Christopher-John Daudu
Being a postgraduate student at UWA is something to be proud of. Regardless of whether you embarked on your university journey right here at UWA, or if your path led you here from interstate or from overseas, we all share a common vision: every postgraduate student should feel empowered, supported, and celebrated.
The Postgraduate Students’ Association (PSA) has the potential to unite research and coursework students across all disciplines, fostering a sense of collegiality that transcends our specialities. We know that the life of a postgraduate student can feel overshadowed by undergraduate-centric campus culture. The needs of those with non-standard teaching periods, career commitments, or families to safeguard can often be overlooked. This is the core issue that I am passionate about addressing as your PSA President in 2024.
I firmly believe that the PSA can and should be a hub of connection; a place where all postgraduate students can find opportunities, community, and the support you deserve. As your President, I will turn this vision into a reality.
My Experience
This year, I've had the privilege to serve as the Coursework Vice-President of PSA. In this role, I've focused on advocacy, working alongside our current PSA President to establish a campaign aimed at providing stipends for students with mandatory placements as part of their degrees. This is crucial, as placements often limit the ability of postgrads to find secure employment to support themselves and their families during their studies.
I've been committed to the careers and employability of research students. In collaboration with PSA and UWA, we organised an event that empowered research students to strategically profile themselves for their academic or industry aspirations.
My experience extends beyond the PSA. I've served on Guild Council as Vice-President, represented students on the Education Council as Health Students’ Society President, and contributed to UWA’s Academic Board as a student representative. These experiences have provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the processes governing the Student Guild and the university. Furthermore, they've honed my leadership skills, which I will leverage to lead a diligent PSA, advocating tirelessly for your interests.
My Vision
I see the Postgraduate Students’ Association as the heart of the postgraduate experience at UWA. From a coursework advocacy perspective, I'm committed to continuing the fight for paid placements, which other universities across Australia have already implemented. Additionally, I'm dedicated to ensuring that our growing international student population is educated on their rights and supported in their transition to a new culture and community.
From a connectivity standpoint, I will focus on increasing collaboration and integration across different disciplines through shared events and initiatives. Research students, in particular, deserve more recognition and inclusion, and this will be a key focus next year. Every postgraduate student at UWA deserves a world-class student experience, and I will work diligently toward this goal each day.
Together, united in our pursuit of excellence and a brighter future, we can create a more vibrant postgraduate community at UWA.
Saw Vincent Phone Mya
My name is Saw Vincent, and I am pursuing a Master of International Development. I am excited to express my interest in working with PSA as an international student officer. As I have been involved as International Student Engagement Ambassador at the International Student Lounge, I am eager to extend my involvement at the Postgraduate Students’ Association (PSA) in building a network for local and international students to share their experiences and knowledge. My vision for PSA is to create an engaging and supportive environment for postgraduate international students through two key areas: culture exchange activities and international student well-being and assistance. UWA is a diverse community with students worldwide, and it is essential to understand different cultures and values. Therefore, I will work with other PSA team members to organise student engagement activities such as cultural exchange programs, workshops, and diverse language learning activities. These activities will allow our international students to share their talents, culture, and traditions among this community. Transitioning from their home country to a university in Australia is challenging for many international students. Hence, I want to focus on creating PSA as a hub for our international students as a safe space for sharing difficulties and challenges. I believe we can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for both local and international students at UWA.I look forward to working with the PSA team to implement this vision.
Harshit Sinha
Dear fellow students, My name is Harshit Sinha, and I am excited to announce my candidacy for the position of Vice President (Coursework) in the PSA Committee 2024 at UWA. I commenced my studies at UWA in February 2023. As a dedicated postgraduate student pursuing a Master of Environmental Science degree, I have been actively involved in enhancing the student experience and contributing to our vibrant university community.
I have had the privilege of serving as the International OCM of PSA 2023 Committee, where I played a crucial role in organizing events that benefit our postgraduate students. Notably, I helped coordinate the Rottnest Island trip, ensuring it remained affordable at just $55, inclusive of round trip ferry, bikes and refreshments. I also worked on organizing free PSA Social Connect events and the PSA Ball, keeping ticket prices low while maintaining high quality.
If elected as the Vice President (Coursework) of PSA, I aim to address the timetable clashes faced by postgraduate coursework students, improve transparency by sharing the outcomes of education council meetings, establish a feedback system, foster a sense of community among postgraduates, and expand PSA outreach. My goal is to ensure that all the 8000+ postgraduate students have access to the full range of services provided by PSA, making their university experience enriching and enjoyable.
