By Hannah Roberts, News Reporter
Your vote determines who will champion your academic and personal interests at the university level. Who best represents you? Make sure your voice is heard.
You can vote here until 9 pm Thursday 12 March. Candidate manifestos can be found here.
Cara Hene
The Postgraduate Education Officer position acts as the vital link between the Uuniversity's decision-makers and the diverse postgraduate community.
During their studies, PG students face experiences that are different from those of undergraduates, with an extremely diverse set of needs. These differing circumstances create unique challenges for the role, particularly in ensuring that primary issues such as career development, funding, and mental health support are addressed as priorities and are expressed to university management executives.
This year’s candidates are: Sharan Khemlani (Yashika), Umme Tasfia Rahman, Shengjie Zhao, Shushila Murmu and Jyoti Shanker Giri
*If a candidate did not attend our interview panel, nor respond to our questions over email, they have not been profiled in this article.*
Sharan Khemlani
‘Re-elect SY 4 SU so I can continue delivering 4 U’
Seeking re-election, Sharan Khemlani builds her initiative on continuity and demonstrated impact. She highlights her experience navigating university stakeholders to secure improvements in academic inequality and wellbeing.
‘My campaign this year builds on the progress I’ve made as postgraduate officer last year’ she notes, placing emphasis on her institutional knowledge. Khemlani intends to leverage her existing relationships with University leadership to continue pushing for a more inclusive postgraduate community. She would also aim to embed industry placements into existing programs.
To combat the financial struggles that many postgraduate students face on both a social and academic front, she proposed expanding basic needs provisions such as a flexible ‘part-time job shop’ and ‘Swap Shop.’ She also places focus on increasing opportunities for postgraduate participation in sport to combat the high levels of depression in the demographic, noting that many sessions are often fully booked on the app.
Umme Tasfia Rahman
‘Stronger voices, fairer systems’
Rahman runs on a platform of inclusivity and representation. Having navigated her own MSc studies in Mathematics Education, she highlights the necessity of transparent assessment processes including ‘clearer feedback,’ alongside improved wellbeing support.
Rahman is particularly focused on ensuring international and disabled students feel connected to the wider university community. Drawing on her experience as an international student, she is committed to bridging the gap between student needs and university policy to foster a truly supportive atmosphere. Regarding her vision, she states: ‘My campaign focuses on inclusion, fairness, and stronger representation for postgraduate students.’
She believes in dismantling barriers currently preventing postgraduates from feeling fully integrated into university life. Her aims include ensuring that no student navigates the academic environment in isolation, pushing for systems that are responsive, compassionate, and student-focused throughout the academic year.
Shengjie Zhao
‘Practical action for real opportunity.’
An MSc Financial Technology student, Zhao is focused on measurable change, particularly regarding employability and “postgraduate-specific” financial accessibility. He proposes expanding SME partnerships to create more real-world experience and advocates for clearer support regarding hardship funding.
Zhao emphasises the gap between policy and daily reality, stating "I want to make sure postgraduate voices are properly represented and that support is not just available on paper, but actually accessible in daily life."
His campaign seeks to reduce the financial stress that can hinder academic performance by offering tangible solutions for everyday postgraduate struggles. He also aims to ensure wellbeing support is genuinely accessible, rather than just available in theory, including “faster access to services.”
Jyoti Shanker Giri
‘Driven by need, defined by action’
Jyoti Shanker Giri emphasises the importance of community and mentorship. He plans to bridge the gap between academic theory and professional reality by connecting students with alumni for the ‘unwritten rules’ of success, moving beyond generic advice. Giri believes in proactive representation to tackle the challenges of funding and research support. Reflecting on his campaign goal, he says: ‘Postgraduate voices deserve to be heard just as strongly as everyone else, and if elected, I’ll work to make sure our experience here is supportive, fair, and genuinely rewarding.’
Giri proposes improving communication between students and the university, while strengthening supervision and research support. Given the opportunity, he would increase ‘eligibility limits’ for financial aid, and regarding mental health would focus on ‘identifying individuals’ rather than general policies.
Featured image: Epigram / Suzanne Célérier
Who will you be voting for as Postgraduate Education Officer?
