ALINA PRINCE// UNIVERSITY OF BERN// STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
»It is important to make the student voice heard and make ENLIGHT a great experience for students.«
Alina Prince is a medical student at the University of Bern. She serves as co-president on the Student Board of the European University alliance ENLIGHT. In this interview, she talks about why she is passionate about involving students in ENLIGHT and how she has overcome her fear of networking.
Alina at last year’s ENLIGHT Student Network Conference in Göttingen, Germany (Image: Emilia Hesse)
What is the Student Network of ENLIGHT?
ALINA: The Student Network consists of 20 students, two from each ENLIGHT member university. The goal is to establish a direct link to students on every level of governance in ENLIGHT. Students are represented in every working group and are involved in all decisions, which is one of the great strengths of ENLIGHT.
We talk to the rectors about strategic decisions and to the student mobility coordinators about individual courses. Students are the primary target group of ENLIGHT. However, most people who make decisions in ENLIGHT are not students anymore. Therefore, it is important to make the student voice heard to make ENLIGHT a great experience for students.
Alina with the other members of the ENLIGHT Student Board in Bratislava, Slovakia (Image: Michal Valentín)
What is the ENLIGHT student experience like?
ALINA: For students who are involved in ENLIGHT, for instance because they took a course or went on an exchange, it is a very positive experience. Who does not like travelling to a different university? Who does not like meeting new people? An ENLIGHT Joint Course is great for students who seek an international experience but cannot go abroad for an entire semester. I have not heard of a single person who said their mobility experience was negative in any way.
What activities are happening in the ENLIGHT Student Network?
ALINA: This year, we are planning the third edition of a big conference where ten students from each ENLIGHT member university will meet in Tartu, Estonia. This means that there will be approximately 100 students from all ENLIGHT universities. While the Student Network conference committee oversees logistics and workshop selection, my role is to be the link between the committee and the rest of ENLIGHT (for example the different boards) as well as more organizational tasks. The overall theme will be how digitalization and Artificial Intelligence is changing education.
The ENLIGHT Student Network meets online every two weeks to prepare work package meetings and discuss our involvement in our respective universities. Since the members of the Student Network are involved in all aspects of ENLIGHT, these discussions are quite detailed.
I am also attending the meetings of the Governing Board, where the rectors take strategic decisions, and the Directors Board, where executive leaders of each university meet. The directors meet once a month and the meetings always have many supporting documents, which take forever to read and understand. But I always try to read them thoroughly, so that we can best involve ourselves in the discussions.
What was your most memorable learning experience in ENLIGHT?
ALINA: I once attended a networking workshop where the instructor asked: “Who here hates networking?” I was the only person to put my hand up. I think for me the word just has a negative connotation because it sounds very transactional. However, I want to get over my reluctance to network, which helped convince me to take the position as co-president of the ENLIGHT Student Network.
I realised that I had to learn to speak up for myself and others if I wanted to be good at persuading people and improve higher education for all students. As co-president of the ENLIGHT Student Network, I now talk to so many people and I discovered that I am really interested in what they have to say and enjoy learning more about who they are.
What would you recommend to other students at the University of Bern?
ALINA: Do as much outside of your studies as you possibly can. Go on an exchange, take an ENLIGHT Joint Course, travel and discover the world. Find people who are outside the bubble of your own studies, immerse yourself in other views and broaden your mind.
Alina with other members of the Student Network at the ENLIGHT Mid-Year Meeting in Bilbao, Spain (Image: Fernando Gómez)