History
In 2004, a few motivated students approached Concordantia, the European Studies Study Association at the University of Maastricht, with a proposal to organise an international conference focused on the issue of the up-coming European Union Enlargement. The purpose was to bring the topic of Enlargement closer to students from different academic backgrounds and to increase their awareness of the issue. The Inter European Conference of 2004 was attended by more than 100 students from Latvia, Italy, Turkey and many other European states, as well as from University of Maastricht. They enjoyed presentations prepared by excellent speakers such as the Deputy Chief of the United States Mission to the European Union, Dr James J. Foster or the Governor for the Province of Limburg, Mr. B.J.M. baron van Voorst tot Voorst, who represented various perspectives on the Enlargement. Another feature of the conference was a visit to Brussels, during which students gained insight into the work of the European Institutions. Because the conference turned out to be a great success, Concordantia decided to make it an annual event. This time, however, we were to be supported by Forum Maastricht - a symposium organized by the University of Maastricht, which also marked the beginning of the Dutch Presidency in the European Union in June 2004. Thus, Concordantia is at work again, organizing Student Forum Maastricht: Europe on the Move - Coping with Migration.

Mission
Although the name of the Conference has been changed from Inter European Conference (IEC) to Student Forum Maastricht, our mission remained the same: to create an annual forum for students to research and exchange views on the current developments of the European Union. Moreover, one of the conclusions arrived upon during the previous conference (Inter European Conference 2004) was that there is insufficient knowledge about the EU and its policies, which causes irrational fears present in the public and lack of support for its activities. Therefore, Student Forum Maastricht 2005 will focus on the exchange of information between students from all over Europe, public officials, academics and representatives of NGOs in order to facilitate better communication between the different public groups. 

This year's theme
The subject matter of this year's conference is one of the most pressing and divergent issues faced by the European Union today. Migration, on the one hand, contains huge chances for Europe; with ageing societies, an influx of skilled workforce might be the only way to maintain Europe's social model. On the other hand, if the numbers of immigrants were too large, a reform of national social systems would be necessary to ensure their survival. Also, convincing answers to how to integrate millions of immigrants have yet to be found. On an intra-European level, the issues connected with migration are manifold: such as the fear of Western European nations of cheap labour force from the East or the role migration plays within the Lisbon process. In the media and the national discussion arenas, immigration is often discussed in a heated and over-emotionalized way. Concerns are replaced by fear and facts by clichés. Student Forum Maastricht would like to take a different approach. It will attempt to analyse migration from a fact-oriented and academic angle. Bringing together students from numerous different national backgrounds, the Student Forum will also sharpen the students' analytical skills, create networks between students and generally open up a platform for further debate and exchange.

Structure
The Student Forum Maastricht is a Committee, comprised of students from University of Maastricht, supported by the non-profit study association Concordantia of the Faculty of Arts and Culture.
SFM 2005 will involve 100 participants representing a broad spectrum of European students.
The Conference participants will follow various lectures and debates aimed at providing them with background knowledge, which will then be developed further in the eight working groups.
The participants shall present interest in the topic and shall be eager to engage in a mutual exchange of ideas. Moreover, they will be actively involved in all SFM activities, including the social program aimed at familiarizing them with the Maastricht student life.