Fall 2023 GISA Elections – Candidate Profiles and Timeline

By The Graduate Press Editorial Board

It’s that time of the year again – GISA Autumn Elections are taking place this weekend starting today at 17:00 CEST and ending on October 8th, 17:00 CEST. The positions up for election this autumn include the Vice President of PhD Programmes, Communications Director, Administrative Director, President of the Welfare Committee, and President of the Environmental Committee. Elections for positions on the GISA Executive Committee alternate each semester, so the positions of President, Vice President of Master’s Programmes, Treasurer, Events Coordinator, and President of the Professional Development Committee (PDC) will be on next semester’s ballot. 

All of the names of the candidates for the Autumn 2023 GISA Elections have been released to the students, along with their profiles and platforms. For the position of VP of PhD Programmes, Nivedita Joon, PhD in International History and Politics, will be running unopposed. The two candidates for the position of Communications Director are Mary Morphew, MINT 2nd year, and Meyha Sharma, MINT 1st year. The four candidates for Administrative Director are Sibasish Kumar Sen, MINT 1st year, Binar Mentari Malahayati, MINT 2nd year, Searra M Ruggeri, MINT 2nd year, and current GISA Administrative Director, Puru Rohilla, MINT 2nd year. The four candidates for the President of the Welfare Committee are, as co-candidates, Anjali Rajesh Sabnis, 2nd year IRPS, and Erika Shinabargar, 2nd year MINT, Pulkeet Mehra, MINT 1st year, and Sanket Somnath Bhokre, MINT 1st year. Lastly, the candidates for the President of the Environmental Committee are Varun Vithalani, MINT 2nd year, Carlos Andres Montoya Acosta, MINT 1st year, and Arghadeep Das, MINT 1st year. 

The full platforms for all of the candidates can be viewed here. Further, the GISA bylaws provide an outline of the responsibilities of each GISA Board member, and it is important to consider how each of these candidates will carry out their responsibilities as a member of the GISA Executive Committee. The PDC, Welfare Committee, and Environmental Committee are all Specialized Committees under GISA, which is why they occupy seats on the GISA Executive Committee. The statutes for each of these committees and their Presidents can be viewed here. GISA Board members also receive a tuition fee waiver in recognition of their service to the student body. 

Debates took place over the last few days allowing the student body to ask the candidates to speak on their qualifications, experience, and plans should they be elected. Members of the current GISA Executive Committee also posed questions about the candidates’ commitments to the role, time management skills, and knowledge of the roles for which they are running. The recordings for the debates were sent in an email to students this morning from GISA President, Samuel Pennifold. 

We reached out to all of the GISA Autumn 2023 Election candidates for a brief statement on their platforms. Below we have included their exclusive statements to help you get to know the candidates better. 

Candidates for Communications Director

Mary Morphew, MINT 2nd year

Hello! I am excited to present my candidacy for Communications Director at GISA. From my experience managing GISA Comms with the previous Director over the past year, I learned about the functionality of GISA. I am committed to ensuring that students have easy access to crucial information – to do so, I am re-doing the current GISA website and adding an events calendar for initiative events. This addition, consistently maintained and updated, will better promote initiative events. Additionally, I plan to post a “Week Ahead” look into events happening each week on Instagram. I want to be an advocate for students and initiatives.

Meyha Sharma, MINT 1st year

I want the student body to know that who they choose to be their Communications Director  matters. I propose to manage email distribution to prevent overwhelming the student body. I want to introduce features like Direct Add to calendar options, simplifying calendar management. Additionally, I want my position to serve as the conduit for students to express concerns/ appreciations to GISA and IHEID Admin directly. By creatively strategizing the daily communications, the right office bearer can notably alleviate communication overload. I want students to know that their single vote can empower them to enhance their IHEID experience.

Candidates for Administrative Director

Searra Ruggeri, MINT 2nd year

My platform is based on advocacy, experience, collaboration, and accessibility. I believe powerful and inclusive solutions require diverse student voices. As administrative director, I plan to streamline access to information, provide more opportunities for student participation, and ensure detailed and accurate records are maintained. My hope is that these actions will promote transparency and trust between the administration and the student body. I have 9 years of professional experience, so I am well-versed in administrative processes and optimization. This will allow me to support the student body immediately if elected. Thank you for reading, I hope to earn your vote!

Sibasish Kumar Sen, MINT 1st year

I wish to work for an accommodative and inclusive GISA. I also seek to bring key virtues of transparency and efficiency to my work as Administrative Director, ensuring smooth conduct of the day-to-day affairs of GISA. I am also passionate about bridging the gap of communication by ensuring that every student is on the same page to understand about the ongoings at the Institute. Having led organisations at international, national and grassroots level, I have understood the importance of collaboration. As an elected representative, I seek to engage with the student body actively to ensure that “GISA 4 U, GISA WITH YOU” in every student’s beautiful journey here at the institute. 

Puru Rohilla, MINT 2nd year

I seek the position of GISA Administrative Director with a commitment to strengthening the student community. My core objectives include enhancing participation between GISA and students, fostering respect and inclusivity, and addressing individual needs. I emphasize a proactive conflict resolution and efficient elections, along with advocating for streamlined grievance redressal and offer unwavering support for fellow students. My qualifications include prior administrative experience, exceptional negotiation skills, and a strong dedication to student welfare. By re-electing me, students can rely on me as a responsible and effective advocate for their concerns, supported by his track record of impactful initiatives and leadership.

