International Students’ Day is observed across the world every year on November 17 to celebrate the unity and activism of students across the world. This global event aims to recognise the importance of students in shaping society and honours their contribution to promoting education, equality, and democracy. This year, International Students' Day 2025 falls on Monday, November 17. The theme of International Students’ Day 2025 has not been announced yet.

Originally commemorating the Czech universities that were stormed by Nazis in 1939 and the students who were subsequently killed and sent to concentration camps, it is now marked by a number of universities around the globe. In this article, let’s know more about International Students' Day 2025 date and the significance of the annual event. International Students’ Day Wishes and Quotes: Share Messages, Heartwarming Greetings, Images and HD Wallpapers To Celebrate the Day Dedicated to Students

International Students’ Day 2025 Date

International Students’ Day 2025 falls on Monday, November 17.

International Students' Day History

International Students' Day on November 17 marks the anniversary of the 1939 Nazi storming of the University of Prague after demonstrations against the German occupation of Czechoslovakia and the killings of Jan Opletal and worker Václav Sedláček. As per historical records, the Nazis rounded up the students, murdered nine student leaders and sent over 1,200 students to concentration camps, mainly Sachsenhausen. They subsequently closed all Czech universities and colleges.

In late 1939, the Nazi authorities in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia suppressed a demonstration in Prague held by students of the Medical Faculty of Charles University. The demonstration was held on October 28 to commemorate the anniversary of the independence of the Czechoslovak Republic (1918). During this demonstration, one student named Jan Opletal was shot, and later died on November 11. International Students' Day Greetings: HD Images, Messages, Quotes and Wallpapers To Celebrate the Day for Students.

His funeral procession consisted of thousands of students. However, the Nazi authorities responded to this by taking drastic measures like closing all Czech higher education institutions and arresting over 1,200 students, who were then sent to concentration camps, executing nine students and professors without trial on November 17.

International Students' Day Significance

International Students' Day serves as a reminder of the power of youth movements and the right to education. Schools, colleges, and universities around the world mark the occasion with events that encourage dialogue on global issues, student rights, and educational reforms. It is a public holiday in the Czech Republic, though not due to the day itself, but rather due to the Velvet Revolution, which occurred on the same day in 1989, and started in part as a commemoration of the events in 1939.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2025 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).