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Academic Reps do one of the most important jobs in the Union: They ensure students have a voice in enhancing their education.
Each month, we’re featuring your reps and the work they’re doing to improve UCL. If you have an idea about improving your course, your department, or UCL, you can contact your Academic Rep using our 'Find Your Rep page'.
Academic Rep of the Month: Bader Alotaibi
Bader has been a collaborative presence in his community and his peers made it clear that they wanted to see that his efforts didn't go unnoticed.
Bader has worked hard to apply his academic knowledge to his role as a rep, utilising his abilities to think practically and structurally in order to bring his cohort together.
Thank you for all of your hard work, Bader!
Here's a quick word from Bader:
Hi, I’m Bader, an MSc student in Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment at UCL and Deputy Department Representative for BSEER. My background is in chemical engineering, and I bring that mindset into my role as a Rep by focusing on clarity, structure, and practical solutions. I see representation as a daily responsibility. It is about making the academic journey more understandable, more connected, and more supportive for everyone.
As Deputy Department Rep for BSEER, I have co-chaired SPC meetings, worked through timetabling conflicts, and made sure student concerns don't just get raised but actually get resolved. I lead a cohort group of over 80 students, managing a peer support channel where I regularly share guides and advice to cut through the noise of university life. I have also organised social mixers within the cohort and was part of the student team behind a COP simulation that brought real energy to the academic environment.
A standout moment came at the Student Rep Conference, where I presented Lost in Translation, a workshop for over 25 reps exploring language barriers and cultural difference in diverse cohorts. Rather than framing inclusion as a student problem to fix, I reframed it as a structural responsibility, sparking conversations that stuck. Representation, for me, has never been about the title. It has been about making the journey a little clearer and a little kinder for everyone around me.
I see my role as a bridge between students and staff, built through trust, responsiveness, and small actions that make a lasting difference.
1) Want a quick and easy way to find your Academic Rep? You can find them in our directory here!
2) You can also put forward a nomination for yourself or your academic rep for the chance to be 'Rep of the Month'. Please bear in mind that we will judge the first nomination a Rep has received for a given month.