Anushka Baisoya is running to be your Graduate Officer.
Anushka Baisoya is a master’s student at University College Dublin, and she is completing a one year, full-time MSc in Food with Nutrition. She is one of the two candidates for UCDSU’s next graduate officer.
Anushka is also the chair of the Agriculture and Food Science Taught Programmes Committee, and an active member of several student societies: Indian Society, International Students’ Society, and Women+ in STEM Society. Alongside her studies, Bisoya works part-time in a small start-up focused on human nutrition and physical fitness.
She has always been an active student - in fact during her undergraduate studies in India, she held leadership roles within the students’ union and the entrepreneurship cell of her college, where she was elected president. Through this role, she had the opportunity to organise networking events and internship fairs. She describes these experiences as formative, saying they gave her practical experience in student representation and event organisation.
Motivation and goals
Anushka says that her decision to run for Graduate Officer comes from what she sees as a lack of support and engagement for master’s students. Through conversations with fellow postgraduates during the nomination period, she noticed a common shared feeling of being left out of campus life after the transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study.
According to her, many master’s students are unhappy with social and professional opportunities at UCD, as these are mainly focused on undergraduates. She argues that postgraduate life should not be limited to academic support alone, but should also include opportunities for networking and career development, as well as social activities. “There should be activities for us that are fun, but also useful for our future,” she says.
Another issue she highlights is financial pressure. She points to rising fees and living costs as a growing burden for students, especially for those who do not want to rely on their families for financial support. She believes that better access to scholarships and financial assistance would allow students to focus more on their studies rather than be financially stressed.
Like her opponent, she sees the disconnect between the Belfield and Smurfit campuses as an issue. Based on her conversations with students from both locations, Anushka feels that communication is the main problem, as it is limited, and that events are often poorly advertised across the two campuses. This, she argues, affects student engagement.
Her proposal to address this issue is the creation of a single, central platform where all student events could be shared in one place. Anushka also wants to introduce a “Smurfit Day”, a day in which Smurfit students can visit the Belfield campus. The initiative would include a full day of activities, from morning coffee and networking sessions to society stalls and evening social events, aimed at helping students connect. Anushka believes that September would be the ideal time to host such an event, as students are still settling into campus life.
The role of graduate officer
When speaking more generally about the role of a graduate officer, Anushka says that for her, listening to students is the most important responsibility, “a graduate officer should always prioritise students’ needs over personal agendas and make sure that students feel comfortable approaching the SU with their concerns,” she says.
Anushka describes herself as approachable and focused on finding solutions. “Representation should not stop at identifying problems, but should also involve actively working on them with students and academic departments,” she adds.
If elected, Anushka would focus on several practical issues, for instance early morning lectures and assessments, saying that many students live far away and cannot make it to 9am lectures. She also mentions the length of lectures, which she says could be shortened to improve focus and productivity.
Student union and policies
When discussing the work of the current students’ union, she acknowledges the efforts already being made, while stating that there is still room for improvement. She speaks positively about recent engagement initiatives and feels that the next SU will be motivated and committed.
When asked about union policies and mandates, Anushka says she supports the students’ union’s existing positions on issues such as anti-racism, refugee support, trans rights and gender inclusion. She also refers to the Union’s stance on Palestine, saying she believes it is important for the SU to reflect students’ concerns on global issues while continuing to engage with university management. While she does not propose major policy changes in these areas, she stresses the importance of maintaining open dialogue and awareness initiatives.
Affiliations
Anushka confirms that she has previously volunteered with the Students’ Union, assisting with student engagement during an education survey at the Smurfit campus. She said that this experience helped her better understand the concerns of students based there.
She is not a member of any political party, but she says she follows political developments and keeps informed on current affairs, she emphasises that her candidacy is focused on student issues rather than party politics.
Last question..
As always the last question was lighthearted, Anushka told us that her favorite UCD spot is the shop located just below the library, where she can grab food, snacks, or stationery before heading to study. By the way, she loves their chicken pesto!