About VSA Nijmegen

“Veganism is a way of living which – as far as practically possible – avoids all exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or other purposes.”
– The Vegan Society

Our Mission

Our aim is to bring together students of both the HAN and the Radboud University who either support, follow or are curious about the vegan lifestyle; to be a place where you can meet like-minded people through fun and educational activities; to educate others and each other about the importance of veganism; to not only make it easier for students to become vegan, but also to stay vegan.

Our History

March 22nd 2018, a few vegan students of the Radboud University who had became increasingly dissatisfied with the meager plant-based food options on campus found each other online and decided to get organized.

After making plans during the summer, on September 19th 2018 this group of students hosted its first vegan potluck on campus. It was a smash hit and monthly potlucks followed.

When on February 18th 2019 news broke of the first Vegan Student Association in Groningen being founded, this was incentive to take the Nijmegen initiative to the next level. On August 15th 2019, VSA Nijmegen was officially founded as the second vegan student association in the Netherlands.

Since December 1st 2019, all Dutch vegan student associations have been united in the VSA Netherlands collective, of which VSA Nijmegen is a proud founding member.

  • Our very first potluck in September 2018.
    Our very first potluck in September 2018.
  • Statutes of VSA Nijmegen
    Our statutes, freshly signed by the notary in August 2019.
  • The first meeting of VSA Netherlands in December 2019.

Our Values

Our key values reflect what VSA Nijmegen believes in: 

  • Animal Ethics
  • As vegans, we believe animals are not ours to exploit.
  • Sustainability
  • We strive to take care of the planet through more than just our plant-based diet.
  • Inclusivity
  • We do not discriminate based on arbitrary characteristics. For example, sex, sexuality, gender, ethnicity, national origin, or neurotype. As long as you are tolerant, we tolerate you.
  • Independence
  • Our organization is independent from other organizations, except for VSA NL, our umbrella org.
  • Legality
  • We do not condone illegal activities within our organization.
  • Non-Violence
  • True progress can only be achieved without bloodshed.
  • Reliable Sources
  • Disinformation is harm.
  • Responsible Alcohol and Drug Use
  • We like a good time, but we don’t drink a lot.

You can read the full shared mission and value statement of all vegan student associations in the Netherlands here.

Our vibe

We strive to be a welcoming and inclusive community for vegans, vegetarians, plant-based eaters, and anyone else interested in protecting animals and the environment. We offer a safe space for students from the Radboud University and HAN, as well as PhD candidates and MBO students from around Nijmegen, to come together.

VSA Nijmegen contributes to the normalization of vegan values through the events organized by its Education Committee and by introducing interested members to various forms of (legal) activism. Equally important is maintaining and strengthening the vegan community within Nijmegen, which the Social, Cooking, and Media Committees work to ensure. Our themed monthly potlucks are always open to the public, making vegan food and company accessible to everyone!

Our association currently has about 40 members, 10 of which are active in our 4 continual committees! Not too intimidating, yet very cozy. From playing board games over vegan snacks to posting Friday Fun Facts with the committees or from announcing discounts to asking for advice in the group chat, there’s a place for you here to feel heard and appreciated.

– The seventh board of VSA Nijmegen

We wanted to create an association that is inclusive, engaging and above all a place to connect with other vegan-minded people. Even if you just dipped your toes in the idea of veganism or you want to look for people to share your newly created recipes with, you are at the right place for sure. We’ll make sure to put down the roots for your plant-based journey.

– The founding board of VSA Nijmegen