Commonwealth Students' Association jobs and careers

About Commonwealth Students' Association

The Commonwealth Students' Association (CSA) is the single, official representative body for all student organisations across the Commonwealth's 56 nations. Established in 2012 at the 18th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) in Mauritius with the mandate to amplify the voices of students throughout the Commonwealth, it unifies and represents the needs and aspirations of national student councils and other student organisations, bringing their concerns to the forefront of educational development. Background The impetus for the creation of the Commonwealth Students’ Association came from the 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) in Malaysia. Students at that event stressed the need for a greater focus to be given to the role they should play in the decision making processes of the Commonwealth. It was agreed that the Commonwealth should develop standards for the governing of student bodies and organisations, making it the remit of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) to support the strengthening of student/youth organisations in all member countries. The CYP then committed to a programme of supporting democratic student movements and helping to ensure they are engaged with decision making about education. As a result of the consultations a draft constitution and concept documents were developed for the idea of a student body, and at the 18th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) held in Mauritius, in 2012, it was formally established. The inaugural conference of the CSA took place from 22 – 26 June 2015. Its activities are being guided by a group of elected student leaders from across the Commonwealth, who make the Executive Committee; headed by the President, and supported by a secretariat based at Marlborough House in London. The aim and objectives of the CSA are to empower Commonwealth students; protect and defend their rights; and amplify their voices across 56 nations