I am committed to making a positive impact on our university community. Your vote for me is a vote for a more inclusive, transparent, and student-focused PSA Committee. Together, we can shape a brighter future for postgraduate coursework students at UWA.
Thank you for your support.
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Rachel Gutschon
I look forward to the opportunity to join Postgraduate Students’ Association with a hope to fill the role of Vice-President Coursework. I envision this role as one which both leads towards the overarching PSA mission and goals, while supporting each Coursework Representative in their own vision for their area of expertise. Ultimately, this is the most important part of leadership, to ensuring connection to the overall vision of the entire committee is being met and upheld, while supporting your team to use their own talents; culminating in the unified efforts of the entire PSA towards our mission statements.
As a medical student and an international student, I have experienced the both the demands of a postgraduate student and the need to grow connections within a new country. PSA offers an excellent opportunity for connection and growth of collegiality across the entire postgraduate community, an effort I hope to further.
Working as a registered nurse within operating theatres both in Australia and internationally will provide me insight on how to lead and work effectively with a diverse team. I have also worked as a research coordinator overseeing two projects at a hospital site, SOCRATIC and the RADICAL-PC trial. During this time, I oversaw a wide range of tasks, managed research assistants and reported to the site PI and coordinating team to ensure we remained on task with the research protocol.
I have also been thankful to have the opportunity to participate on committees at UWA, include roles as a Research Officer for the Students in Health and Medical Research Conference and as an Events Coordinator for both Birthing Kits and Crossing Borders for Health, subsets of Interhealth. These roles have provided me insight into UWA clubs and strategically structuring events and meetings.
Harshit Sinha
Dear fellow students, My name is Harshit Sinha, and I am excited to announce my candidacy for the position of Vice President (Coursework) in the PSA Committee 2024 at UWA. I commenced my studies at UWA in February 2023. As a dedicated postgraduate student pursuing a Master of Environmental Science degree, I have been actively involved in enhancing the student experience and contributing to our vibrant university community.
I have had the privilege of serving as the International OCM of PSA 2023 Committee, where I played a crucial role in organizing events that benefit our postgraduate students. Notably, I helped coordinate the Rottnest Island trip, ensuring it remained affordable at just $55, inclusive of round trip ferry, bikes and refreshments. I also worked on organizing free PSA Social Connect events and the PSA Ball, keeping ticket prices low while maintaining high quality.
If elected as the Vice President (Coursework) of PSA, I aim to address the timetable clashes faced by postgraduate coursework students, improve transparency by sharing the outcomes of education council meetings, establish a feedback system, foster a sense of community among postgraduates, and expand PSA outreach. My goal is to ensure that all the 8000+ postgraduate students have access to the full range of services provided by PSA, making their university experience enriching and enjoyable.
I am committed to making a positive impact on our university community. Your vote for me is a vote for a more inclusive, transparent, and student-focused PSA Committee. Together, we can shape a brighter future for postgraduate coursework students at UWA.
Thank you for your support.
Gracie Hodgson
I wish to be considered for the 2024 Postgraduate Students Association Life, Health, and Natural Sciences Coursework Representative.
To give you some background, I completed both an Undergraduate of Medical Sciences and Master’s of Public Health at Brock University back home in Canada and am now finishing my first year of Medical School here at UWA.
I wish to run for this position because this year I really struggled to get involved. Starting a new program in a different country honestly felt overwhelming enough, but I really regret not doing more. I believe that many post-grads, especially those new to UWA share this experience. Many school events are targeted to young undergraduate students, and it is easy to feel out of place when attending or even ‘too old’ to participate. As a future member of the PSA I plan to work extremely hard to give post-graduate students a place to really belong, feel supported and understood, and get involved in a way that better accommodates our wants and needs.
I wanted to run for a coursework representative because that is where I truly feel I can make the biggest difference. On the medicine campus, I hadn’t heard about the PSA until the year was almost over. This is a major issue I plan to tackle as limited awareness of the association limits our ability to reach and include students, and advocate for them as needed. As a coursework representative it would be my job to amplify the voices around me, yet this starts by letting everyone know I am here to listen. With my educational background I understand the crazy workload demands that come with studying the sciences and the enormous amount of pressure placed on students. Having already done a postgraduate program I also understand how isolating these programs can be with many small classes or online components. I’m grateful to now feel I’m in a position to pay it forward and help students in similar situations not only get through their time here, but really enjoy it!
