Luca Hellings

Why is participation so important?

“Participation promotes collaboration and exchange of ideas within the university. By involving diverse perspectives, the board can make more informed decisions that reflect the collective interests and values of our community. If you, as student or employee, have any comments or questions regarding university-wide matters, the University Council is your place to be. Do you want to bring something to the attention of the board of your faculty? Then you go to the Faculty Council. Do you want to say something about your study programme? There are even Programme Committees.”

What was your intrinsic motivation to take up this position and what, in your opinion, are the important development points for the council in the next two years?

“Erasmus University is where I have studied for the past three years and will continue to study in the years to come. I have always had a good time here and feel at home at EUR. I now want to do my part in taking our university forward in this special position. I think my experiences at the national level with co-determination will serve me well. I find it important to stand up for the position of participation on a university-wide basis, because it is very important that students and staff are heard at all levels.

It is important to raise awareness for participation. Not everyone at the university is aware of the work done by the co-determination and the decisions made there, while it is very important and influential. Everyone in the university has an opinion about teaching or research, so it is important that they know how to find the co-determination. Collecting and having these ideas heard contributes to good decision-making and an inclusive community. Here lies a job for the University Council, but also for the community to be aware of what is going on at the university.

In addition, it is important that different layers of participation work well together within the university and exchange ideas. We also need to collaborate with participation councils of other universities, especially in these difficult times of budget cuts and other uncertainties. This is what I want to work for in the coming period.”