UTS Council — special election of a postgraduate student

Candidates in ballot paper order

• Cam Craig
• Sandushan Ranaweera
• Pon Saranya Krishnan
• Aurel Farcas
• Nafiz Imtiaz Araf
• Harvey Billingham
• Dhruv Thakkar
• Olga Specjalska
• Will Simmons
• Mohammed Shehzad

Candidates' statements

Cam Craig

I am a postgraduate student in the Master of Strategic Communication at the University of Technology Sydney and a communications professional with more than three decades of global experience working with organisations including Apple, Amazon, Visa and PayPal.

Beginning university study for the first time later in my career has given me a unique perspective on postgraduate education, lifelong learning and the role universities play in preparing students for a rapidly changing world.

UTS has built a strong reputation for innovation, industry engagement and global outlook. If elected to Council, I would bring a governance-focused perspective shaped by experience in strategy, reputation and complex organisations.

As a mature-age postgraduate student, I am particularly interested in ensuring the voices of working professionals, international students and those entering university later in life are reflected in university governance.

Sandushan Ranaweera

I am a committed postgraduate student dedicated to strengthening representation and support for both postgraduate research and coursework students at UTS. As an active student representative, I currently serve on the Graduate Research School Board, the Faculty Research Degree Committee (FEIT), and the School Research Management Committee for Electrical and Data Engineering. Through these roles, I have contributed to discussions and decisions that affect the postgraduate research community while engaging with broader academic and governance processes at UTS.

If elected as the postgraduate student representative on UTS Council, I will work to ensure that the perspectives of both research and coursework students are heard in university decision-making. I am committed to advocating for policies and initiatives that enhance the quality of education, research support, student wellbeing, and the overall postgraduate experience at UTS. My goal is to represent postgraduate students with professionalism, integrity, and a strong focus on inclusive and effective student representation.

Pon Saranya Krishnan

As a postgraduate student, I understand the unique challenges and aspirations that define our community. Balancing coursework, assessments and work with the realities of university life, I have experienced firsthand the areas where UTS excels and where it must improve.

I am running for the UTS Council to ensure that the postgraduate voice is not just heard, but acted upon. My priority is to ensure that postgraduate students’ voices and needs are heard and met whilst ensuring transparency in university.

I am committed to being a grounded, accessible representative who listens to your concerns and brings them directly to the table. Let’s work together to make UTS a more responsive, equitable, and vibrant environment for all postgraduates. I would be honoured to earn your vote and represent your interests.

Aurel Farcas

I am nominating for the UTS Council to bridge high-level corporate governance with the postgraduate research experience. As a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and PhD candidate in the TD School, I bring 25 years of executive leadership and board-level experience to this role.

My research into Responsible AI and Ethical Leadership directly aligns with the strategic and ethical challenges facing UTS. I view the Council as a critical site for ensuring the university’s digital transformation remains human-centric and transparent.

Balancing a professional career with rigorous research, I offer a unique perspective on supporting mature-age and HDR cohorts. My goal is to add immediate value to the Council’s oversight of institutional risk while ensuring the student voice is professional, informed, and proactive. I am committed to the university’s long-term sustainability and its role as a leader in ethical innovation. I appreciate your support.

Nafiz Imtiaz Araf

My name is Nafiz Imtiaz Araf and I am student in the Faculty of Design and Society. I am a second-year student in the Master of Teaching in Secondary Education. I have a Bachelor of Laws from BPP University (UK) and am currently working as a part-time teacher in a Sydney school. Before UTS, I was an executive of Debate & Mooting Club at LCLS South (Bangladesh) and have organized mooting competitions, overseen student extracurricular development and connected students with their potential opportunities in legal practice. I also had a few brief stints in law firms. I am studying to be a secondary school teacher to give back to the community and the next generation, and I would be humbled by the opportunity to work for the hard working postgraduate students of UTS, representing their values and needs to help them succeed in the ever evolving world around us!

Harvey Billingham

Hi there! Chances are, you don’t know me. You won’t have seen my face on a glossy poster or been cornered by me with a flyer near Building 1. Why? Because like most of you, I’ve been head-down in the trenches of postgraduate coursework and research. I know exactly how much grit, late-night coffee, and sheer determination it takes to succeed here.

