Candidates for the Council 2020-2021

First, I would like to express my condolences to the families of those who have died from the Corona virus and wish the patients strength. I will be short and to the point. I am candidate to stand up for all your rights. It doesn’t matter how intelligent you are or where you from. Everyone has the right to study and make something of his/her life. My goal will be to make studying easier for all of us. I will do my best to keep the gap, between the council and the students, as small as possible.

VOTE FOR ME AND VOTE FOR YOURSELF!!!!

I am Armand Gozé and I am a candidate for the University Council. This year we are all going through something extremely unique. Who would have thought our student lives would be ripped apart by a horrific pandemic and we would turn into a digital-only university. Many students feel a tremendous amount of uncertainty. However, we must continue. To study, to progress, to grow. Now more than ever, it is important that our voices are heard by the highest executive body of our university. Let me be your critical and constructive voice. I am passionate about students’ mental health, fair examination policies, quality over quantity, and more career support for international students. These special times and the issues that come with them, make me even more motivated to represent the 30.000 students that make up for our wonderful Erasmus community. Be safe, stay healthy, and make your vote count!

” Don’t let me be just your voice, let me be your friend”

Dear Fellow Student,

After having already fulfilled a representative role in the Academic Student Council of EUC, I am now running for a position in the University Council! My aim is to represent our student community. For the coming year, my intention is the continuation of the previous councils in improving affairs for (future) students. I will fully commit to the following points:

• Taking the right measures for COVID-19
• Safeguarding mental health
• Improving the connection with the city of Rotterdam
• Vision on education of the future

Obviously, for all these questions, my goal is to represent your voice! Therefore, I plan to host monthly zoom town-hall meetings where you can express your concerns. You can of course always reach me on my mail [email protected]

Make sure to Vote Bram Heesen for University Council!!

Bij deze ben ik, Berivan Mutlu, kandidaat voor een zetel in de universiteitsraad. Ik ben bereid om stemmen te vertegenwoordigen van studenten en onderwijzend personeel. Met veel passie en plezier studeer ik de opleiding psychologie aan de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. Hierin ontwikkel ik ook vaardigheden als luisteren en begrijpen. Zo zou ik deze vaardigheden binnen de universiteitsraad goed kunnen gebruiken. Er zijn namelijk genoeg studenten of personeel die zich niet begrepen voelen en/of door de Coronacrisis gedemotiveerd kunnen zijn. Voor deze mensen zou ik graag willen spreken. Daarnaast ben ik ook kalm en tolerant, en vind ik het belangrijk dat de gang van zaken binnen de universiteit goed bevordert.

My name’s Ionuț and I am running for the council to represent all international students better. Being Romanian, I share many of the rights, but also problems we are faced with. I too tried to seek guidance from a university psychologist just to be put in an extremely long queue. We lost hope because we thought we could not possibly wait that long. We received countless emails from university officials mentioning that they want to help by drawing statistics from questionnaires. Yet, we have the same complaints every year. I will ensure that our opinions are no longer unheard. I will make sure that every single voice can count. I plan to bridge the gap between the council and the fellow students it’s representing. More importantly, I will bridge the gap between the employees and us. Vote me and I promise we will leave a mark on our campus.

My name is Joep Schoenmakers and I would like to be one of the student representatives in the University Council next year. I have a strong belief in academic democracy and I want to strengthen this idea, in collaboration with Jasper, Jelrik and Luca, at our university by introducing a party list system for the University Council. Furthermore I stand for a university where there is room for the active student, one that is focused on the future and that is better by doing things together. A university should not be a diploma factory, but should have an active role in society and shape its students to critical thinkers. This should be on the forefront of the image of Erasmus University.

My goal in the University Council is achieving more academic discussion between student and researcher and to make the EUR a more democratic institute.

Being a student of three different Faculties, I see many of the problems at our University. In the past four years I have been a member of Faculty Councils and recently the University Council. However, there is so much more to be done. For that reason I’m up for reelection.

The past year, I have fought for your interests. In Erasmus Magazine you can read up on some of my initiatives this year. I have advocated in favor of more Dean diversity, for giving students the choice of a fail/pass grade due to corona. Additionally I have successfully sued EUR which resulted in all students being able to request a copy of all their exams.

The upcoming year I will ensure active students receive more recognition and appreciation at Campus. I will fight for a more inclusive community and better (digital) education. Additionally I support a party-system and Erasmian Unity.

Ik studeer momenteel bestuurskunde en zit in het eerste jaar van mijn studie. De Erasmus Universiteit is een grote school met veel diverse mensen. Zo heeft ieder een mening of een belang wat zij niet durven te openbaren. Ik wil voor deze mensen iets kunnen betekenen. Zo zou ik hun stem willen vertegenwoordigen en hun belangen willen behartigen. Bovendien kan ik mijzelf goed plaatsen in een ander, dit kan enorm helpen gezien ik ook een student ben. Ik kijk ernaar uit om mijn creativiteit toe te kunnen passen binnen de universiteitsraad.

