Name: Rania Abooki
Running for: President for Societies & Community
Course: MSc Construction Project Management, Postgraduate
Previous involvement with ENSA: Programme Rep - BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying 2022/23, Welfare Officer & Social Media Manager - BAME Society 2021/22, ENSA Welcome Team Volunteer - 2023 & 2026.
Manifesto
For the Student Experience You Deserve
Students at Edinburgh Napier are navigating rising living costs, academic pressure, housing insecurity, and uncertainty about the future. These challenges affect mental health, safety, and confidence, both on campus and beyond it. I believe the student experience should be one where students feel supported, safe, and able to fully engage in university life.
As President for Societies and Community, I will work to strengthen wellbeing, safety, employability, and belonging through practical, student led initiatives.
Mental health will remain central to my work. I will work with ENSA and Student Wellbeing services to make mental health support clearer and easier to access, using student friendly guidance and targeted awareness during high pressure periods such as assessments and financial strain.
Nightlife safety is also a key priority for me. Through my experience in student nightlife spaces, I have seen where students feel most vulnerable. I will work with ENSA, University partners, and external organisations such as Street Assist to promote safer nights out, strengthen Zero Tolerance awareness, and advocate for improved late-night support and safer journeys home.
Societies play a vital role in wellbeing, confidence, and employability. I will support societies by improving communication, encouraging collaboration, and helping them connect students to skills, leadership opportunities, and wider communities. I am particularly committed to ensuring international and underrepresented students feel welcomed and represented.
I will also advocate for student voices on housing issues, recognising the impact accommodation has on safety, wellbeing, and academic success.
As a visible and approachable President, I will listen, represent, and work collaboratively to help build a connected, supportive, and inclusive Napier, where students can thrive, not just cope.
Note: all manifestos are posted as provided and cut off if they exceeded the set limit (300 words).
+If elected, what would you do to address the issues faced by students around housing?
If elected, I would address student housing issues through advocacy, partnership, and clear student representation. I would work closely with ENSA, the University, and external housing and advice organisations to ensure student concerns are consistently raised and acted upon.
I would prioritise listening to students’ lived experiences, particularly international students and those in private accommodation, to identify recurring issues such as affordability, safety, and poor conditions. I would then bring these concerns directly into conversations with University leadership and relevant housing forums, ensuring student voices are reflected in decision-making.
I would also support clearer signposting to housing advice, support services, and reporting mechanisms, so students know where to go when problems arise. Where possible, I would advocate for practical improvements, including better communication around accommodation options and student rights.
My focus would be on making housing issues visible, taken seriously, and addressed through sustained dialogue rather than one-off conversations, so students feel supported and represented throughout their time at Edinburgh Napier University.
+If elected, how would you work with student societies?
If elected, I would work closely with student societies by being visible, approachable, and actively involved in their development. I would prioritise listening to societies directly to understand their challenges, ideas, and support needs, particularly around engagement, wellbeing, and sustainability.
I would regularly engage with the Societies Forum and create open opportunities for society leaders to share feedback, collaborate, and learn from one another. I would also work with ENSA staff to ensure societies feel supported rather than overwhelmed by processes, and that communication between societies and the Students’ Association remains clear and responsive.
I am especially keen to support societies as spaces for connection, wellbeing, and skill development. I would highlight the role societies play in building confidence, employability, and a sense of belonging, encouraging wider participation across campuses.
My aim would be to help societies not only run smoothly, but to thrive as inclusive, welcoming communities that enrich the student experience at Edinburgh Napier University.
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