My name is Jacob de Keijzer, and I am running for the position of General Secretary at PARSA.
I am currently in my first year of my Masters of International Relations, having moved to Canberra at the start of 2022. Since then, I have been involved with PARSA as a staff member and volunteer, which made me realise how essential PARSA is for postgraduate life at the ANU. PARSA helped me settle into life in Canberra and at the ANU, and I am passionate about its advocacy and support services. No matter how the funding situation turns out, I want to ensure that current and future postgraduates are equally benefitted by their student association.
My undergraduate degree was in Media and Communication, and I have a professional background in the advertising, as well as in hospitality and customer service. Having worked in large corporate organisations, I understand the importance of clear and precise messaging, especially in transitional periods such as now.
As General Secretary, I will make it my priority to facilitate strong engagement with the postgraduate and HDR community at ANU. I will draw on my communications and customer service background to really listen to our community, ensuring that their concerns are voiced and acted upon. I will work with the PRC to ensure that PARSA conducts itself in an ethical and responsible manner. Finally, working with the President and Vice-President, I will not hesitate to challenge the university on issues that compromise the effectiveness of postgraduate representation.