To summarize, I wish to be considered for the Life, Health, and Natural Sciences Coursework Representative because I want to be the person, I was missing this past year. A friend to go to events with, a resource to look to when support is needed, someone to help me get involved, and someone who understands the position I am in as a postgraduate student studying life, health, and natural science.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Gracie Hodgson
Harshit Sinha
Dear fellow students, My name is Harshit Sinha, and I am excited to announce my candidacy for the position of Vice President (Coursework) in the PSA Committee 2024 at UWA. I commenced my studies at UWA in February 2023. As a dedicated postgraduate student pursuing a Master of Environmental Science degree, I have been actively involved in enhancing the student experience and contributing to our vibrant university community.
I have had the privilege of serving as the International OCM of PSA 2023 Committee, where I played a crucial role in organizing events that benefit our postgraduate students. Notably, I helped coordinate the Rottnest Island trip, ensuring it remained affordable at just $55, inclusive of round trip ferry, bikes and refreshments. I also worked on organizing free PSA Social Connect events and the PSA Ball, keeping ticket prices low while maintaining high quality.
If elected as the Vice President (Coursework) of PSA, I aim to address the timetable clashes faced by postgraduate coursework students, improve transparency by sharing the outcomes of education council meetings, establish a feedback system, foster a sense of community among postgraduates, and expand PSA outreach. My goal is to ensure that all the 8000+ postgraduate students have access to the full range of services provided by PSA, making their university experience enriching and enjoyable.
I am committed to making a positive impact on our university community. Your vote for me is a vote for a more inclusive, transparent, and student-focused PSA Committee. Together, we can shape a brighter future for postgraduate coursework students at UWA.
Thank you for your support.
Gavin Pikes
Jacob Winter-Bock
In today's interconnected world, the value of engagement across varied sectors cannot be overstated. Having had the privilege of serving as the AusIMM Event Co-Ordinator, where I was instrumental in creating networking events for students in the resource sector, I believe I possess the requisite experience, skills, and vision to assume the Engagement VP role. Here's why:
Rich Experience in Event Coordination: As the AusIMM Event Co-Ordinator, I have been at the helm of orchestrating networking events tailored to students. This role didn’t just require logistical coordination but also demanded a deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of the attendees, ensuring relevance and impact. The experience has equipped me with the ability to understand student motivations and to design events that resonate, engage, and inspire.
Industry Connections for Broader Engagement: One of the key assets I acquired in my previous role was the vast network of professionals and experts from the resource sector. Leveraging these connections will provide a unique opportunity for students across the University of Western Australia (UWA) to gain industry insights, potentially opening doors for collaborations and placements. It's not just about networking but about nurturing relationships that add value to the student community as a whole.
Interdisciplinary Vision: The future lies in interdisciplinary cooperation. While my background is rooted in the resource sector as a mining engineering student, I understand the immense potential that lies in bridging the gaps between engineering, maths, science, and other faculties. My vision as the Engagement VP is to curate events and platforms where students from diverse faculties come together, share ideas, and learn from each other. This interdisciplinary mingling could be the catalyst for innovative solutions to real-world problems. Typically, I find that students not on main campus are left out of opportunities so if elected i would like to run PSA connects off main campus primarily looking at QE2 and if the interest is there also the Albany campus.
Personal Motivation for Inclusivity: On a personal note, my passion lies in ensuring that every student, irrespective of their discipline, feels seen, heard, and valued. UWA boasts of a rich tapestry of talents and potentials. I am driven to ensure that our engagement activities are not restricted to silos but rather spread across the vast spectrum of disciplines we have at UWA. By doing this, we're not just fostering networking but truly building a cohesive, inclusive, and integrated UWA community.
Commitment to Collaboration: Engagement is not a solo endeavour. It requires collaboration with multiple stakeholders – from students and faculty to industry experts. I aim to build a subcommittee which sees the voices of off campus and multi faculty students be heard so that you as a postgraduate at UWA receive the best experience possible. In conclusion, my journey as the AusIMM Event Co-Ordinator was both enlightening and enriching. But it's just the beginning. As the Engagement VP, I am eager to be the bridge that brings this vision to fruition.
Nikita Dhanava
Paige Brandwood
Patrick Morrison
