Student Guild Elections 2023: Get to Know GLOBAL
Students at UWA will have the opportunity to elect next year’s Student Guild Council later this month. Campaigning has begun and this article introduces the GLOBAL ticket.
Voting begins on the 18th of September and end on the 21st. Polling will occur on campus but you can also apply for a postal vote by the 15th of September by 4pm at the latest. Every UWA student can vote and voting is not compulsory. See here for more information and to apply for a postal vote.
What makes your party different?
GLOBAL: GLOBAL is a party run only by international students. We advocate solely for international student matters and focus all our energy in this space to benefit the entire student body. We are an apolitical ticket which is not aligned with any of the local parties such as Labor or the Liberals. This allows us to make sure that all our policies are student driven regardless of external political matters.
What’s your vision for the Guild in 2024?
GLOBAL: In an era where international student enrolments are increasing at UWA, we want to ensure our Guild contributes to and honours equal opportunity and enables international students to excel during their time of education here at UWA. We want to make sure students feel at home and are able to have employment opportunities in industries they wish to enter, take care of their welfare, and most importantly achieve what they travelled to UWA to achieve and get more than a degree.
What’s your party’s best achievement from your past year on the Council?
GLOBAL: Not to isolate any one achievement but through our initiatives this year through GLOBAL’s councillors, we have increased engagement on campus—which can be seen by our sell-out events—and engagement on social media pages from the International Students’ Department (ISD) page and Postgraduate Students’ Association (PSA) increasing.
Which of your policies are you most excited about?
GLOBAL: We have been working this year with the UWA Accommodation team to help find ways to get students into good and affordable housing; our policy on continuing these efforts is very exciting as we are looking to 1) get more pre-arrival information to students before they fly into Perth, 2) find ways around students having to get references for housing and see if alumni can plug that gap (we have had some progress here), 3) push UWA to develop more affordable housing options.
Rishãv Neog (candidate for ISD President): GLOBAL’s campaign thrives on the vision of bridging the gap between international and domestic students by upholding its values of being inclusive, diverse, and empowering. A few policies I am excited about are:
- The housing crisis is real and is significantly effecting many students at UWA. GLOBAL will continue to work closely with the UWA accommodation concierge and Student Assist to ensure increased accessibility to suitable and affordable accommodation, as well as assistance with housing related issues.
- Promoting the presence of diversity at networking events through FacSocs and collaborating closely with relevant stakeholders to organise a career fair encompassing job prospects for international students.
- Re-establishing the International Students’ Council (ISC). The ISC was created to expand ISD’s reach to international students across the entirety of UWA. With approximately 6,000 international students currently studying at UWA, it is easy for students to fall through the cracks. ISC works closely with international reps in FacSocs, College Row, Ethnocultural Department, PSA, and PAC to actively engage the international student population, using its monthly meetings to raise issues facing international students to ISD. This provides ISD with the opportunity to work together with international students to help tackle issues and provide continuing support to international students at UWA.
- Increasing awareness of Indigenous culture by collaborating with Western Australian Students’ Aboriginal Corporation (WASAC). Many international students are unaware of the rich history of the Indigenous peoples, and I personally believe it is extremely important to actively work with WASAC to help educate the international student population, to deepen their understanding, and allow for better integration and increased respect for the traditional owners of the land.
What do you think the Guild is lacking at the moment?
GLOBAL: The Guild needs to continue engaging more and more with students. This can never be enough and should always continue.
What’s the most compelling reason for students to vote for you?
GLOBAL: We have a track record of delivering to students. We call our policies our promises to you and that is how much we value them. A vote for us is a vote for things to get done. We have a Guild this year led by international students who have come from GLOBAL and are working tirelessly to advocate for you. Believe in us as we do in your vote of confidence.
Rishãv Neog: Over the past five years GLOBAL have been humbled by earning your trust, and have proven that we consistently deliver on our promises by achieving close to eighty-five per cent of them for the international student community. My team prides itself on being the only international student ticket, for international students, by international students. We have listened to your concerns and have formulated policies to work on the gaps to help smoothen your University journey. We strive to ensure that your voice is constantly heard not only at UWA but also at the national level. We are aiming to work towards continuously expanding our reach so that those who are vulnerable do not fall through the cracks.
I am currently the Social Officer of ISD, a Residential Advisor at Trinity Residential College and an Ordinary Guild Councillor in the 110th Student Guild. I have been fortunate enough to have been mentored and guided by some of UWA’s finest leaders, and my predecessors the 110th Guild President Geemal as well as PSA President Viknash VM, who have tirelessly worked with the University to ensure that students like you and I get to experience and leave this University with a holistic degree. Guidance from leaders like these have molded me to continuously strive to be a better student leader for you and to ensure the international student community is visible at UWA.