The Leadership Race 2026: In Conversation with Sabbatical Officer Candidates
Image Credit: Students’ Union UCL
Today marks the start of one of the Students’ Union’s most exciting weeks of termtime: Vote Week. Across campus, walls will be lined with eye-catching posters as candidates fight to be the change they want to see at UCL. Earlier this week, Pi caught up with some of the hopefuls running for Sabbatical Officer positions to learn more about their policies and priorities.
Activities and Engagement Officer
Pi reached out to Angelina Prymaka, Selin Kilinc, Robert Marin, and Zaid Alsaleh for comments but received no response. All information on these candidates are drawn from their public manifesto.
In the contest for Activities and Engagement Officer, candidates advance distinct strategies to increase participation and deepen the Students’ Union’s relationship with societies.
Current Arts Officer Ben Francis argues the Union should better connect existing access programmes with societies to create clearer routes into activities. Initiatives like AccessUCL and ArtsUnlocked, he says, can allow students to try activities before committing to a group: “If you could try it out and then get an active route into a society […] that’s a really good way of channelling those access streams.” He also proposes an Arts Leadership Conference and a communication network for society leaders to collaborate more easily, arguing formal links between committees would “facilitate so much more collaboration, connection, and access.”
Valentino Thomas focuses on accessibility and infrastructure, drawing on his experience as President of the Hiking Club. He points to the society’s rapid growth as evidence that strong recruitment and clear information can drive engagement, describing Welcome Fairs as “the place to be” for attracting new members. His proposals include a second Welcome Fair in Term Two to engage exchange students and those pursuing New Year’s Resolutions. He also calls for more late-night social spaces on campus where students can “hang out safely [...] be loud, be silly, just be free as students” without relying on pubs or silent study areas.
Audrey Lau frames engagement around trust in the Union and the opportunities societies provide. As President of Drama Society, she argues many students join groups for networking and skills development, and wants stronger links between societies and organisations across London, providing accreditation and professional connections. She also says the Union must address a broader engagement problem: “I think people generally just don’t care about student leaders.” Her proposals include an intercollegiate events fund with other London universities, and reviving a print contract for student media to rebuild campus culture.
For Caitlin Chidiac, the priority is clearer promotion of societies and events so students understand what’s available. “One of my priorities would be making it easier to discover societies and events,” she says. Amongst Caitlin’s proposals is a ‘Try Something New’ scheme, allowing students to sample activities without committing to a membership straightaway, with dedicated weeks outside of Welcome Week to help lower “the barrier for students who might feel unsure about joining something for the first time.”
Jesse Ashdown, current Societies Officer and President of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Society informed Pi that he has had to drop out of the race due to “unforeseen personal circumstances”. He says he hopes whoever takes on the role of Activities and Engagement Officer will continue to run his Inaugural Inter-Faculty Quiz as a “yearly fixture in the UCL calendar”, alongside pushing for more events at the UCL East campus and School of Management.
Angelina Prymaka also appears to have dropped out of the race, as her manifesto information is no longer available as a candidate option on the Students’ Union website.
For Selin Kilinc, the priority is to “make UCL feel smaller in such a big city, warmer despite the London cold, and way more fun without losing its ambition.” She intends to use her leadership experience as a Transition Mentor and the Head of Social Events at Neuroscience Society to instigate more opportunist to socialise across faculties.
Robert Marin has gone for the silent, mysterious approach, with no photo or information on his application.
Zaid Alsaleh, meanwhile, is interested in creating stronger international partnerships and intercultural programmes, as he calls for our “globally diverse” university to be “accessible to every UCL student”. Zaid intends to “cut through the red tape holding clubs back” by improving UCL’s financial inclusivity.
Education Officer
Pi was unable to reach Wing and Grace Li for comments. Pi reached out to Sarah Jilani for comments but received no response. All information on these candidates are drawn from their public manifesto.
Pi also had the opportunity to speak to some candidates in the race for Education Officer, a role aimed at representing students’ academic interests and advocating for improvements to teaching and learning at UCL.
