Controversy surrounded the recent NUS International Student Conference, as a contentious motion relating to EU students was passed.
The aim of the proposal was to redefine the label “international student” to no longer include EU students. The main reasons cited for the alteration was that students from the within the EU pay different fees to other international students and other visa rules apply to them.
The motion reads that “higher education should also consider EU as home students” and that “NUS should provide a different platform for resolving issues related to EU students.” This effectively means that EU students are no longer covered by the international students’ campaign.
A large portion of the conference, including York delegates Welfare Officer Ben Humphrys, ISA Chair Daria Pawlowska and Welfare Officer-elect Laura Bo, walked out at this. A petition against the motion, fronted by NUS International Officer-elect Christina Zhang, was also signed by most of those who chose to walk out.
This comes after reported problems of organisation in what Humphrys has called an otherwise successful conference. The delegates did not receive the motion papers until minutes before they were about to vote, giving them little time to familiarise themselves with the issues. There was also confusion as to who exactly wrote the international students committee report for the past year, and the elections for a committee and a full time officer went over the planned schedule.
This lack of organisation might leave loopholes in the passing of the motion, and Humphrys is currently communicating with the NUS over possibilities to make the motion null and void based on this.