Binar Mentari Malahayati, MINT 2nd year

Administrative work is the heart of any institution. My platform, “Trust, Listen, and Connect” (TLC), serves as a guiding principle. As an Administrative Director, I am determined to improve GISA document accessibility by adding the folder link to Admin email signatures. Additionally, I want to create a progress tracking document for advocacy concerns in the GISA General Assembly so you know where your concerns are being directed to and the follow-ups concerning them. TLC simplifies, clarifies, and enhances accessibility, resonating with me beyond this election. If it does for you too, please vote for me. TLC with Mentari!

Candidates for President of the Welfare Committee

Pulkeet Mehra, MINT 1st year

My platform’s main tenets are Inclusivity, Experience, Transparency, and Trust which include the right of access to spaces, mental health facilities, and the right to equity regardless of visible or invisible disabilities. I aim to foster a more welcoming environment by countering hostile architecture, creating more spaces for social seating, and curating arts, cultural, and culinary spaces. This agenda is very personal for me as I know the struggles and am aware of how meaningful support can help one shine through darkness. I promise to work tirelessly to make our campus a place where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered.

Sanket Bhokre, MINT 1st year

As the WC President I would promote a balance between Physical health and Mental Health. Start a self transformation Initiative to give tips on meditation and workouts, advocate for a fund to make the institute more disability friendly , start a cultural day to promote inclusivity and social harmony. Continue and expand ongoing initiatives like Zumba , Yoga , free food distribution , distribution of menstrual hygiene products and having more sessions on stress management by the Student wellbeing centre.

Anjali Rajesh Sabnis, IRPS 2nd year and Erika Shinabargar, MINT 2nd year (Co-Presidents)

As long-time members of the committee, both Anjali and Erika have a strong dedication towards the well-being of the IHEID student community and envision an enhanced role of the committee. Our objectives are:

1. Fostering a more interactive and integrated IHEID community by expanding the range of activities to accommodate diverse interests; 2. Encouraging more collaboration with other initiatives and external organisations; 3. Creating and strengthening advocacy pathways to amplify student voices; 4. Supporting existing student campaigns, namely the TA fight against precarity and the accessibility campaign at the MdP; 5. Most importantly: ensuring inclusivity, respect, and tolerance for all.

Candidates for President of the Environmental Committee

Varun Vithalani, MINT 2nd year

My core objective is to promote environmental stewardship, sustainability awareness, and advocate for stronger policies and community engagement at the Institute. I currently serve as the Liaison to the Target Initiative on Sustainability. I’ve outlined four key campaign pillars: ambition, awareness, action, and accountability for environmental sustainability, both locally and globally. My key goals include setting a clear vision, organizing purposeful events and workshops, fostering wider stakeholder engagement, incorporating feedback mechanisms, and facilitating professional committee engagement. My experience with the EC, long-term vision, and commitment to pragmatic collaboration with other initiatives and departments set me apart. I’m also proud to be running a poster-less campaign. Read my platform here https://varunvithalani.wixsite.com/ecplatform.

Arghadeep Das, MINT 1st year

My campaign aims to initiate and expand sustainability efforts on the campus by advocating for youth engagement, education for sustainable development and amplifying green career opportunities. To achieve these three holistic objectives, I propose 11 targeted action points, including developing a dedicated repository for environment-related internships and placement support, embracing historically marginalised communities as prominent voices in defining annual priorities and activities, and redesigning our social media to maximise impact by launching e-campaigns, weekly events, demystifying environment buzzwords, sustainability tips, and positive environmental stories. I hope students see the broader picture of active engagement and advocacy for student-led initiatives which my candidacy is proposing before choosing their leaders. 

Carlos Montoya, MINT 1st year

As president of the Environmental Committee I would like to focus specifically on three different causes: 

1. Work with IHEID Alumni, International Geneva and Career Services to increase the number of networking and job opportunities related to sustainability and the fight against climate change; 2. Bring ‘The Forum’ (a project led by my NGO, the Ministry of Environment of Colombia and RIPO) to IHEID, so students and Alumni can participate in research and debates related to climate change in different parts of the world; 3. Explore the actions we can take to make the IHEID more environmentally friendly. 

Candidate for VP of PhD Programmes

Nivedita Joon, 2nd year PhD in International History and Politics

As your VP, I’d like to focus on four main issues through open and continuous communication and a relationship of care and attention to the needs of PhDs: 

1. Reducing  precarity of Teaching Assistants by supporting the demands of the TA Association (ADA); 2. Working collectively with ADA and other PhDs to secure funding and support for fifth year doctoral candidates; 3. Ensuring that members of the administration know about and take care of the unique interests of PhD, RAs and TAs while drafting any new policies; 4. Working closely with PhD reps to organise the PhD thesis share, and workshops for masters students and other events where we can share our intellectual work; 5. Work with our excellent Research Office to support doctoral candidates going into the job market, such as opportunities to develop teaching skills.

Voting will take place this weekend starting today at 17:00 to Sunday, October 8th at 17:00. A link to the ballot will be sent by the GISA President, Samuel Pennifold, this afternoon. We encourage all IHEID students to participate in the election of new GISA Executive Committee members.