The Erasmus Generation Meeting (hereinafter EGM) is a non-statutory meeting of ESN. It is composed of all the official ESN section delegates of member countries. The aim of the event is to offer a platform for practice sharing, learning and networking for ESN volunteers. EGM happens once a year and is the biggest ESN event of the year. 

This year the ESN organized the fourth edition of the EGM, the largest student-led conference in the field of student mobility in the world, under the theme “Guiding the waves of change”. The event took place in the city of Ancona in Italy, from the 4th to the 7th of April 2024, and gathered around 1100 people from all over Europe and beyond.

Some outcomes from people who visited EGM Ancona 2025

Linda [ESN Riga President]: 

This event was very important for my section and also me personally as Riga got nominated as one of the 5 finalists for the award Erasmus Destination of the Year 2025. The preparations for this event took more than 4 months. During the event I got to realise all the ideas I had and had been preparing.
 

Thursday: A very chill day overall. Flag parade was great, I mostly painted all the delegations' faces with the flag colours and also some other delegation people who came and asked for it. The day was pretty calm as I was preparing for the days to come.

Friday: The day of expo. During this day I mostly concentrated on our expo table and all the work there. I was at the table at all times, except when going to the sessions. The time there was very great, we got to give away the stickers we have prepared specifically for this event which was funded by ESN Latvia section funding. As well we had 3 Kahoot quizzes, participants weren’t that many but each time it was at least 4+ participants where the first 3 places could win ESN Riga merch as well as some snacks and merch from universities. First place won a T-shirt which was the same as the delegation T-shirt also funded by ESN Latvia section fund and a cat-hat made for the whole delegation plus additional ones for the Kahoot prizes. 

Saturday: The day of the pitch and poster session. Very eventful and tense morning where I presented Riga on the EGM stage for all the participants and stakeholders. After which was followed by a poster session where most of the time I also wandered around our poster in case anyone came by to find out more about Riga. As well we were nominated for two ESN Awards which posters were also displayed in the area.

Sunday: The final day. Full of emotions and screaming, we got 4th place in the EDOY competition. Followed by a dinner and gala.

Overall the event was really great with minor hiccups which are not that important and in comparison to last EGM this one was much better.

Tharanika  [ESN Latvia International Cooperation Coordinator]:

Getting to EGM Ancona 2025 was a ride I’ll never forget—literally. We had no bus, I missed my train, and the whole trip felt like a mini adventure on its own. It was stressful, exhausting, and kind of chaotic… but once I arrived, all of that faded away. Everything that followed made it 100% worth it.

This was my first-ever EGM, and I still can’t believe how incredible it was. I had the chance to be Second Delegation Leader and also a speaker—something I never imagined doing at such a big international event. Friday was especially full-on for me, stepping in for the main Delegation Leader, running around handling responsibilities, and delivering a workshop too. It was intense, but also so empowering.

What made this experience even more special was finally meeting so many amazing people I had only worked with online before. It felt like the whole ESN world came to life in one place, and the energy was just unmatched. Everyone was so inspiring, passionate, and full of good vibes.

Even though Riga didn’t win the Erasmus Destination of the Year, I was genuinely so happy to see Aarhus, Denmark take the title. Being part of the NEP region, it still felt like a win for our community. And honestly, standing there with our whole team cheering together for Riga made me so proud. We showed up for each other like a real family.

EGM gave me so much new friends, unforgettable memories, and a lot of inspiration for the future. I’m walking away from Ancona with a full heart and a big smile, feeling more connected and motivated than ever. ESN really is something special.