Cassie Feng points out poor communication between students and departments as a key weakness in UCL’s academic structure. “One issue I’ve noticed is that feedback systems can sometimes feel slow and complicated for students. Many students don’t know where to raise concerns formally,” she says. To tackle this, Cassie plans to gather and document feedback from students in a structured way to promote constructive dialogue with teaching staff and enact real improvements. She also aims to facilitate closer engagement between Academic Reps and the students they represent, “so that representatives can understand real academic concerns, not just formal feedback.” Cassie highlights stronger support for Reps as a way to “make sure student voices actually lead to change”.
For Mina Hanifi, a key goal is helping students new to UCL, especially international students, navigate the style of assessment for their course. She draws from her own experience as a first-year Masters student, saying “a lot of students [...] feel lost getting used to the course, getting used to the marking criteria [...] because we all come from different backgrounds.” In light of this, Mina proposes utilising the role of Academic Reps in a more personal way to help guide new students who need additional support. Moreover, Mina proposes a regular newsletter or questionnaire to check up on students and allow them to address “any pressures or challenges” they are facing academically. This will aid effective allocation of support to students who need it and will help achieve Mina’s goal of expanding student voice in academics.
Wing’s manifesto advocates for stronger feedback systems and more communication between students and faculty members. Wing intends to “increase awareness of existing academic support programs so students know what help is available.”
For Grace Li, the priority is “turning student feedback into clear, trackable change” as she calls for more spaces dedicated to studying during peak exam times, and a regulation of standards across all departments.
Current Education Officer Sarah Jilani advocates for an “Education Policy Tracker” that will log when departments break policy standards, along with clearer office hours in faculties. This year, Sarah spoke in parliament, advocating for “home/overseas student finance”.
Equity and Inclusion Officer
Pi was unable to reach Nadya for comments. Pi reached out for comments from Hannah Mabasa, but received no response. All information on these candidates are drawn from their public manifesto.
Pi reached out to candidates for the position of Equity and Inclusion (E&I) Officer to find out more about their visions for an inclusive university environment and to discuss how they plan to achieve their goals.
Rawleka Wilson describes the SU intercultural fund as a priority for E&I at UCL. By increasing financial support for intercultural events and activities, she hopes to increase connection between different cultural groups and combat isolation, a problem she says she noticed while working as People of Colour Students’ Officer. Rawleka also aims to support the SU hardship fund, for which she previously raised money by lobbying the SU to donate £1 from every cocktail sold at the Institute bar. Beyond her financial proposals, Rawleka plans to centralise UCL’s Report + Support, a system which currently entails “a lot of bureaucracy [...] and red tape”. Streamlining the system would help students receive the support they need when facing issues such as microaggressions. Rawleka sees a university with optimal equity and inclusion as one in which it’s the norm to see “a black person in the sabbatical team [...] or to look at your literature and your curriculum and there’s someone from your home country or someone who [...] started off in state school like you”.
Katia Messa focuses on establishing spaces for different communities to express their stories through artforms such as cinema, theatre, and music. By collaborating on this with cultural, faith, and identity-based societies, Katia hopes to bring people together and promote understanding and empathy between students from different backgrounds. She suggests introducing “anonymous ways for people to share their experiences if they wish”, which would provide an outlet for students who do not feel safe to express themselves due to worries “about how personal information could circulate within their communities or families in their home countries”. Furthermore, Katia prioritises making university communications more accessible for students with learning difficulties or from different language backgrounds. She proposes using short videos rather than written documents to help students navigate immigration rules, housing, and other aspects of university life.
For Ruqaiya Asim, the goal is to “elevate all voices from the student communities who wouldn’t ordinarily be heard”. As a blind student, she is personally affected by underrepresentation of student groups at UCL, and she plans to tackle this by hosting focus groups and having an open door policy for students who are seeking support or just someone to talk to. She also aims to help cultural, faith, and identity-based societies feel more visible and represented on campus by strengthening her relationship with them as E&I Officer. Ruqaiya hopes that UCL can become a university where “we do not need to focus on inclusion, it wouldn’t be best practice, it would be already implemented without need to consciously think about it.”
