Medical student Ebrahim Rezaei is running for Race Equality Officer in the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) elections this Spring. Rezaei believes that every student at Glasgow deserves to feel valued, represented, and supported, regardless of background. Originally from Iran, he believes in creating an open space that establishes trust between students and officers.
Rezaei, a student representative and society founder of the Persian Society, began his journey as a class representative in the School of Medicine his first year before becoming a school representative. He is now on the undergraduate college committee. Rezaei believes his experience will allow him to harness the strengths of Glasgow’s diverse community, whilst addressing the barriers that are still in place. He says that the stories of students from minority backgrounds facing unequal access to opportunities, lack of representation, and experiences of discrimination often go unheard.
“I think the issue students face in the university is trust. They have a certain trust, but I think over time students have seen that their feedback is not going anywhere”, Rezaei argued when discussing the biggest issue facing University of Glasgow’s students today. Rezaei acknowledges this is a huge challenge, has plans of addressing this, and wishes to create a better student life at university.
Rezaei plans to ensure that student voices become an essential part of the decision making process, as well as engage with cultural societies, liberation groups, and academic schools to understand real concerns and turn these into practical action. “My first plan is to create a council of societies and invite all cultural and racial societies to be a part of it… so they can have a line of communication… so I can raise the feedback to the appropriate channels” he told The Glasgow Guardian. He believes in establishing a clear line of communication between students and the people that can spark change.
Rezaei also emphasizes the need for fairer academic support, more inclusive teaching practices, and better reporting and response systems for racism and harassment. “The university does a good job in many areas, but they don’t do a good job of promoting it. People are not aware of the many resources available to them” he argued in regards to creating a more transparent and accessible ground for students to view all the resources available to them. He concluded “If I can make the tiniest change, it would mean the world to me.”
- One-Click reporting, creating a way for students to report anything with more ease
- A council with different societies and colleges to create more trust and transparency
- Funding for students to be more accessible
- Anonymous safe spaces
- Restoring trust
“I am standing for Race Equality Officer because I believe every student at Glasgow deserves to feel valued, represented, and supported, regardless of background.
As a medical student, student representative, and society founder, I have seen both the strengths of our diverse community and the barriers that still exist. Many students from minority backgrounds continue to face unequal access to opportunities, lack of representation, and experiences of discrimination that often go unheard.
If elected, I will work to ensure that student voices are central to decision-making. I will actively engage with cultural societies, liberation groups, and academic schools to understand real concerns and turn them into practical action. I will campaign for fairer academic support, inclusive teaching practices, and better reporting and response systems for racism and harassment.
I will also focus on widening participation, mentoring, and leadership opportunities for underrepresented students, helping them to thrive at university and beyond.
Race equality should not be a side issue. It should be embedded in everything we do. I am committed to being a visible, approachable, and determined advocate for change.”
