The European Dental Students’ Association (EDSA) was founded in 1988 and currently represents more than 70,000 dental students from 182 dental schools in 33 different countries. The EDSA is a not-for-profit and independent organization that is open to all local or national dental students’ associations in the European region.
Goals of the Association
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Inform students about the E.U. organization and politics in relation to dental medicine
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Defend the interests of dental students
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Foster collaboration on student-led projects
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Develop and promote international networking and students exchanges
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Connect different educational systems
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Animate a globally active student community
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Encourage national dental students associations to co-operate on an international level
In other words, the EDSA aims to raise a constant “students’ point of view” in the national and international forum. We express European dental students’ opinions on educational, professional and social aspects of dentistry.
Projects
The EDSA community meets twice a year. The meetings bring representatives from our member countries and associations who take part in discussions and act as a driving force in helping the EDSA achieve their aims.
One of the most popular EDSA projects is the European Visiting Programme (EVP). The EVP unites students and allows them to visit other dental faculties for a few days, or weeks, with an educational purpose. This mini exchange programme not only gives students the opportunity to learn but also to network within academia, travel and make new friends.
We offer our delegates a variety of training sessions in order to help them develop their skills and competence, including in non-clinical subjects. Previously, the EDSA has provided training in areas such as ergonomics, time management, public speaking, efficient management of students’ associations or how to create a magazine.
The EDSA Magazine invites students to present clinical cases, write about topics of interest or even about their EDSA experiences. The magazine is published twice a year and is distributed in print and in a digital form.
