About ESSE
Q. What is ESSE?
A. See what we do.
Q. How long has ESSE been in existence?
A. A: ESSE was founded in Rome in January 1990. Its first Constitution was adopted in 1991. Changes were introduced in 1995 and since then it has been placed under Swiss law. See the ESSE Constitution as it stands now, including the amendments added in 2006 and 2009.
Q: Is ESSE a service of the European Union?
A: No. Although academics in English studies in all current EU countries have access to associations affiliated to ESSE, we are not in any way linked to the EU, and we welcome Associations from the whole of Europe in the geographical sense, from Portugal to Russia, from Norway to Armenia. See the current list of the National Associations that are part of ESSE.
Q: What is the membership of ESSE?
A: Currently about 7,200.
Membership
Q: How do I join ESSE?
A: You do not join ESSE as such: you become a member of ESSE by joining your National Association of University (or Higher Education) teachers and researchers in the field of English studies. In most European countries, if you are a fee-paying member of your National Association, then you are a member of ESSE.
Q: How do I know if such an Association exists in my country?
A: The list of National Associations that are members of ESSE is available on this site, as well as the name of the person who sits on the ESSE Board for that association. Many of those associations run their own websites.
Q: What should I do if no such Association exists in my European country?
A: Get together with your colleagues and found one under the laws of your country. If this should prove impossible, then join the National Association of another country which accepts foreign members.