Nadya intends to “move beyond the discussion stage” by implementing “practical reforms in student support and departmental resources”. She argues that consistency is key, and claims to “bring a disciplined approach to governance”.
Hannah Mabasa’s manifesto focuses on “intentional inclusion” through action. She calls for stronger events and schemes in order to create more academic opportunities for minority students, as well as promotion “communication and friendships between different people from different backgrounds”.
Postgraduate Officer
Pi was unable to reach Jiayu Li for comments. Pi reached out to Jiya Patel, Ian Kwok, Susan Zhu, Sunskrati Pandey, Jerni Rinova Panjaitan, Anam Choudhary, and Charu Lingwal, but received no response. All information on these candidates are drawn from their public manifesto.
The Postgraduate Officer role has fourteen candidates, several of which Pi Media got a chance to speak with ahead of the election week. The Postgraduate Officer is responsible for the needs and interests of postgraduate taught and research students at UCL.
Cynthia Liu notes that an important difference between the postgrad and undergrad experience at UCL is that the former is much shorter and more academically intensive. This leaves students with ‘less time to adjust to university life while managing a demanding workload’. This also leaves ‘less time to build social networks and establish a strong sense of community’. She also hopes to address the financial pressure of studying in London through ensuring ‘students are better informed about available funding opportunities, scholarships, and financial resources’. Lastly, when asked about possible new activities and events, Cynthia told us she would focus on ‘creating activities that combine social connection with professional development’. For instance, ‘career-focused networking events with alumni and industry professionals [...], workshops related to internships, CV preparations, or job searching’.
Katherine Sung finds that, in comparison to an undergraduate, postgraduate degrees have highly varied timelines. She, therefore, argues for better integration of postgraduates into the UCL community. According to Katherine, the ‘biggest issues currently facing UCL postgraduates are the acute cost-of-living crisis and the difficulty of social integration’. To solve these, the proposes to ‘lobby UCL to revise and expand the priority criteria for the Financial Assistance Fund’ and ‘collaborate with the Activities and Engagement Officer to foster a more inclusive student culture [and encourage] societies to actively welcome [...] postgraduates.’ She also hopes to extend ‘postgraduate-only social activities into Term 3’, ‘broader [UCL’s] current global alumni Q&A sessions’, ‘tap into underutilised departmental networks’, and ‘enhance career visibility’. Lastly, Katherine wanted to share she felt ‘strongly about social issues and UCL’s repeated shut down of protests against the genocide in Palestine’, noting that she would ‘endeavour to further the interests of the student body on these issues’.
Revati Kukde highlights the postgraduate degree as being ‘quite specialised compared to the undergraduate course’, leading to heavy involvement with their own research which may be experienced as ‘solitary’. There is ultimately less opportunity for ‘creating a sense of community’. She sees the biggest challenge for postgraduates as the need to ‘balance academic demands with financial and career-related uncertainties’. She thinks the best way to mitigate this challenge is through ‘improving postgrad-specific career development support, raising awareness of available funding support, as well as ensuring that the voice of postgrads is represented in decisions [affecting] their academic development.’ Lastly, Revati hopes to introduce activities that ‘combine career development with community engagement’. This will ‘create a sense of community’ for the postgrads who are ‘otherwise isolated in their academic pursuits’.
Haixuan Xin sees the main difference between the postgraduate and undergraduate experience ‘as the level of complexity and diversity in students’ circumstances’. She emphasises that many postgraduate students ' balance intensive academic work with research pressures, career planning, financial concerns, and, in some cases, family or caring responsibilities’. She believes the biggest issue faced by postgraduate students to be ‘both academic and social’ isolation. She hopes to address this through ‘stronger representation, better targeted communication, and more meaningful postgraduate-focused community building.’ Ultimately, the concerns of postgraduate students should not only be heard, ‘but actively reflected in Union priorities, services, and events’. If elected, Haixuan hopes to introduce ‘cross-department social mixers, academic wellbeing workshops, networking events, and smaller community-based gatherings’, helping postgraduate students feel ‘more connected, supported, and recognised as an important part of the UCL community.’
