Meet the Student Members of the Programme Board & get in touch!
Since the beginning of this academic year, Ola and Lucas, have assumed their new position as Student Members of the International Studies Programme Board, which is responsible for the day to day running of International Studies. They will represent the opinions and needs of the student body in discussions on the design of the programme, the implementation of changes, and much more. Who are they and how can you get in touch? We have asked them to introduce themselves.
Ola Szczepanik
Hi! My name is Ola, I’m 22 and I come from Warsaw, Poland. I’m currently a third year specializing in North America with French as a language, but also a fourth year Urban Studies student. For a second year in a row, I’m also a student mentor, helping to introduce the new generation of International Studies students into their university journey. During the summer you could see me run around HOP week in a pink Mentor Committee t-shirt, and in the next edition I’ll be in the HOP Board!
I decided to be a student representative in the program board because I think it is very important that our student voices are heard in the programme. Studying two courses at the same time allows me to have a comparison between the two and suggest changes or improvements to our course. If you ever have any doubts, questions, or suggestions, feel free to contact me via Umail (a.s.szczepanik@umail.leidenuniv.nl) or my colleague Lucas!
Lucas O' Connell, L.L.
Hello, my name is Lucas and I am one of your student representatives this year alongside Ola. I am 19, and I come from Wellington, New Zealand. I am currently in my second year of International Studies, taking East Asia with Japanese as a language. I am part of BASIS’s East Asia committee, currently in the positions of External Affairs Officer and Treasurer, and am involved in a few other student-led organizations.
I decided to become a student representative to play a role in improving the programme and each student’s experience to the best of my ability. If you have any questions or comments regarding the course content or general comments about potential improvements, contact me through my Umail (l.l.o.connell@umail.leidenuniv.nl).