The Student Government is the main representative body of EHU’s student community. It aims to represent students’ interest on different levels, defend students’ rights, help students resolve common problems, support student initiatives, and establish relations between students and the administration of the University. Each class nominates one representative from the BA face-to-face academic program. There are plans to include MA students in the 2009/2010 academic year when the graduate programs function in face-to-face study. The representative body is elected every academic year and operates on the basis of a charter. The structure includes a president, vice-president, press attaché, and one delegate to the Senate. Committees include Finance, whose budget is part of the University budget provided for students projects based on special competitions each year, Educational and Organization Committee, Committee of Common Problems, International Committee, Sport and Entertainment Committee, and Information Committee.
The Feniks (Phoenix) newspaper aims to present news of the University and the student community; disseminate information about considerable projects, events, problems, and news in the student community; articulate and presentation of different points of view concerning current problems by students and faculty members; and provide the platform for creative and professional self-expression of students.
The "Ehunity" is an Internet-forum organized and supported by EHU students. It is a space for discussion of all important EHU-issues and problems where students can ask questions.
The Historical (Belarusian Studies) Club was created within the framework of the BA program in Belarusian Studies and unites students, who are interested in researching Belarusian history and traditions. A folklore choir is associated with the club, as well as a tour guide group.
It became clear that through creative activities the students can express their attitude toward political processes in their home country and communicate to the audience the main political, economic, social and cultural problems existing in Belarus and diverting it from joining into the international community as an equal partner. For this reason, students created the Experimental Student Theatre whose orientation is in the theatre of the absurd and social art. Belarusian Choreographer Mikhail Kaminski held a Master Class in the 2008/2009 academic year.
The EHU Cinema Club hosts screenings; discussions; lectures/seminars; including invitations of special guests like professors, directors, scenarists, and analysts; .film and video production; and workshops with professionals in different fields of filmmaking (screenwriting, video-shooting, editing etc.).
The EHU Photo Community seeks to find new ways of self-expression through photography by organizing photo-exhibitions organized by community in EHU and in Vilnius art galleries.
The Intercultural Project (LitPro) is implemented by EHU in partnership with the Department of Lithuanian Studies of Vilnius University and with the financial support by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania. The main activities included: courses in the Lithuanian language and culture; linguistic summer schools for faculty and administrative staff and for distance learning students; an Art Academy, which is devoted to creative interpretation of Lithuanian and Belarusian cultures; Master classes and meetings with famous Lithuanian cultural and civic activists, artists, researchers, politicians and so on; and cinema showing and visual culture festivals. The festival of visual culture K.V. is an example of an annual event promoting intercultural communication.
The European Week project was created by EHU students to create a platform for presenting Belarus and Belarusian students to European society as well as to demonstrate to EHU student community and participants from Belarus present-day European integration processes and media practice and representation resources analysis.
The European Parliament Study Tour was a two day exploration of the European Parliament at the invitation of its president. Students participated in a plenary session, and discussed current affairs with Members of the European Parliament. While in Strasbourg, the participants visited the Council of Europe for an overview of its work. Students initiated an Election Observation Project (EHU in partnership with the United Centre of Initiatives for Belarus (JuBIC), Swedish International Liberal Centre (SILC) and Belarusian Human Rights House in Vilnius (BHRHV). They became involved in the start of a two-year international project “Support to freedom of expression in Belarus via independent broadcasting” in cooperation with IREX-Europe and the BBC World Service Trust.
Different groups of students met with Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius; the King and Queen of Spain, the European Parliament President, Hans-Gert Poettering; the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Belarus. The student organization StudAlliance organized a public lecture with Belarusian former presidential candidate, Alexandr Milinkevich and students held a public discussion with Belarusian politician Sergei Kalyakin.
They received donations of books and computers from the RCDS student union of Germany. They elected new representatives to the Campus Europae network, and initiated the German Days marked by the opening of new German language resources at the EHU library. Students also initiated a session of the European Youth Parliament to coordinate Belarusian and Lithuanian participation in the international project. Finally, law students made an impressive showing at the prestigious Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and the Baltic Regional Rounds.