Coco Shi has been both an undergraduate and a postgraduate student at UCL, meaning she has spent eight years at the university. When comparing the two degrees, she finds that the postgraduate ‘can feel quite lonely and as lacking a sense of community’. Consequently, a key part of her manifesto is the ‘building of a postgraduate common room, especially for research students’. An issue she hopes to focus on is ‘the support for remote and part time students’. She hopes that the wellbeing of all postgraduates, whether full-time or part-time, may be supported. This may be done through ‘better work and visa support, especially now that we’re in a fast changing world’, a world which, ‘researchers [go out into]’. Coco continued to emphasise the importance of network, which can mean ‘a focus on research and career development or exploring what you can do after UCL’. She hopes to introduce ‘hybrid town halls’ involving both full-time and part-time students, as well as creating ‘more creative ways for people to showcase their research’.
Anastasia Seitan has done both her undergraduate and her postgraduate studies at UCl, allowing her to recognise the key difference between the degrees as ‘the level of care and involvement the university has in curating the student experience’. She also feels that the postgraduate experience ‘can sometimes be marked by a feeling of isolation’. According to Anastasia, the biggest issue faced by postgraduate students is ‘employment uncertainty’ since ‘the job market is brutal’. She proposes ‘career support as part of degrees, not just another mailing list students sign up for, and career support tailored to the current job market’. When asked about potential new activities and events, Anastasia proposed ‘events with recent graduates about their experiences’ and sessions on navigating the job market. Moreover, she hopes departments will organise more social events for their postgraduates.
Amongst her proposals, Jiya Patel aims to improve communication between students and staff at UCL. Jiya plans to raise student concerns at Student Partnership Committee meetings to “ensure student voices are heard in discussions with staff”.
Ian Kwok’s manifesto focuses on bringing “First Year” energy back to postgraduate life at UCL by establishing more opportunities, spaces, and resources for postgraduate students to enjoy their academic journey.
Susan Zhu proposes an “SU Masterclass Series”, which she describes as “a professional module for all enrollees, featuring industry leaders to bridge the gap with the elite job market”. She believes her experience as a former Provincial Student Union Vice President provides her with “the charisma and organizational skills to represent diverse voices”.
Sunskrati Pandey advocates for improved academic communication and feedback, as well as postgraduate-focused community spaces. She draws from her own experience balancing multiple responsibilities and dealing with career anxieties to deliver an approach that is “practical, approachable, and committed to delivering real, visible impact for all students”.
Jerni Rinova Panjaitan’s manifesto highlights clearer and more accessible communication as a main goal, as well as a stronger focus on mental health for students. “As an international postgraduate student, I understand the challenges of navigating academic expectations and research culture” she says.
Current SU President, Anam Choudhary, aims to continue tackling financial and career pressures as Postgraduate Officer by building on her Community Fridge and Essential Cupboard initiative and expanding access to graduate schemes, internships and sustainable careers.
Charu Lingwal is committed to “fairness, transparency, and ensuring that postgraduate voices genuinely shape how the Union and UCL move forward”. Charu’s manifesto advocates for more transparent academic policy and better support for PGTAs and researchers, among other initiatives.
Welfare and Community Officer
Pi was unable to reach Vivian Li for comments. Pi reached out for comments from Marina Solo, Matthew Kendall, Hana Mougharbel, Ademipo Onanuga, but received no response. All information on these candidates are drawn from their public manifesto.
With nine students having put themselves forward for the Student Union’s position of Welfare & Community (W&C) Officer, there is an understandable uncertainty over who to vote for. Therefore, Pi Media spoke with candidates last week to further discuss how they plan on prioritising student welfare and what role the local community could, and should, play in UCL’s continued development.
