Student associations and initiatives

Engaging in political, student union and community activities lies at the very heart of Sciences Po’s educational approach.

Every year, around 300 student associations or initiatives of all kinds contribute to the dynamism of student life throughout the different Sciences Po campuses.

Student associations and initiatives enable students to interact around common aspirations and share their areas of interest with an academic community of exceptional richness. They provide a means of living their citizenship to the full; they contribute to developing the culture of debate and intellectual curiosity encouraged by Sciences Po; they constitute an invaluable experience in project management and teamwork.

Engaging in political, student union and community activities lies at the very heart of Sciences Po’s educational approach.

What is a student association?

A student association is a group of students from Sciences Po who have chosen to work together on a joint project, whether shared with the Sciences Po community or not, or who wish simply to meet around a common aim.

There are various types of student association at Sciences Po:

• student union associations composed of student representatives elected to the boards of the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (IEP);
• permanent student associations by signed agreement, with the organisation of specific service-oriented missions on behalf of students;
• recognised student associations whose activities are directed principally at Sciences Po students;
• other student associations made up of Sciences Po students whose activities may also be focused on the institution’s student community. However, they are not eligible for an allocation of resources from Sciences Po.

Consult the list of our student associations on all campuses.

What is a student initiative?

Students wishing to develop a project in connection with student life, either individually or as a group, and who would like to benefit, during a semester or an academic year, from the same resources as those made available to student associations, can pursue an idea within the framework of student initiatives.

Students wishing to propose an initiative can register their project by completing the online form (in French).

For more details, please see the page on Student initiatives.