What Is the English speaking Union?
The ESU works principally with young people and young professionals, providing opportunities to build skills and gain experiences to help our beneficiaries realise their full potential.
What Is the English speaking Union?
We run a wide range of educational and cultural programmes, from scholarships for school leavers, teachers and professionals; to ground-breaking persuasive speech training and competitions involving hundreds of schools in the UK and internationally. To find out more information about our programmes, click here.
The ESU around the world!
The ESU works principally with young people and young professionals, providing opportunities to build skills and gain experiences to help our beneficiaries realise their full potential.
The ESU around the world
Internationally, there are over 60 ESUs. These operate autonomously, supported by the ESU centrally from Dartmouth House. Our international network helps us to deliver, amongst other programmes, our International Public Speaking Competition which involves over 40,000 young people in 50 countries each year. More information about our international work can be found by clicking here.
The ESU history in Albania
The ESU works principally with young people and young professionals, providing opportunities to build skills and gain experiences to help our beneficiaries realise their full potential.
The ESU history in Albania
Founded in 2009 the ESU Albania became very quick the symbol of innovation and critical thinking. Within a year of its founding it achieved its first ground breaking achievement of hosting the ICM in Tirana in October 2010. The participants represented some 40 countries around the world mostly visiting Albania for the first time.
ESU Albania offered to promote excellence in education by creating a vibrant debate on how well should the curricula reflect the needs of the job market be it local of international. The first exhibition of its kind was organised at the Palace of Congress. The Exhibition titled The Education for Sustainable Development was honoured by the then Prime Minister of Albania and R.H Lord Watson and R.H Lord Hunt. In his speech to the participants the Prime Minister announced the introduction of the English language as a must for every graduate.
Since then, the ESU has successfully organised series of events named “Meet the Guest of Honour” as well as the annual national competition of the Public Speaking with the winner representing Albania in the finals in London.
Official Launch of the ESU Albania: 07/09/2009
31 delegates from nine countries travelled to support the launch of ESU Albania.
On Monday 7 September 2009, 31 overseas delegates from nine International English-Speaking Unions attended a reception at the Residence of HE Ms. Fiona McIlwham, British Ambassador to Albania to formally launch ESU Albania. These delegates joined Members of the Committee of ESU Albania as well as representatives from Albania education, government and business institutions. The launch ceremony was opened by the British Ambassador and the Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Genc Pollo. Mr. Zenel Hoxha, Chairman of ESU Albania made the keynote speech on the future work and programs of ESU Albania.
The Lord Watson of Richmond CBE, Chairman Emeritus, ESU International Council and Mr. Mike Lake CBE, ESU Director-General, who led the international delegation, and Mr. Sali Berisha, Prime Minister of Albania and Honorary President of ESU Albania, made speeches on the work of the English-Speaking Union and the importance of the English language at the Launch Celebration on Tuesday 8 September 2009.
Among the international programs that Albanians will be able to participate in are: the International Public Speaking Competition, which the ESU Albania Steering Committee has already sponsored an Albanian participant to speak in London in May 2009 on the subject of “Regeneration and Renewal”, the International Relations Conference to be held annually in Oxford University and the annual Globe Education Cultural Seminar for Teachers at Shakespeare’s Globe.