EI recently attended a convention held by the "National Unions of Students in Europe" (ESIB) from 10-14 March in Vienna, Austria, on the "Higher Education and the Lisbon strategy ". EI was also part of a panel on a discussion session entitled "Who cares? Who dares?" on the "Lisbon strategy and its effects on European Higher Education".
EI has a partnership agreement with the ESIB, and the two organisations work closely on issues related to higher education in Europe. The convention provided a good opportunity for debate among different stakeholders in the Lisbon Strategy, which is an agenda drawn up in March 2000 by the Heads of States and Governments of the European Union (EU) to make it "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy by 2010". Gaston De la Haye, EI Deputy General Secretary, who attended the convention, said in his speech that, through the co-operation and support with the ESIB, EI will continue to "develop joint actions and campaigns to develop a higher education based on the principle of an accessible higher education defending academic freedom and academic values".