The inaugural meeting of the Commonwealth Student Association (CSA), co-hosted by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, took place on 7 February 2013 at Marlborough House, London.

Commonwealth and Chevening Scholars joined the CSA Steering Committee, comprised of student leaders from all regions of the Commonwealth, at the event which aimed to enable students to interact and discuss potential areas for collaboration on education issues in the Commonwealth.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Secretary General of the ACU, John Kirkland, said: "The ACU has been going strong for 100 years and in recent years we've done a lot to drill down into our membership. We've established various networks of professionals working in different functions and levels across our 540 member universities. It is high time that we had a network of students."

George Stanley Njoroge (pictured, left), Chair of the CSA Steering Committee, added: “Students are the primary stakeholders in education, apart from being its main beneficiaries. However, in the past, we have not had our voice heard in policy making and strategy formulation in matters that relate to us. This is about to change. The CSA was established to bring student concerns to the forefront of educational development and we are grateful to have the support of the ACU.

“The CSA seeks to represent, advocate and build the capacities of students and student organisations across the Commonwealth. It is set to be a credible voice and a valued partner in effecting change in education, and empowering students to contribute effectively to the development of our societies,” he said.

The CSA was established in August 2012, and is the coalescence of the student voice in the Commonwealth. It will engage and empower students to influence key education decisions at different levels in the Commonwealth, enabling them to partner with other stakeholders to improve students’ lives and education.

For more information about the CSA, visit their website.