The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) is a federation of autonomous national Student Christian Movements (SCM) forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement. The Federation includes Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic, and Anglican students.
Together with the YMCA and the YWCA, WSCF has as a foundational document, the Paris Basis. WSCF's aims include "to call members of the academic community to faith in God, to discipleship within the life and mission of the Church and to help them strive for peace and justice in and among nations." At one point "the evangelisation of the world in this generation" was seen as the main aim. Throughout its history the Federation has brought students together across theological and cultural boundaries and provided training and opportunities. For over a century WSCF has supplied leaders to the Church, the ecumenical movement and the Christian left, governments and social movements.
Together the WSCF and SCM provide a context for young Christians from all churches and nations to meet. The motto of the WSCF is "Ut Omnes Unum Sint"—"that they all may be one" (John 17:21).
WSCF was formed at a meeting of student leaders from ten North American and European countries in 1895 at Vadstena Castle, Sweden. The founders included John R. Mott (U.S.), J.Rutter Williamson (U.K.), Martin Eckhoff (Norway), Luther D. Wishard (U.S.), Johannes Siemsen (Germany) and Karl Fries (Sweden).