Hey everyone, I’m Floris Durville and I’m campaigning for a seat on the University Council. The coming year is one with many challenges. Ranging from maintaining the quality of education in an online environment to student health and wellbeing. These challenges require dedicated and reliable Student Council members who listen to concerns and take action. I participated in a national youth taskforce against child abuse for two years where complex and sensitive issues were ever present. This experience will help face our shared challenges head on with a positive and constructive attitude. Always focusing on making sure we get the most out of our education in a healthy way. Want to know more about me and my campaign? Check out my Instagram (Floris_for_University_Council) or send me a message at [email protected].

After being elected as a member of University Council, I aim to provide safer surroundings for students to study. I will try my best to understand any loops in our system of SIAG committee, the standing complaints committee on sexual harassment, aggression, violence, bullying and discrimination, that could possibly hinder those victims from voicing out because of fear of being treated unjustifiably. I aim to enhance the concept of intersectionality. Any people or groups are not going to feel inferior and marginalised again; instead, they will stroll with smiles in our campus because we respect them. I will intensify any functionality with sexual health by providing mental supports, knowledge and possible tunnels for seeking helps. Finally, I will try my best connecting teachers and students tighter to collaborate to make our campus better than it is used to be.

I am a current member of the University Council running for re-elections with a focus on community building. By this I mean making sure that public relations are improved through important networking and academic events and that relevant faculty challenges are all brought to the Student Council’s attention.

As an international student that has been exposed to many types of education, from boarding schools in the U.S and India to university in the U.K, I want to bring a strong and constructive voice to the University council. The Council is strong instrument of change for students. With my knowledge and experience, from personal and previous council work, I am confident I can represent your voices in the upcoming academic year.

My name is Ellora Sen and I am an EUC student majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Political Philosophy.

Philip van Moll. Financial Economics (MSc ESE), Tax Law (LLB ESL), Aspirant Reserve Officer at the Royal Dutch Navy, Escape Room developer and Teaching-Assistant.

As your representative, I would like to use my gained knowledge and experience to make the University an even more accessible and liberal community.

My goals for next year:

– In addition to being a source of knowledge, the university is also a meeting place for enthusiastic, inventive and creative students. So encourage students to create a startup;

– (partially) abolish the compulsory attendance for (first year) students;

– Promote extracurricular activities, e.g. following committees at student associations or study associations, pursuing a social challenge, and offering ECTS for these activities, with which a (limited) part of the ‘free’ space can be filled in;

– Further improve digitization at the university (continuing to offer online lectures) and thus preserve the ‘positive’ sides of the COVID19 outbreak.

During the past two years of my International Bachelor of Psychology, I worked as Promotion officer and Student-Chair of the ESSB Faculty Council. Now I would like to bring my experience and ideas to the highest representative body of EUR!

Here are some of the most prominent topics I would like to address in the upcoming year. I want to help to build a truly united Erasmian community by tearing down the borders between Dutch and international students, and between all faculties. I also want to help students to thrive and become critical world-citizens without feeling treated as a mere “number”. Additionally, because we believe in working together, Jasper, Joep, Jelrik and I want to establish Erasmian Unity, the first student-representation party at our university. While we cannot stand/campaign as party for this year’s elections, voting for me will be a vote for progressive participation at EUR! Cheers, Luca

I am currently in my second year of studying business administration. I think it’s important that students can also make their voices heard and I’m convinced that I can help with this. I would like to see myself in the University Council to be the one who can give the students of the EUR a voice. Despite the unfortunate situation around corona, I am busy with my study almost every day. In addition, I take advantage of this situation to develop myself even more than normal. One of the ways I do this is by taking a leadership course. I could learn a lot about this subject within the University Council. I could apply my knowledge of business administration and leadership directly within the university. I am also very creative and can analyse problems very well. For these reasons I am sure that I am suitable to fill this position.

Hey everyone! My name is Oussama Assou, a current student at Erasmus School of Economics. Next academic year I want to have a positive impact on your student life! During my bachelor years, I have always done my best to help my fellow students and represent them in a time of need.

Now, I want to represent the voice of all the students of Erasmus University. Therefore, I am running for a position as a representative in the University Council of 2020/2021.

As a member of the University Council, I will fully dedicate my time on the following topics:

• Diversity and inclusion for all the students at Erasmus University
• Mental health support for students that need it
• An increase in the structural norm of study places

At last, there will be no student neglected and every students’ voice will count.

Vote for me if you believe in the same goals!

