Board of European Students of Technology

The Board of European Students of Technology (BEST) is a voluntary, politically unaffiliated, non-profit, non-representative international association of European students of technology. Founded in 1989, it describes itself as Europe's largest network of STEM students, operating through 79 Local BEST Groups (LBGs) in 29 countries. Its stated vision is 'Empowered Diversity' — an environment in which people understand and respect different cultures and societies and can apply their full potential responsibly. Its mission is 'Developing Students': helping students achieve an international mindset, understand other cultures, and develop the capacity to work in culturally diverse environments. BEST provides academic, career and educational opportunities to STEM students across Europe. Its flagship activity is the BEST Courses programme — short-term academic courses that complement university education, covering topics from applied engineering to soft skills. The organisation also runs career services, including a job-offer service targeted at technology students considering international careers, and a CV database of European students. Local BEST Groups organise international public and internal events, local activities such as job fairs and company presentations, and welcome new members at their universities. Almost all BEST activities are free of charge, and LBGs fundraise to finance their projects. Structurally, BEST consists of local groups, a Board, and several committees and working groups that coordinate activities. The Board has had six members since the XXIII General Assembly in 2005 in Chania; previously it had nine members, including coordinators of each committee. Board roles include President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Vice-Presidents for External Relations, Internal Relations, and LBG Support. All Board functions are voluntary, with only certain travel expenses reimbursed. Committees include the Information Technology Committee (ITC), the Educational Committee (EduCo), and markeTeam, among others. BEST uses English as its only official language. It is a non-governmental, apolitical organisation entirely managed by students. Its values are summarised as 'BEST Spirit': Flexibility, Friendship, Fun, and Improvement. The organisation has partnered with bonding-studenteninitiative e.V. (since 1997) and the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES, since 2004).

The founding concept of BEST emerged in May 1987 in Stockholm, Sweden, during a European conference for students of mathematics and physics. At the end of the conference, it was decided to organise an International Week twice a year, each time in a different country, to develop interaction between European students. The second International Week took place in Grenoble, France, in March 1988, bringing together not only mathematics and physics students but also students from other fields. This was followed by another International Week in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. However, the first meeting devoted exclusively to BEST took place in Berlin, Germany, in April 1989. There the founding principles of BEST were promulgated: BEST would consist of a Board, a General Assembly, and members. Delegates who took part in the founding came from across Europe: Barcelona, Berlin, Bologna, Budapest, Eindhoven, Grenoble, Helsinki, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Louvain-la-Neuve, Paris, Stockholm, Trondheim, Turin, Vienna, Warsaw, and Zurich. During this gathering, BEST was officially founded with the founding principle of promoting exchanges and communication between European technology students. In November 1990, during the Budapest gathering, the summer programme appeared as a set of two-week courses distributed across Europe. The summer of 1991 saw the first 13 Summer Courses. These were supported during their first three years by the TEMPUS programme of the European Union. The organisation continued to expand, adding new members and developing new projects. During the XIV General Assembly of BEST, it was decided that BEST, in collaboration with CESAER and SEFI, would apply to establish the H3E thematic network under the SOCRATES programme of the European Community. This network was officially established in September 1996, with the objective of working on the future of engineering education. H3E thus became the first thematic network in which students participated as equal-status partners. During the XV General Assembly of BEST, held in Belgium, BEST began a privileged partnership with the German organisation bonding. Each association recognised the other's activities and set up a collaboration scheme. Since 2002, BEST has also collaborated with the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES). Structurally, BEST is composed essentially of local groups scattered across Europe. A Board, assisted by several committees and working groups, coordinates activities. A Local BEST Group (LBG) is an association of BEST members from the same university. LBGs are responsible for organising BEST activities within their university. Each LBG is independent of BEST's international structure; however, as members of the BEST network, they must organise at least one seminar on education every two years, be present at the General Assembly and the Presidents' Meeting (each held once a year), and follow rules ensuring high quality of courses across the network. LBGs must also promote BEST courses to students at their university and handle internal formalities for their departure. In addition, LBGs organise their own events such as job fairs, parties, competitions, and welcoming ERASMUS students. The Board has consisted of six members since the XXIII General Assembly in 2005 in Chania. Previously it had nine people, including coordinators of each committee. Current Board functions are: President, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice-President for External Relations, Vice-President for Internal Relations, and Vice-President for LBG Support. All Board functions are voluntary; only certain travel expenses are reimbursed. Several committees handle specific tasks: the Information Technology Committee (ITC) handles all IT aspects such as the website; the Educational Committee (EduCo) handles relations with institutions concerning education in Europe and supervises education symposiums; markeTeam creates and improves BEST promotional material; and the EEC (among others).

• 2005

  Board reduced to six members at the XXIII General Assembly in Chania.

• 2004

  Partnership with CFES formalised.

• 2002

  Collaboration with the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES) began.

• 1997

  Partnership with bonding-studenteninitiative e.V. began.

• 1996

  H3E thematic network officially established under the SOCRATES programme, with BEST as a partner.

• 1991

  First 13 Summer Courses held, supported by the EU TEMPUS programme.

• 1990

  Summer programme introduced at the Budapest gathering as two-week courses across Europe.

• 1989

  BEST officially founded in Berlin, Germany, with a Board, General Assembly, and members.

• 1988

  Second International Week held in Grenoble, France, expanding beyond mathematics and physics.

• 1987

  Founding concept emerged at a European conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

Europe's largest network of STEM students, providing academic, career and educational opportunities through a voluntary, non-profit, student-run organisation.

• BEST Courses

  Short-term academic courses complementing university education for STEM students, covering applied engineering to soft skills.

• Summer Courses

  Two-week courses distributed across Europe, first held in 1991.

• Job offer service

  Service providing job offers targeted at technology students considering international careers.

• CV database

  Database containing approximately 20,000 CVs of European students.

1. 1BEST: Board of European Students of Technologybest.eu.org
2. 2BEST: About BESTbest.eu.org
3. 3BEST: Local BEST Groupsbest.eu.org
4. 4Wikidata: Board of European Students of Technologywikidata.org
5. 5Wikipedia (French): Board of European Students of Technologyfr.wikipedia.org