Know your ISA President

• What do you think is the greatest challenge the ISA will face in the coming year?

Albert Chan: The toughest challenge all ISA members alike will face is to ensure we have the sufficient frameworks in place to ensure the introduction for a sabbatical officer will be as smooth as possible. This is through cultural widening via meets with society chairs across all continents to devise inter-societal events capable of integrating international students across all borders. This coincides hand in hand with the support and interaction within the university through colleges and the registrar.

Through regular meetings with chairs of colleges, international and welfare representatives alike we need to devise a strategy to break barriers between international and local students. We need to get full backing from the registrar and YUSU to ensure we have a solid commitment to promote internationalism, walk the talk rather than making false promises.

George Papadofragakis: On top of all our usual events and activities, by this time next year we will have hopefully secured a sabbatical position, we will have become part of YUSU, we will have re-written our constitution and we will have amended that of the Student Union.

As you can understand, the following academic year presents enormous opportunities and challenges for our association - and the way we deal with those challenges will greatly affect the way that the ISA will continue to function. From the part of the President, this will require an in-depth knowledge of how the ISA, the Student Union and the university authorities work.

My experience has given me that knowledge - over the last year, I believe I've shown that I have the ability, the dedication and the strong commitment that are necessary in order to lead our association through this turning point.

• What relevant experience do you think you can bring to the job?

AC: I feel I have the relevant college and societal experience to cope with the job at hand. The role as a welfare officer led me to foresee the colleges, YUSU and most importantly the ISA’s aim to promote welfare of international students and interaction between them. This role is of great contrast to my role in national societies themselves, whether it is with the Chinese students Scholars association, York Hong Kong society and the South American society who attempt to appeal to local and international students on a more ‘grassroots’ level.

The sheer contrast and aims between the two structures of support for international students give me the ability to try and bridge the gap of knowledge between each strategy, and in some ways try and combine the two so there is a more of a concentrated and strengthened support for international students. I may confess other than actively participating in events such as capture the flag, the Winter and Summer Balls, I have little experience in the ISA being run, but I feel I can provide a different synergy and energy to the organisation.

My lack of experience is made up for in willingness to listen and learn as well as the ability to adapt my experience on various other committees, regardless of size or cultural background shows I do have something to offer for the ISA.

GP: I am currently the Welfare officer of the ISA and I've been a member of its executive committee for the last year. In that time, I have helped organise pretty much every event that the ISA has hosted - this includes all our major events such as International Week, Fiesta, Unwind, Unreel, our Paris Trip, our Winter Ball, our numerous Games nights and so on. I've also attended all our weekly meetings with students, hearing their concerns and discussing their proposals.

Additionally, I've been representing the ISA in the Student Union's Welfare Committee and I've been through welfare training. I've also been involved in various societies, groups and campaigns on campus. I used to be the chair of a non-partisan political society, I'm a committee member for the Debating Society, I've represented York in the Oxford Union debating tournament and I've helped organise York's very first debating tournament with representatives from 30 universities. I was also among the main organisers of 'Humanitarian Aid for Gaza', helping raise more than £2500 for that cause.

Overall, I have a lot of experience, a strong welfare background, a record of getting things done and a very good understanding of how the ISA and the Student Union function. I believe that all those qualities are going to be essential for next year.

• Name your one most important, innovative or best policy.

AC: For me, the most important policy is to ensure we regularly meet all international societal chairs, regardless of size, background or colour to enable us to conduct a series of events, both non alcoholic and alcoholic, big and small to form a bond and a working relationship with the ISA.

The ISA without international societies is like a star with no spark. Only when there is a common ground and a strong bonding relationship between international societies and the ISA we have the ability to shine as an organisation and ensure we have the sufficient framework for a sabbatical officer to make most of its full effectiveness.

GP: As I've said, my first objective will be to try to finish off two years' worth of hard work from the part of the current committee and completely overhaul the structure of the ISA. At the same time, I will try to improve the quality of representation that the international community is being offered. For that reason, I'll be establishing a platform of communication for all representatives of the international community, by holding regular meetings between the ISA committee, the JRCR international reps, the chairs of international societies and YUSU's Racial Equality officers. I think this a real necessity, as currently there is virtually no communication between us.

Additionally, I will create a Term Planner for International Societies, allowing them to coordinate their events with each other, and I will also encourage them to advertise their major events through the ISA. My vision, as it were, is that of an ISA acting as the missing link between all international groups on campus. For more information on how I think we can do that, check out my Facebook group.

• How would you go about improving the image and profile of the ISA on campus?

AC: My belief in improving the image and the profile in the ISA lies in the idea of college to ISA dialogue with the view of more co-ordination in more welfare events such as college receptions, quizzes and events between college and the ISA. This would complement well with the intra-society events taking place through regular meetings with other societies. If we widen our appeal to colleges this should make people accept this ISA as an all inclusive organisation regardless of country of origin, ethnicity and background.

GP: First of all, by improving our relations with the campus media and by ensuring that our major events get adequate coverage. Additionally, I will try to open up our events to more UK students. Many home students do not even know that they can join our events, so I will be doing my best to get rid of this stigma. I will also try to get UK students involved in Cultural Performance and I will be getting us a high-quality performer for Fiesta. In terms of political representation, I will make sure that I attend the weekly YUSU Council meetings - until now, our seat and our vote have been left unused.

• Why should students vote for you (in less than 5 words)

AC: Ambition, accessibility, balance, competence, commitment.

GP: Experienced, passionate, dedicated and caring.

• QUICK-FIRE

• Courtyard or Vanbrugh?

AC: Vanbrugh – till I die!!

GP: The Courtyard, naturally - and this is why I believe that our weekly coffee afternoon should take place there, instead of the rather graceless Edge.

• Going out or staying in?

AC: Going out - with Ziggy’s, Tru, Gallery, York is the place to be.

GP: As long as the company is good, I'm happy with either.

• Tea or coffee?

AC: Tea, and some biscuits a fitting occasion in the afternoon.

GP: Coffee.

Gallery or Tru?

AC: Gallery - love the floor diversity!

GP: A beach bar on a Greek island. Failing that, I'd go with Gallery.

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