Our university is focused on graduating as quickly as possible. This is profitable for the university, but causes us to lose focus on what being a student means. Plans for a board year or important activities outside of your curriculum are obstructed by the nominal is normal-policy or mandatory presence.

Being a student consists of more than attending lectures. That’s why I want to use my expertise in representation and student politics to create a community where every student can develop in their own way. A community aimed at trust in our students, instead of bureaucracy.

Such a community stands taller if we can let our collective voices be heard. For that reason, I stand for the introduction of a party system for the University Council. So, once elected, I and like-minded candidates will put in work for the creation of the first student party on campus: Erasmian Unity.

Education that works.

Learning and growth mostly happen outside the classroom. When students develop and employ their creativity, intellect, and talent to form new initiatives, lead student organizations, compete in sports and change the world around them. It’s that entrepreneurial outlook that has characterized the EUR since it’s very beginning.

The EUR provides a sturdy backbone of scholastic education but far too often falls short in aiding students in their overall development. True growth tends to happen not in a lecture hall but in a great mix of other places: from the halls of RSC/RVSV or Laurentius, to that off smaller organizations like CSAEUR, EUCSA or the EFR.

I am a student at both ESL and ESE, have a strong international background and enjoy traditional Dutch student culture. It’s time to bring an honest view of student life to the university council. I’d be happy to lead that charge.

Hello everyone! My name is Younes Assou, currently studying Business Administration, Econometrics and Tax Law. This year has been my first year being a member of the University Council, where I was able to achieve many goals that helped to increase the students’ well-being.

Next academic year I want to contribute again as a student representative and make the voices of all students be heard by the board of executives and the professors.

The  most important agenda points that I will focus on next year are:

• Increase the digitalization of Erasmus University: MOOC’s, SPOC’s and online lectures
• Improve communication and transparency of Erasmus University
• Increase amount of study places for Erasmus University students

I am 100% sure that these agenda points will lead to less stress and a better atmosphere for the current and future students of Erasmus University.

If you believe in me and these goals, vote for me!

Perhaps you know the Rotterdam-lied, or the people of Rotterdam singing it. That same passion that some were born with, and others found when they first arrived in this city. We also encounter other things; work, research, reality, new friends, Buttplug Gnome, COVID-19, that hot person at the club or your long-lost water bottle. But life is more than this. There are things that we can address, change and improve. Things that I want to work hard for, because I can and have to. I have a great deal of experience in commissions and organizations as well as work and policy groups. I want to fully commit myself to goals pertaining to diversity, and to bettering the mental health of students and staff members, of athletes and young talent. That is why I am announcing my candidacy to become your voice, everyone’s voice and to mean something to each and every one of you. You should demand only the best, which you can expect if you vote for me!

Hello! My name is Afrodita and through my University Council candidacy I aim to contribute towards placing a greater focus on soft skill training within the university. The quality of our lives is determined by the quality of our relationship with ourselves and the quality of our relationship with others. This means that the role of communication, reflection and leadership skills cannot be overstated. For example, if you have a great idea that will benefit society, but you lack the public speaking skills to make yourself heard, understood and supported, your idea is bound to fail. I want us all to be better equipped with the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills needed to design a life that brings us purpose, joy and fulfilment. I ask for your vote in order to advocate the importance of soft skills and work on implementing key initiatives for achieving this goal.

As a candidate hoping for your votes, I believe its quite important to introduce myself. My name is Ana and I am a second year MISOC student, from Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. As someone that is interested in the advancement of EUR, it is my goal to serve as a representing figure for my course as well as a student voice in the University Council. My study offers high levels of expertise in the process of formulating policies and solutions, which would offer experience in the council. As a creative Erasmian, it would be of highest pleasure to offer unique and sustainable initiatives to further the overall betterment of the university. My largest motivation stems from constant contact with fellow students that desire to see change, which I plan to fulfill. Additionally, my international background gives me insight and incentive to offer strategies that may increase the level of diversity. Overall, with your help, I hope to play a part in creating a future-proof university during my time in the University Council. Thus, I hope to be your choice as a candidate.

The Erasmus University is not only a place where students study hard and develop knowledge and skills for their future, but also a community in which many friends and memories are made for life. It’s a place where you should feel safe and at home, but also a place which should strongly motivate. That’s why I want to make a difference in the way students experience their time at this University.

I believe that clear and quick communication from and to students is one of the most important aspects, especially in this current crisis. This is one of the key points that I as member of the University Council want to tackle. I also want to make online-education run as smooth as possible. So, if you want someone in the University Council who will listen carefully to you and who wants to improve the experience of studying, vote for me!

Dear EUR Community,

My name is Nicole and I am running to represent all of you.

