Membership

OsEAN – the Osteopathic European Academic Network – is a professional platform for institutions and individuals committed to high-quality osteopathic education.

Our members benefit from shared knowledge, international collaboration, high-level events, access to innovative training, and a strong professional community. Whether you are an osteopathic school, postgraduate provider, or individual educator, we welcome you to explore our membership options.

Membership Types

Core Membership

Core membership is open to European osteopathic education institutions that are certified under the European Norm 16686 – Osteopathic Healthcare Provision. Certification ensures that the institution meets quality standards in education, clinical training, and professional practice.

Institutions already audited and certified by any recognised European certification body may apply.
A separate OsEAN audit is not required if valid certification is presented.
Core members hold full voting rights in the General Meeting and actively contribute to the strategic direction of OsEAN.

Who is eligible?
European osteopathic training institutions with valid EN 16686 certification (or equivalent).

Voting rights: ✔ Yes
Certification required: ✔ Yes
Participation in activities and projects: ✔ Full

Affiliated Membership

Affiliated membership is available to institutions that do not meet the core membership criteria but are actively involved in osteopathic education. This includes:

European institutions not (yet) certified by EN 16686
Institutions based outside of Europe
Institutions offering postgraduate education for osteopaths

Affiliated members have access to OsEAN events and working groups but do not have voting rights in the General Meeting. Importantly, no audit is required for affiliated members.

Who is eligible?
Non-certified European schools, international schools, postgraduate course providers.

Voting rights: ✖ No
Audit required: ✖ No
Participation in activities and projects: ✔ Full

Individual Membership

Individual membership is designed for osteopaths actively engaged in teaching, either as lecturers, tutors, assistants, or instructors.

To be eligible, an individual must be involved in teaching at least one course per year. This membership connects osteopathic educators across institutions and borders, providing access to OsEAN’s training programs, working groups, and conferences.

Who is eligible?
Osteopaths involved in teaching at least one course annually.

Voting rights: ✖ No
Audit required: ✖ No
Participation in activities and projects: ✔ Full

Benefits of Being a Member

OsEAN membership provides access to a wide range of benefits designed to support institutions and individual educators.

Exchange Programmes

OsEAN facilitates three types of exchange programmes to promote professional development and the sharing of expertise across schools:

Students Exchange – Established in 2010, students can visit another OsEAN school for a short period to attend courses or clinical classes
Examiners Exchange – Contribute to international final exam juries

These exchanges create strong connections between member schools and encourage an open, international approach to osteopathic education.

Teacher Training – PGCert in Osteopathic Education

Most osteopathy teachers come from practice and start teaching without formal pedagogical training. OsEAN has developed a Postgraduate Certificate in Osteopathic Education (PGCert) specifically designed for osteopaths.

This programme supports educators in developing their teaching, assessment, and academic leadership skills — while remaining rooted in the osteopathic context.

Teachers’ Working Groups

These groups offer a structured platform for teachers to exchange experiences, compare approaches, and explore solutions to common challenges in osteopathic education.
Participants learn from colleagues across Europe, discussing both didactic methods and scientific developments. Each OsEAN school brings its own unique educational model, offering a rich learning experience for all.

Participation is free of charge for members.
🔗 Read more…

Virtual International Students Day (VISD)

An annual online event for osteopathic students from OsEAN schools. Born out of the need to stay connected during the pandemic, VISD brings together students from across Europe and beyond to attend lectures and exchange with international peers.

Participation is free for students from member institutions.
🔗 Read more…

Open Forum – Educational Conference

Held every two years, the Open Forum is an international conference fully dedicated to osteopathic education. Educators, researchers, and experts present and discuss topics such as palpation, soft skills, clinical competence, research, and educational philosophy.

The conference is open to all, but OsEAN members receive a discounted rate.
🔗 Learn more…

Member Meetings

OsEAN holds two types of meetings for members:

Online meetings: Held together with 1 hour educational webinars to offer its members the possibility to grow.
In-person meetings: Held once a year, hosted by one of the member institutions. These gatherings focus on collaboration, discussion of current educational topics, and development of shared projects.

🔗 More about our meetings…

A Strong International Network

OsEAN is a recognised academic network and a trusted brand in osteopathic education. While the network is primarily European, we also welcome extraordinary members from non European countries, such as our members from Argentina, Brazil, and Russia.

OsEAN is a proud partner of the Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA), reinforcing its global outlook and standards-based approach.

Member Rights and Responsibilities

All members agree to:

Regularly participate in meetings
Respond to OsEAN communications (e.g. emails) within one week
Pay the annual membership fee by the deadline (late payments may incur a surcharge)
Take part in projects and follow decisions made by the assemblies
Send a representative to the live meeting per year

Voting Rights

Only core members have the right to vote in the General Meeting.
Board members and financial auditors may be representatives of core, affiliated, individual, or non-member institutions.

Membership Fees (2025)

Membership fees help support the running of OsEAN and ensure the continuation of events, training programmes, and collaborative projects.

Core Membership: €1,538.00 / year
Affiliated Membership: €1,538.00 / year
Individual Membership: €153.80 / year (10% of institutional fee)

Please note:
These fees are set for 2025 and may be adjusted annually in line with inflation.

Invoices are issued at the beginning of the calendar year and must be paid within the given deadline. Late payments may incur a surcharge.

Additional Information

The complete version of OsEAN's bylaws is available here.
English is the working language of the association.