its main aim was to discuss the strategic role of international students in the EU, as well as to discuss the role of international cooperation to facilitate mobility with the EU and with third countries. Among panel participants were European Commissioner for Education, Culture Multilingualism, Rectors of the University of Cyprus and University of Nicosia, Director of Academic Cooperation Association and Representative of the International Students’ Community in Cyprus.
Policies and their implementation to attract international students, effective student mobility to the EU and access to information/entry and residence were topics within the third thematic session. Belgian, British, Cypriot and Swedish presentations focused on different approaches, good practices as well as legislative gaps in this regard that could diminish through the planned review of the Council Directive 2004/114/EC.
The fourth very inspiring and fruitful session was aimed at rights and responsibilities of international students in the EU with emphasis on access to the labour market, health and social care during study as well as conditions and rights for family members accompanying international students.
The final part of the conference was dedicated to the topic of maximizing positive impacts of international Students in the EU, including employment following study and minimising negative impacts and risks arising from this phenomenon. Afterwards, representative of the European Commission and EMN coordinator summarised main conclusions and findings of the presentations and discussions.
The conference attracted high-level representatives of the European Commission and Republic of Cyprus, EMN members, representatives of various national, international and non-profit organisations and institutions working in the main thematic areas as well as representatives of international student associations, universities and research institutions. The Slovak EMN National Contact Point was represented by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family and the IOM International Organization for Migration. Presentations delivered within all thematic sessions can be downloaded here.
Programme and conclusion of the conference
Programme of the EMN Annual Conference on Immigration of International Students in the EU 2012 (284 KB)