SU Spring Elections 2026 Interviews: Nazneen Naveed Sait, VP Postgraduates

In the run-up to the Warwick Students’ Union (SU) Spring Elections, The Boar offered all Full-Time Officer (FTO) candidates the opportunity to be interviewed.

Nazneen Naveed Sait, a postgraduate student studying Healthcare Operational Management, joined The Boar to discuss her campaign for VP Postgraduates and how she hopes to better represent postgrads at Warwick.

Why did you decide to run for this position, and what makes you stand out from the other candidates?

Sait recounted her involvement in the Warwick community and her extensive experience working directly with students.

“I feel like I am a fit for this position because of the experiences I already have working with Warwick,” she said.

During her time at the University, Sait has worked with the Warwick Welcome Service, served as a session leader for the Warwick Volunteers Association, and acted as a course representative for her programme – roles she believes have given her insight into student concerns across the University.

“This has actually given me a really strong understanding of the different needs of students – even from the undergraduates as well as what postgraduates feel.”

Through her work as a course rep, Sait noted, she has already been engaging with students to better understand their concerns and identify areas where the University could improve.

“I’ve worked directly with students in my course to try to help them get a better understanding of what is lacking in the University. If I’m elected, I can work better with staff and students, listen to people, and help them feel supported and heard.”

Many postgraduate students feel disengaged from SU societies and sports clubs. How would you make the SU more inclusive for postgraduates?

Sait acknowledged that SU activities often appear to be oriented towards undergraduate students.

To remedy this, she suggested closer collaboration with other SU officers to ensure that events are more accessible to postgrads.

“Working with the Vice Presidents for Societies and Sports to encourage more postgraduate-friendly activities is important,” she argued.

Sait also emphasised the significance of event scheduling, noting that many postgraduate students have different academic commitments compared to those at undergraduate level. Having some online events would be beneficial, she asserted.

She added that improved communication with incoming postgraduates could also play a key role in encouraging engagement: “Even before induction, having communication with postgraduate students and letting them know that this is a space for everyone – not just undergraduates – would really help.”

What new services, provisions, or spaces would you aim to introduce to support postgraduate students at Warwick?

While acknowledging that the University already offers some postgraduate spaces, like the postgraduate hub, Sait outlined that further improvements could still be made. In particular, she mentioned how access and availability for research students could be expanded.

“A lot of postgraduate courses are research-heavy. So maybe having spaces where they can just come and chit-chat about the research or have a more dissertation-focused learning space would be helpful.”

Sait would also like more opportunities for postgraduate students to share their work and build connections together. “Having something like a research showcase” would be a good way to achieve this, she suggested.

The postgraduate community at Warwick is highly international. How would you ensure international students feel welcome and supported during their academic journey?

Sait emphasised that, as an international student herself, she understands the challenges faced by students moving to a new country for study.

“I feel like it’s just about more reach”, she said, suggesting that this could happen from the moment they apply to the University.

“Having a channel where all the events – or everything that we are doing – is just put out to them transparently would help international students, as well as a skill development programme.”

For many, postgraduate study is their first time living away from home, so teaching them about “cooking, or software needed for their course” could prove valuable, she suggested.

Creating weekly or monthly opportunities for international students to meet one another and share their experiences, she added, could also help them feel more comfortable and part of a community during their time at Warwick.

Many postgraduates also deliver teaching to undergraduates. How would you protect their particular interests?

Sait stressed the need to listen to the concerns of teaching postgrads and to ensure that wellbeing support is available to them.

“One thing I’ve noticed is that the wellbeing support currently offered at Senate House closes around 3pm. Having more flexible opening timings [would ensure] that students could get the support they need.”

Collaboration with individual departments would also improve access to support and resources, she suggested.

“The ultimate goal would be to make sure they feel valued and supported.”

This interview, along with all other interviews for Full-Time Officer positions, can be watched in full using the link here.

You can also view a list of all candidates and their manifestos here.