Team Blue - A student parliament!
With the Student Government elections heating up, The Stork is fulfilling its reporting purpose through ensuring the consistency of information and equal level of the coverage for all participating teams. To understand the proposals and future steps, The Stork reached out to Oussama Chninak – Presidential candidate from the Team Blue.
What inspired you and your team to run for student government?
OC: For us, Student Government represents a movement of change. In the beginning, even before the idea to run for the government originated, we have been thinking of starting the movement of change, since students had lost faith in the student government.
If you could summarize your objectives for the time in office in three words, what would they be?
OC: Empower, choose and practical.
What are the main areas of improvement at the university?
OC: We need to improve a lot when it comes to representation. At this point, it is a shame that representation is only done through two class reps that meet with the direction only once each semester. Representation is not only about student’s academic achievements. Representation is about voicing every student’s concern.
The second thing is academics. It makes no sense to talk about innovation while being educated in the system created in the eighteenth century. Innovation should follow the spirit of the university.
Thirdly, the relationship between students and alumni. Even though that careers portal exists, at first, getting an internship is hard. Labs are simply not enough, since, at the end of the day, you are not getting the real-life experience, only repeating what you have been doing the whole year. An internship is a practical affair. It is not only about staying in one place; it’s about exploration and experience.
Could you summarize your policy objectives and the ways through which you will achieve them?
OC: In the first week after our election, we will establish an IE University Parliament, since it is a necessity for every voice to be heard. We will make sure that each student is represented in the IE Parliament by two class reps and one additional person. We are not only six people running for the elections – we are a movement of students. In the Parliament, class reps will be voting on the proposals that students consider necessary to be delivered to administration. Moreover, through the Parliament, the voting of the constitution will be ensured. For the first time in IE history, we go away from the by-laws and will stick to making an actual constitution, which will give power to the people to vote us out, in case we are not doing the job they want. We want to empower students to take actions within this community.
We will take actions with alumni. We will be side-by-side with them – people who are out there working in the real world. Developing personal relations with alumni, taking social actions, and working together are the only ways, through which our students and alumni could be reconnected. Picture this: you have the job of your dream, or a mentor you aspiring to know. We will make sure that you meet this person in informal setting first, and eventually transform relation into the formal networking.
How will you ensure the steady line of communication between the student body and the Student Government?
OC: Parliament will be one of the main ways of communication. At the end of every month, there will be an ordinary open-for-everyone Parliamentary session live-streamed on social media and The Stork, so that students are informed about future events, conferences and transparency of budget is ensured.
Communication is not only about posting pretty pictures from Madrid on Instagram. Communication is about voicing people’s opinion. Without this, the student government is worth nothing. The budget will be public. Every month, students will receive an email with detailed and most importantly transparent money flows from the budget. Conferences will be ensured every single month.
How will you ensure the equal representation of both campuses?
OC: The equal representation of both campuses is the very issue we will be working on. First, the Parliamentary meetings will take place on both campuses, meaning that there will be an interaction between students from every single degree. We will be the umbrella, under which everyone will unite. Transportation, alongside every other expense, will be covered by the student government, because this is within our jurisdiction. Jurisdiction, which is given us to voice students, to give them an opportunity to meet.
How will you build upon the initiatives of the current administration? Is there anything you would modify? Why?
OC: The Student Government, this year, had done a great job when it comes to advertising. We will give them credit for the amazing movement Panas for Venezuela and continue the tradition of voicing important social causes. We will have a broad direction on social problems because at the moment you are here at university, your problem becomes our problem. We see that Venezuela – the problems it had been facing – are off-lights on campus now; it is a shame that we are not taking any action.
How will you ensure that all degrees, especially those of Design and Architecture, will be represented and benefited from your proposals?
OC: Firstly, we will ensure their representation through Parliament. Secondly, we are consulting with design students at the moment, to inquire into their problems, the biggest of which is equipment. It is a shame that students have to buy their own materials and equipment required for in-class purposes. We will work with Architecture and Design students, to ensure not only partnerships and internships but also equipment and materials.
How will the university evolve as a result of your proposals, one year from now?
OC: One year from now, IE University will go up in rankings. Secondly, everyone will be able to go to tournaments. Recently, IE University hosted the international business competition, in which, sadly, our team was not ranked even within top-three teams. It is a shame when we are talking about one of the best business schools in the world. We will make sure that coaching sessions for international business competitions, debates, and sports tournaments will be carried out.
Your voice will be heard. The Constitution will be in place and you will be informed of it. Things will be drastically different because we are not only team, we are the movement of people striving for change.
I want to say to every single student who reads this piece. Make sure you read the proposals. Make sure you vote for the strong academic program. Make sure you vote for people that will represent you, and make sure you are involved, because you are the part of the community. The moment you are at university, you are not part of Madrid or Segovia – you are part of the world campus. We will open the doors for you.
The voting for the Student Government will take place from March 19th at 00:00, to March 21st at 23:59 through Campus Online.