For the students, by the students: the Student Engagement Team (SET) joins Padua’s human rights community

Student Engagement Team (SET), is an independent initiative, led by 12 students enrolled in the second year of the Human Rights and Multi-level Governance (HRG) program at Università degli Studi di Padova (UNIPD), which aims to amplify the voice of students by documenting their concerns and working with contributors to develop interventions that benefit all stakeholders. The members decided to take action when they noticed a need for an intermediary entity to relay information between the student body, the faculty and the administration. The group is also born with the aim of providing a concrete answer to the issues that the pandemic has exacerbated for students, such as loneliness, exhaustion, discrimination, academic pressure. 

On the agenda of the Academic Year 2020/2021 are four core projects: peer support, curriculum enhancement, professional network expansion, and social media expansion. The SET projects planned for this year focus especially on tackling these added constraints. 

The SET hosted a soft inaugural event on 18 October and attendees participated in discussions related to the theme “What it means to be a human rights professional?”. Due to unavoidable circumstances, for invited speakers unable to attend, the professional networking crew reached out to them via virtual interviews to compile insightful information that was presented to students at the event. The students enjoyed themselves, and for many, this was their first time meeting their classmates face-to-face. 

The SET is currently recruiting new volunteers to assist with upcoming activities which will create more opportunities for students to apply existing expertise and acquire additional skills. Visit their website for information on how to get involved. You can also follow the SET on Instagram and LinkedIn.