Candidate: Adnan Shahab

I am excited to apply for the Student Representative position on the University of Auckland (UoA) Council. With over twenty years of leadership experience and a strong academic background in several fields, I am dedicated to serving our diverse communities and believe I can help strengthen our university’s governance.

I have studied a variety of subjects, earning master’s degrees in Security Studies and Development Studies. I am now working toward a third in Conflict and Terrorism Studies at the UoA. These experiences have taught me to value different perspectives and understand the importance of academic freedom.

For nine years, I served as a Security Training Officer and Senior Instructor in the military, designing and leading courses on security, crisis management and leadership. These roles required subject expertise and the ability to help students think critically and collaborate. This experience has made me appreciate the value of quality education, research and the significant role universities play in society.

While studying at the UoA, I represented two postgraduate courses (Politics 701 and 770) and the Department of Politics and IR as a student rep. These experiences provided me with a clear understanding of the challenges students face, ranging from managing their workload and well-being to meeting academic expectations.

I am a member of the Bangladeshi student community at the University. My experiences as an international student have enabled me to empathise with peers from underrepresented backgrounds and to advocate for equitable access to resources and opportunities. I am committed to ensuring that students from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds are represented appropriately at the Council level.

My leadership experience includes serving as Chief of Staff of a Brigade, Military Adviser at the UN, and Chief of Security Unit at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, where I supervised high-value projects. These positions required strategic and operational planning, high-level governance and policy development to ensure public safety and organisational accountability.

In these positions, I worked where national security, community safety and public interest meet. I learned how important it is for institutions to balance different needs while remaining open, responsible and ethical. I want to bring this perspective to the University Council so decisions reflect what students value and need.

Throughout my career, I have held executive roles managing people, reviewing policies and overseeing governance. At Army Headquarters, I served as the Senior Planning Officer for UN deployments, where I selected and trained staffs internationally. These experiences taught me how to work in complex systems and connect policies to larger goals. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, I also developed strong financial oversight skills, managing both daily and long-term budgets. These abilities are directly relevant to the Council’s work in financial management and governance.

Serving as a Student Representative is both a responsibility and an opportunity to share students’ perspectives with university leaders. I aim to be a strong, thoughtful and collaborative advocate who clearly presents student concerns in Council discussions.

Sincerely,
Adnan Shahab