At unibz, student representatives play a vital role in shaping campus life, improving communication, and ensuring that the voices of their peers are heard at all levels. Through their stories, we discover the challenges, motivations, and personal growth that come with representing others. 

This series - In Their Words - shares the authentic experiences of those who have chosen to take on this important responsibility — in their own words.

My decision to run last year was quite spontaneous. But looking back, there were two key reasons behind it: First, I’ve always been curious about how organisations function behind the scenes, especially when I’m part of them. Second, I wanted to give students at unibz a voice to make sure that their interests and problems are heard and to ensure that their opinions are represented in the university decision-making processes. In the end, I was elected to the University Council, and it turned into a very interesting year.

I expected the role to be mostly about representing students’ interests and giving feedback on issues that affect us. I thought it would involve listening to concerns, bringing ideas to the right people, and helping to improve communication between students and the university. I also hoped to contribute to a stronger sense of connection, not just between students and university bodies, but also among students themselves. My goal was to make sure student life and voices were more visible, valued, and taken seriously.

When I assumed my position, I was genuinely surprised by how little we as students know about how the university actually works. And I’ll be honest: implementing even a simple, good idea within the university’s structures can be very challenging. The system is quite bureaucratic and layered, which can slow things down. On the other hand, I was positively surprised by how well I could stay involved even while on Erasmus, thanks to online participation and the support of fellow student representatives. One of my main goals was to improve communication between the university and the student body. Often, students only find out about changes at the last moment, and many feel that the universities’ emails don’t really speak to them. To bridge this gap, the Student Advisory Board experimented with new formats: we launched student office hours and became more active on our Instagram account @student_representatives_unibz, trying to make the work of student representatives more visible and accessible. There is still room for improvement, and we’re always open to new ideas!

Over time, my focus shifted a little: Yes, it's important that students are informed about university initiatives, but what I now find even more important is that students feel connected to each other. Luckily, our student associations have become more active, which already makes a big difference. And of course, one highlight of the last year was seeing the reopening of the Unibar, which has helped create a more vibrant and social student life on the Bolzano campus, giving students a space to connect beyond classes. But I believe there’s potential to strengthen this sense of community even further. We discussed several ideas in the last Student Advisory Board, and I really hope the new board can take them forward in the next academic year.

All in all, it was a challenging but very rewarding experience. I had the chance to look behind the scenes of how our university works, and I got to meet and work with many different people. Yes, being a student representative came with extra responsibilities, but I would absolutely recommend it. It’s a unique opportunity to grow, to learn how decisions are made, and most importantly, to help shape the student experience for others. That is also why I decided to run again this year, this time with a better understanding of how everything works, and with the hope of continuing to push student concerns forward. I’m truly grateful to have been re-elected; it gives me the opportunity to continue this important work and build on what we’ve started.

My advice for future candidates is not to hesitate to run, even if you’re not entirely sure how everything works yet; you’ll learn along the way. Be curious and ask questions, but also be prepared for slow and sometimes complicated processes within the university. What matters is that you stay patient and persistent! But try not to forget that representation isn’t just about reacting to problems, it’s also about building stronger connections: between students and the university, but also among students themselves. You have the chance to shape the student experience in meaningful ways, both big and small. Sometimes your work will be seen, but often not. That is why you have to make sure to communicate what you’re doing. Many students don’t know what representatives actually do, so visibility and transparency make a significant difference.