How can students ask for help when they don’t know where to turn? That’s a core problem that international graduate student Nivas Ganesan Ramesh Kannan Mahalakshm hopes to solve if elected as President of the Students’ Union.
“Too often, students feel they are reacting to decisions rather than shaping them”, his manifesto reads. “I want to help build a student union that is transparent in how it works, responsive to student concerns and focused on practical improvements that make daily university life better.”
Ganesan Ramesh Kannan Mahalakshm says his experience as a post-graduate student gives him insight on the common struggles of student life.
“I combine analytical thinking, accountability and real-world experience in structured professional environments where quality, accuracy and responsibility are essential. I approach problems systematically, communicate clearly and focus on practical solutions.”
Ganesan Ramesh Kannan Mahalakshm emphasises his commitment to tangible improvement over performative gestures.
“I do not see this role as symbolic representation, but as a responsibility to deliver measurable improvements through consistent engagement and transparent leadership.
Key Campaign Issues
Ganesan Ramesh Kannan Mahalakshm identified three core issues he intends to resolve as Union President.
Firstly, he has observed “poor communication and unclear decisions” from the university.
He says there is confusion amongst students around the methods of decision making in the university and the outcomes of those decisions. Meanwhile, students aren’t clear on where to raise issues. These factors, he writes, “create frustration and reduce trust in student representation”.
Ganesan Ramesh Kannan Mahalakshm writes that, to solve this, “I will publish regular plain-language updates summarising key decisions and their impact on students. I will support structured feedback channels where students can raise concerns and track responses. I will work with course representatives to strengthen two-way communication so student issues are consistently reported and followed up. I will advocate for clear response timelines when students raise academic or welfare concerns.”
His second issue regards “gaps in academic and practical student support”.
He says that, while academic expectations can be unclear to students, existing support systems are hard to find.
In response to this issue, Nivas’s manifesto says that, “I will advocate for clearer guidance on assessment expectations across programmes. I will work to improve visibility and awareness of academic skills and support services early in each semester. I will promote clearer access pathways so students know exactly where to seek help. I will gather student feedback on support effectiveness and present evidence to improve services”.
His final campaign issue concerns economic pressures for international students.
“Many international students face significant financial pressure due to currency exchange differences and fluctuating exchange rates. Costs in pounds can represent a much heavier burden in home currency. At the same time, finding suitable part-time work is difficult due to limited information, unfamiliar recruitment processes, and restricted work hours. This creates stress and unequal access to financial stability.”
In response, Ganesan Ramesh Kannan Mahalakshm intends to increase ease of access to part-time jobs for students and encourage the university to more-widely share on-campus opportunities. He aims to highlight employability information from the university for international students and advocate for more clearly-shared financial guidance. Lastly, he will “collect student feedback on barriers and present evidence to decision-makers to improve access and support”
Candidate’s approach
If elected, Ganesan Ramesh Kannan Mahalakshm plans to implement consistent opportunities for students to share feedback not just in person, but online as well. He will provide regular updates that outline how each issue has progressed, and focus on the tangible progress, not self-promotion.
Nivas Ganesan Ramesh Kannan Mahalakshmi’s manifesto can be found here.
Featured Image Credit: Stirling Students Union/Nivas Ganesan Ramesh Kannan Mahalakshmi
