UAISA 2022 Board Election Candidates
Dhir Bid
Running for: President
I am an international student from Kenya pursuing mechanical engineering. Previously, I have been a Students' Union Engineering councillor and delegate to the ISA, and I was instrumental in having the ISA recognized as a Special Representative Association, which gives the power to ISA to directly represent you and to advocate for your concerns and rights. I was a former member of the Council on Student Affairs (COSA) of the General Faculties Council (GFC), where I had the opportunity to support ISA in bringing concerns related to online learning and lectures not being recorded to the university. Over the last two years, through my various roles and as VP Finance & Marketing, I have supported and advocated for decisions relating to inclusion in the ride transit program for international students, accommodations such as recording of lectures for international students to support online learning in different time zones, and more programming and events to enhance student life. I am someone who is very approachable, and in my role as President, I would love to serve you, to make your voice heard, and to make your university experience as beautiful as it can be!
Sabrin Bashar
Running for : VP Academic
Kunaal Gupta and Sai Charan Arvapally
Running for: VP Communications
Hi!! We both being international students understand first hand struggles of international students during their initial days at University of Alberta. Like every new student, when we joined, we too were eager to start a new phase of our life. Our first challenge was to settle in a completely new country with its own environment & different society. To get accustomed with the resources & tools available at university, we started exploring University Campus and attended various social & academic events while working on extending our network with peers. We joined few universities club as the members to learn more. Gradually, we started developing a good sense as how we to have to study efficiently, make our goals & learn new skills. In this journey, we soon realized the importance of being connected socially with people & academic clubs. With this thought, we both decided to file a joint nomination for Vice President Communication to guide other international students. We are ready to take the responsibility of sharing the right info about academic & social events conducted by ISAs over all the social media platforms like WhatsApp, Discord, FB, Instagram, etc. While being on this post, we both would make sure that ISA’s social media platform & website offers relevant posts without being slowed down by any technical hitches. Looking forward to serving the international community at the university of Alberta with our knowledge & experience.
Advik Mehta and Kevin Wilianto
Running for: VP Communications
Are you new to Canada and need help getting government documents, and looking for scholarships? Or are you a graduate student looking for permanent residence or job opportunities? We can connect you with the right people and kick start your life in Canada! Kevin and I, Advik are running for co-VP Coms and want your support to help you and other international students with the before-mentioned things. The Communications Department is the only bridge between the thoughts and concerns of international students and the ISA and ultimately the university. It is us who amplify the voices of the students and, with facts and evidence, convey them to the university. We strive to achieve maximum transparency and advocacy for the international students, enhancing student life by raising issues and following them until resolved. I aim to make the Communications Department a two-way unit like a "telephone" as opposed to a one-way "speaker", where it can not only advertise events, workshops and represent the ISA, but also convey the voices of students to the ISA board and the university. .
Jashan Mahal Charvi Dhamija
Running for: VP External
About us:
Charvi (she/her) is a second-year computing science student from India. Jashan (she/her) is a fourth-year psychology honors student. Jointly, both of us had the opportunity to be in nearly every body of ISA, i.e. the ISA council, the Internal department and the Office of the President. We have had the opportunity to work with each other and part-take in the decision-making process consultations with external organizations. What makes us the perfect fit for the roles is our comprehensive experience combined with our passion for advocacy, our different backgrounds (Faculty and year of study), and the ability to recognize challenges and take the initiative to solve them.
Our Agendas:
Unionizing with International Student Associations from across Canada: Lobby for the most imperative issues at the provincial and federal level: Tuition fee reduction, negative implications of online delivery, development of more government-based scholarships and better immigration pathways. Reviewing services for international students and finding ways to optimize them: Collaboration with the University of Alberta International (UAI) and offering direct student feedback - by suggesting modifications and resolving accessibility barriers. Promoting a diversity-conducive environment on campus: Uphold the already established relationships with the regional groups and provide infrastructural assistance for events that promote and embody cultural diversity. Consulting and taking feedback from students on various programs and services that directly impact them: Hold drop-in virtual sessions for students and conduct frequent surveys to receive feedback on the services being provided to them. Promoting representational intersectionality in our advocacy: Ensure that the External Department is inclusive and constitutes people from all nationalities, gender, sexual orientations, etc.
Mohit Sinha and Sabaah Bibi Nayeck
Running for: VP External
Sabaah Bibi Nayeck: I am a Petroleum Engineering Student in my fourth year. I am originally from Mauritius, an island east of Africa in the Indian Ocean. As such, French is my secondary language. In my free time, I love reading and swimming. I recently joined ISA in 2021 as Communication Events Director and it has been very enjoyable to interact with International Students. Currently, I am running for the position of VP External together with Mohit Sinha. If you have any queries that you would like me to address in terms of advocacy on campus or in Alberta, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or Mohit. It would be a pleasure for us to help you in any way possible.
Mohit Sinha: I am your current Vice President of Communications at ISA. I also represent you as a councillor in the General Faculty council, highest decision making body at the University of Alberta. I have decided to run for Vice President External with Sabaah to advocate for issues International students are facing especially during this pandemic. I have heard all year around as your Vice President of issues of exorbitant tuition fees, Student Visa/PR issues, campus loneliness and mental health. Sabaah and I are running to represent and fight for you on these issues and more.
Our Agendas are -
(1) Lowering tuition fees - We will advocate to the University to stabilize the tuition fee as well as create more scholarships and Financial Aid for International Students.
(2) Federal Advocacy: We will work with other ISAs in Canada and advocate for International Students' issues to the federal government.
(3) Events to build more Connections - Creating events to fight against loneliness and mental health for International students
Lionel Liu and Richard Zhao
Running for: VP Finance
Lionel is a third-year student in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Tourism, an ISA Councillor since June 2020, and an Undergraduate Chancellor since February 2021. He has been a fierce advocate for ISA's independence, accommodated remote course delivery methods for international students, anti-racism, anti-hate crime, and safe campus. Lionel's running mate, Richard, is a second-year student in Business and has his expertise in accounting, sponsorship, and marketing. He joined ISA Undergraduate Council last November. Together, two of them will make a great co-vice-presidency for the finance department based on their experience and expertise. They have pledged that the incoming finance department will:
1. Maintain good relationships with current sponsors and partners, while seeking new cooperation opportunities.
2. Fully implementing and overseeing ISAF if passed.
3. Carrying out spending initiatives for international students' welfare and community programs.
4. Being fiscally responsible, tracking every income and expenditure.
Aiman Saif and Mobashhir Khan
Running for: VP Internal
We have been working with ISA internal department for a long time, about two years now, and have been involved with all the events ever since. You want someone with experience to lead you, and hence we ask for your vote. Should you vote for us, we will ensure that student services are handled well, and ensure the overall success of the various student welfare programs of the ISA. We will also try to expand the iCard program, to get even more discounts for international students on a variety of items. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us!
Madina Usserbayeva and Nikita Adekar
Running for: VP Student Life
Hello hello, I am Madina and as a current VP Internal I know how the internal culture is formed and positively affects students from the Student Life Perspective. I will bring my prior experience and innovative thinking to make International Students' experience more colorful and vibrant.
I am Nikita, and in my term as VP Student Life, I started various initiatives such as International Students' Day to celebrate diversity on campus. I have successfully advocated on behalf of students for Residence refund. In my new term, I want to continue the work I was doing and make University life worthwhile for International Students.
Christiana Saed
Running for: VP Graduate affairs
.