Kunpeng 'Steve' Yu - Vice President Education

As a current MSc Education student and course representative, I am already working closely with students and staff on academic matters. Through SSLC meetings, collecting feedback, and communicating with lecturers, I have seen clearly where students feel supported and where they feel confused, stressed, or unheard. This experience helps me understand that many academic problems are not about big policies, but about everyday communication, clarity, and practical support.

Before coming to the UK, I had over five years of student management and leadership experience in China. I served as class monitor, student union president, and student representative at different stages of my education. I was also awarded a first-class scholarship and recognised as an outstanding student leader. These roles were not only titles, but real responsibilities. I regularly organised communication between students and teachers, coordinated student activities, handled student concerns, and helped solve practical issues in study and campus life. This background trained me to listen carefully, organise information clearly, and communicate effectively between different groups of people.

As an international student now studying in the UK system, I also personally experience the academic confusion many students face, such as unclear timetables, last-minute changes, assessment expectations, feedback quality, and understanding academic standards. I understand how difficult it can be when students do not feel confident to ask questions or do not know where to seek help. Because of this, I want to represent students from both practical leadership experience and real academic experience.

If elected as VP Education, my focus will be on improving how academic information is delivered to students and how students’ academic concerns are communicated back to the University. I want to make academic processes more transparent, reduce unnecessary stress caused by unclear arrangements, and make sure students feel their learning experience is taken seriously. I will also encourage clearer academic guidance at the start of each module, so students can better understand expectations from the beginning rather than figuring them out during assessments.

I will work to strengthen the connection between students, course reps, and academic staff so that feedback is not only collected, but also followed up with visible outcomes. I also want to support better guidance around assessment expectations, feedback use, and academic skills development so students can understand clearly what is required to succeed.

I am not standing to make big promises. I want to focus on practical changes that students can really feel in their daily study life. I believe good representation comes from listening patiently, communicating clearly, and solving real problems step by step.