European Youth Network, young protagonists between diplomacy, training and university integration

WAI meets an international student body that transforms participation, research, and institutional dialogue into opportunities for student growth

In the listening journey promoted by Welcome Association Italy through the WAI Atlas of University Hospitality project, discussion with student associations is a key step.

Understanding the experience of international students also means listening to those who live the university closely every day: associations, student groups, support networks and realities capable of intercepting needs, difficulties and opportunities that do not always emerge through institutional channels.

This is the background to the meeting between WAI and European Youth Network, a youth and student association active in the fields of diplomacy, youth participation, international education, research and dialogue with institutions.

European Youth Network represents a particularly significant reality because it combines a strong international component with concrete work on issues central to many students: participation, skills, relationships, language, networking, and dealing with the institutional world.

A young network with an international vocation

European Youth Network was created with the aim of enhancing the role of young people in international dialogue and in building proposals addressed to institutions.

The association presents itself as a youth-led network capable of transforming academic knowledge, personal skills and student participation into concrete initiatives. Its activities are mainly developed around youth diplomacy, peer education, research, international events and transnational network development.

The link with the LUISS context is relevant, not least because of the presence of many students from political science, international relations and related disciplines. At the same time, European Youth Network looks beyond the local university dimension and aims to consolidate itself as an international reality.

The composition of the association confirms this approach. It includes many international students or young people with strongly globally oriented profiles. Links and branches abroad were also recalled, including Bangladesh, Botswana and Argentina, where initiatives similar to those promoted in Italy are being replicated, especially in the diplomatic, educational and institutional spheres.

This dimension makes European Youth Network an important voice in the WAI Atlas journey: one that can also observe the university experience from the perspective of international students involved in associational, academic and cultural life.

Diplomacy, research and student participation

One of the most distinctive elements of European Youth Network is its work on youth diplomacy.

The association organizes events, meetings and initiatives that connect students and young people with diplomatic, institutional and international representatives. Among the activities that have emerged are visits to embassies, meetings with diplomatic representatives, and annual participation in the FAO World Food Forum.

These experiences offer students opportunities for direct confrontation with global issues and institutional stakeholders, helping to develop relational, cultural and professional skills that go beyond traditional teaching.

Alongside the diplomatic dimension, European Youth Network has also launched a research center. The association collects proposals and thematic priorities from its members and transforms them into study, analysis and drafting of papers for submission to relevant institutions.

This approach is particularly interesting because it allows students to not only participate in events, but to become active participants in the production of content, ideas and proposals.

Peer training and language courses

Another relevant area is theEuropean Youth Network Academy, designed as a peer-to-peer training space.

In this model, senior students or more experienced members provide skills and knowledge to junior students through online pathways and in-house training activities. Peer training thus becomes a tool for growth, sharing and accompaniment.

Language courses were also mentioned within the Academy, including Italian courses for foreign students and French courses for Italian students.

This aspect is particularly important for the international student experience. Knowledge of the Italian language not only affects everyday communication, but also the ability to understand procedures, read administrative communications, interact with the local area, and build stronger relationships with other students.

In this sense, language courses are not only an educational activity, but also a concrete tool for autonomy and integration.

Why this experience is important for international students

The meeting with European Youth Network brought out some central themes for university hosting.

The first concerns housing. For many international students, finding housing is one of the most significant difficulties. The problem concerns not only cost or limited availability, but also the greater vulnerability of foreign students in the housing market, especially when they are not yet familiar with the area, language, contracts and procedures.

A second issue concerns the study residence permit. The timing of issuance and prolonged stay with only a postal kit receipt can create uncertainty in daily life and in handling additional paperwork.

A further aspect concerns understanding the Italian university system. International students often come from different educational systems and may find it difficult to navigate exams, offices, services, communications, and ways of relating to faculty.

Finally, the issue of integration between international students and Italian students emerged. In some cases, international students tend to attend spaces composed mainly of other internationals. Therefore, truly mixed occasions capable of fostering relationships between students with different backgrounds become important.

Welcoming does not end with arrival

One of the most interesting elements that emerged from the comparison concerns when the difficulties become most apparent.

It is often thought that the most sensitive phase is only the arrival phase. In reality, for many international students, critical issues emerge most strongly after an initial period of stabilization.

In the first few weeks, excitement about the change, discovering the city, starting the university journey and building the first relationships often prevail. However, when the newness becomes an everyday occurrence, the student begins to grapple with academic responsibilities, housing, bureaucracy, distance from family and a possible sense of isolation.

This confirms an important point: reception cannot be thought of as an intervention limited to the first few days. It must be an ongoing process, capable of accompanying the student even in the later stages of university life.

The role of student associations

European Youth Network shows how student associations can play an important role in processes of acceptance, participation and integration.

Associations do not replace institutional services, but can complement the student experience through relationships, activities, training, moments of discussion and spaces of belonging.

For an international student, participating in an association can mean coming out of isolation, meeting people with similar interests, developing skills, improving language and feeling part of a community.

In the case of European Youth Network, this function takes a specific form: diplomacy, research, language training, international events and networking become tools through which students can experience the university not only as an academic path, but also as a social, cultural and personal experience.

A practice to be enhanced

In the WAI Atlas of University Hospitality journey, entities such as European Youth Network represent important interlocutors because they allow us to observe the university from the perspective of students and the networks they build.

The association not only intercepts needs, but also proposes activities that can help enhance the university experience: language courses, peer-to-peer training, diplomatic events, research center, international summits, and foreign connections.

These elements are relevant because they show how integration depends not only on procedures and services, but also on being able to participate, contribute and build meaningful relationships.

Toward a more open, participatory and international university

The university of the future will have to be increasingly capable of welcoming students with different languages, backgrounds and paths. This means making information clearer, improving communication, strengthening services, but also creating opportunities for Italian and international students to meet.

The contribution of student associations will be increasingly important in this process. Realities such as European Youth Network demonstrate that students can be active participants in university life, not just recipients of services.

Through diplomacy, education, research and participation, European Youth Network offers an example of how a student body can contribute to a richer, more international and inclusive university experience.

For Welcome Association Italy, listening to and enhancing these experiences means strengthening the path started with the WAI Atlas of University Welcome: a project created to better understand how international students experience university in Italy and to bring out, alongside critical issues, the good practices already present in academic contexts.

The meeting with European Youth Network is therefore an important part of this journey: an opportunity to get to know an international student reality and to value its contribution in the debate on reception, participation and university integration.