UTS is currently undergoing significant systemic reform, and we need a representative who understands the reality of the postgraduate experience. I’m running for the UTS Council to be your strong, passionate voice. My mission is to ensure that any policy or system-level changes are designed to enhance and enrich our experience, rather than simply making our programs more demanding.

I might not have the advertising budget, but I certainly have the drive to represent our cohort’s concerns. Let’s make sure the future of UTS works for us.

Dhruv Thakkar

I’m nominating for the Postgraduate Student position on UTS Council because I honestly want students like us to feel seen and heard. Being a postgraduate isn’t easy as most of us are juggling study, work, finances, visas, long commutes, and life happening in the background. I’m living that reality too, so I understand what support really feels missing at times.

Before UTS, I worked in airport infrastructure projects back home, where I learned how much listening and clarity matter when making decisions that affect people. Those experiences shaped the way I think, be honest, ask questions, and make choices that genuinely help the people you represent.

If elected, I want to make postgraduate life at UTS fairer, clearer, and more supportive. My focus is simple: better academic support, more transparency, and making sure our voices are included in the decisions that shape our experience. I’m here to take your concerns seriously and act on them.

Olga Specjalska

Have you ever felt like academia moves at its own speed while everything around it changes fast? Same.

I'm Olga. I'm a PhD researcher. Before this, I spent a decade in tech. I've studied in Poland, Portugal, South Korea, and Australia, so I've seen how different universities handle the same problems. The ones that work best don't stick to how things have always been done.

I'm running because postgrads, Masters and PhD students, deserve someone who won’t shy away from important conversations. About AI in education. About the future of research. About what comes next for all of us.

I know how big institutions work. I know how to navigate the bureaucracy. And I want to hear what matters to you.

I'd love your vote. Say hi if you see me around.

Will Simmons

Dear students, my name is Will Simmons, I am a progressive and trade unionist running to represent you on the University Council.

During my undergrad, I served multiple terms on the SRC of the UTS Students Association, including as its General Secretary. I fought for simple extensions, expanded BlueBird Brekkie and NightOwl Noodles, defended Vertigo from cuts, and fought for staff and student conditions. I also represented UTS at the National Union of Students in 2020 and 2023.

Since graduating University, I’ve watched a disconnect continue to grow between management and students. Students need a progressive, radical voice on the Council. I will take up the fight against course cuts, the deterioration of learning conditions, the undemocratic allocation of SSAF, and see that UTS upholds and realises its values as a progressive modern institution.

There is much to be done, and I know I can do it.

Mohammed Shehzad

Hi, I’m Mohammed Shehzad, a Master of IT student, contesting for the postgraduate student position on UTS Council. Postgraduate life at UTS is exciting, but rarely simple. Many of us balance study with work, career change, family responsibilities, and, for some, the challenge of building a future in a new country.

I’m running because postgraduate students deserve representation that understands those realities. I want to advocate for clearer access to internships and graduate opportunities, stronger links between postgraduate study and industry, and a university experience where postgraduate students feel genuinely included rather than academically adjacent.

Postgraduate students are often assumed to be self-sufficient because we are older, specialised, or further along. But ambition does not cancel out pressure, and independence does not remove the need for belonging. I want to help build a UTS where postgraduate students are supported, not just expected to succeed.

How to vote in an online ballot

1. Note your candidate choices and preference order.
2. Log in to UTS: Elections Online Polling Booth.
3. Choose the election you wish to vote in.
4. Select the candidates you wish to vote for.
5. Check your vote.
6. When you are ready, choose 'submit' to record your vote.

Conduct

Participants in elections (candidates, their representatives and voters) are expected to follow the same high standard of conduct and behaviour during the campaign process as is expected on campus generally. The behaviour of election candidates and their representatives should meet expected standards of conduct. See Code of Conduct for UTS Elections.

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Further information

The schedule for this election has information about the election rules, Returning Officer and UTS Council.

See Voting for information about votes, confidentiality and results.