Whitney Chen believes that the W&C Officer’s responsibilities focus on providing clearer guidance on student living, building neighborhood relations, and respecting local communities. As an international student herself, she feels that the most pressing wellbeing issue faced by UCL students today is the ‘challenge of building a sense of belonging in such a large and international university’. To support those struggling with the cost of living crisis, she aims to ‘expand free hot water refill points and improve promotion of affordable food options’. Additionally, she advocates for a ‘clearer guidebook [that contains] budgeting resources, housing advice, and student discounts’. In terms of student safety, she hopes for ‘clearer guidance on housing rights, reporting routes, emergency contacts, and what to do in unsafe situations’. Lastly, Whitney would prioritise UCL’s relationship with the local community by expanding opportunities for ‘volunteering, community-based projects, and partnerships with local organisations’.
Suweyda Ahmed feels that the most pressing wellbeing issue for UCL students is ‘academic burnout’. It has become common for students to balance ‘heavy workloads alongside commuting or living at university, financial stress, and worries about post-grad careers’. When asked about the cost of living crisis, Suweyda commented that she hopes to ‘ensure that more affordable food and drink is available on campus’, including ‘reduced meal deals and low-cost coffee/drink hours’. She also aims to spotlight ‘the type of funds and financial support that many students may not realise they are eligible for’. On the question of student safety, she proposed a ‘Safe Travel’ scheme ‘where students can request a fellow student volunteer to walk when leaving campus late’. Lastly, she feels ‘students should feel familiar in the area around them’. If elected, Suweyda wants to ‘create initiatives to connect students to the local community through events, charity fundraising, and opportunities for collaboration with local, small, or big organisations’.
Wilf Baxter highlighted mental health as the biggest wellbeing-related issue being faced by UCL students today. He believes this is ‘couples with so many other issues that UCL students are facing [including] housing and cost of living’. To tackle student struggles with cost of living, Wilf proposed ‘free laundry in UCL halls’, a programme which he noted the University of Roehampton launched in September of last year. Wilf told us that UCL recently reported making an annual ‘13 million pound profit’ off of halls, a profit which he believes should be reinvested into accommodation through things such as free laundry and rent freezes. Furthermore and although not in his official manifesto, Wilf hopes to work with a charity to provide self rape testing kits, noting that the University of Bristol has already made this step. Overall, he made a note of the importance of ‘looking at what other universities are doing’, especially considering there are ‘over 400 universities in the UK’.
Devi Sankhla recognises that students face a ‘broad’ range of wellbeing issues. Firstly, she called out accommodation issues where students are facing ‘skyrocketing rent’ and ‘exploitative landlords’, especially towards ‘international students who don’t know what their rights are’. This leads into the cost of living crisis, which she hopes to mitigate through ‘creating more paid jobs on campus’, especially when students ‘have to do unpaid labour just for some resume points’, and rent freezes. Devi prioritises student safety in her manifesto, including ‘the right to protest’, and she notes that ‘it is abominable that a student can get arrested when they’re peacefully protesting on campus’. She hopes to ‘work with police to ensure that it’s the force that keeps [students] safe’. Devi is currently the women’s officer, which has given her insight into the need for better counselling services. In this role, she worked with firms to have ‘legal clinics for drop-ins for students’, demonstrating her desire to continue fostering a positive relationship between UCL and the local community.
Vivian Li’s manifesto’s focuses on ‘[making] student life more affordable’, which she aims to do through 2 pound campus drink days, lower laundry prices, and lower graduation gown rentals.
Marina Solo’s campaign is known for ‘yap and nap’, as she focuses her manifesto on the inclusion of sleeping pods around campus.
Ademipo Onanuga shares the same tagline in her manifesto, emphasising her ability to be ‘a great yapper and a great napper’.
Matthew Kendall kept his manifesto short, noting only that he hopes to ‘achieve welfare for all’.
Hana Mougharbel’s manifesto includes many points, but ultimately she wants to ‘keep advocating for [our] voices, rights, and experiences’.