My goals are twofold:

First, I want to make sure that the sustainable development goals that EUR has set to achieve by 2024 are met. I also aim for sustainability to still be in the center of any new policies taken in light of changing situations.

Second, during our next academic year, we will have to deal with COVID-19 and its aftermaths. I aim to ensure that all members of our community are doing well (health wise and education wise) during and post-pandemic so that they can continue their studies. I do not believe in “business as usual” policies and want to make sure that EUR takes the appropriate measures to adapt to the new situation.

If you have any questions or suggestions please contact me via my Facebook or Instagram page @nicole.rothwellg.

Wat heeft een student aan de Erasmus Universiteit nodig? Waar wordt geld aan uitgegeven door de Erasmus Universiteit en waar wordt geen geld aan uitgegeven? Is dit allemaal in het belang van de student? Of in het belang van anderen?

Dit zijn vragen die een universiteitsraad moet stellen. En daar wil ik graag een onderdeel van zijn.

Mijn focus ligt daarbij op het verbeteren van de digitale leeromgeving die, zeker in deze tijden, ontzettend belangrijk is. Maar dit zal ook in de toekomst in toenemende mate belangrijk blijken. Geen onduidelijke websites, doolhoven in plaats van heldere kennisbanken, je persoonlijke informatie op 1 plek en niet op 3. Om er maar een paar te noemen.

Maar ook de kwaliteit van het online college volgen verhogen. Waarom is dat niet al mainstream? De online mogelijkheden kunnen met extra middelen nog een stuk verbeteren.

Hi everyone!

My name is Dian van Toor and currently I am in my third year of the study law. After participating in the Faculty Council for three years I am looking for a new challenge. I would like to use my experience from the Faculty Council for the University Council. My plans are to improve digitalization and to improve the campus: starting with increasing the amount of study spaces. I also think mental health and sustainability are very important and I will try to improve and elaborate these as a member of the University Council. Most importantly, I want to enable students to voice their opinions in these strange times and make sure everyone feels acknowledged.

I’m Huyen Vu, I’m a second-year student of the Management of International Social Challenges program. There’re two things I want to mention when running for the UC.

First is education. I notice that in such a dynamic environment like EUR, extra-curriculum activities should be valued and invested to prepare the students with proper tools for their future. Therefore, I would like to help students with forming and adding social values to their activity ideas and making it more accessible to the students.

Secondly, the well-being of students needs to be focused. For example, the opinions from students are more heard and valued, inclusion and diversity are boosted for better experiences in an international environment. So I will assist the students to present their ideas and voice more easily and directly in a more central level of the university.

If you want to see those improvements, please vote for me! Thank You!

Hi guys! My name is Diederik Mosch and I want to represent you in the University Council upcoming year. During my last four years on university I think I have gained an unique insight into the needs of all students of the EUR. Whether it was on campus during my board year at EFR, or off campus in my life as a student and member of Laurentius. Think of the importance of a nice and inspiring study environment, having a wide range of sporting facilities on campus, to facilitating opportunities for students to develop yourself outside the lecture halls. My mission, if being selected for the University Council, will be to bring these needs of students to the table when meeting with policy makers of the university.

I want to make sure that every policy change and initiative of the EUR will impact and influence students in a positive way!

I’m a little older than the average student, but that doesn’t make me less of a student. Last year I registered for the University Council, because I think it is important that, in a large organization such as the EUR, all interest groups are represented. In the past year I have been able to work with the other members of the council to build up a renewed representative advisory body with greater involvement in the well-being of students, sustainability and online study material. I have also grown enormously in my role as student representative, and as a critic for University policy. Pedagogical Sciences, part of the ESSB Faculty, is my field of study. My contributions to the tutorial groups often consist of experiences I have gained raising my own children. I want to use this lifetime experiences to represent my fellow students as good as possible within the university council.

I’m running for the University Council because I am startled by the moral decline of our university. #MeToo covered up. Plagiarism is allowed, as long as it is committed by a top manager. Whistleblowers are hunted down by a corporate investigator. The university administrators should set a better example.

Money that could have been spent on education and research disappears into an ever-expanding bureaucracy. In the last decade, support staff has grown 40%. Erasmus University Rotterdam holds the Netherlands’ record for academic bureaucracy. Meanwhile, more and more money remains on the shelf.

I’m Geert de Waal, part-time student Philosophy, and I want to fight for your interests in the University Council. I will NOT use the individual student representative grant (€).

Furthermore, I consider that ESPhil should remain independent.

Hi everyone! My name is Achraf and would like to be your representative at the university council. I already have two years experience as an student member of the eshcc faculty council.

I want to focus on digitalisation, more recorded lectures and the possibility to be present in a class but from home. I also want to focus on a better collaboration between student members from all faculty councils and programme committees. Do you also wish the same? Vote for me!