Harita Pankajkumar Raval, the new chairperson of the PhD Student Council
There are nearly 40 PhD Student Councils for various departments at Stockholm University. The primary purpose is to represent the diversity of voices and views of the PhD colleagues at department board meetings – and to become an active part of the decision-making processes at the university.
Since January this year, Harita Pankajkumar Raval has been elected as the new chairperson of the PhD Student Council for the Department of Teaching and Learning. Earlier, Julia Fries was in charge of this position.
– As an international department member, I am excited and nervous about a new commitment as a council chairperson. I am learning and understanding how to navigate this space with agency and dignity together with my PhD colleagues, says Harita. Getting a PhD is a long and challenging journey for many. As a chairperson of the council, I hope to contribute to a better work environment and a positive experience for everyone involved.
– Given the interdisciplinary and diverse academic backgrounds of 50 PhD colleagues from 9 different research schools in the department, it is relatively demanding to keep organically connected. Together as a team, we want to create a safe space and make the council more accessible and accountable for our PhD colleagues. We are working towards making the whole process as inclusive as possible.
– As our department is a merger of three departments, there are many things that we need to discuss together at the moment. But our first priority as the PhD student council is to review the proper collation and channelization of valuable information for the PhD colleagues. It makes me anxious that much of what we need to know is not available in English, and as an international group, this is very important for us. We need to find better routines for this.
Last updated: February 14, 2023
Source: Institutionen för ämnesdidaktik