Wine and cheese parties, free lunch events, hiking trips, movie nights, and the fitness program — you might be surprised that clubs and societies do not organise these. They are SUPRA initiatives.
I spoke to SUPRA officers to find out how SSAF was spent. What emerged was an interesting blend of the SRC and USU. Funding for direct activism is rare, but the funding of social events often creates a platform for change.
One of the SUPRA Co-presidents Vivian Bai said student engagement and wellbeing are the main focus of SUPRA SSAF applications.
Bai said those five regular events above were the “pillars of SUPRA’s community engagement”.
SUPRA Education Officer Weihong Liang said many postgraduate students come from overseas. They often face more challenges in accommodation and employment, so they need more support from their student association.
“For example, some international students did their previous degrees [at] universities that provide on-campus accommodation for all students. They never rented a room before — and then suddenly, they drop into the renting market,” Liang said.
Liang said international students have to rebuild their connections when previous ones in their home country are cut off. Cultural barriers, distance from families, and time differences don’t make things easier.
Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students are also vulnerable to social isolation. Bai said it was also a top priority to offer them engagement activities and workshops to provide space away from their academic work.
“HDR students, immersed in intensive research programs, often work in isolation and may lack regular opportunities to interact with peers or participate in broader university life, ” she said.
‘Supervisor of The Year’ is one of the SUPRA’s current initiatives to enhance “HDR students’ sense of belonging by acknowledging their close academic mentors”.
HDR students are encouraged to act as nominators and judges of this award. There will also be a party held for students to celebrate with the winners.
Bai said SUPRA community engagement events can provide an inclusive space for students to connect and share solutions to common challenges from their similar experiences.
“An HDR student struggling with their thesis may meet a peer who has already navigated similar challenges, while an international student may find a mentor who can offer insights into balancing studies with the practicalities of living abroad,” she said.
Liang said the events are also channels for SUPRA student representatives to communicate directly with postgraduate students, asking if they need help, and offering suggestions.
“All the events are gathering students into a space for some time, making it easier for everyone to communicate with each other. Then, our student representatives can participate in the activities and reach out to students,” Liang said.
“Most of the student representatives come to SUPRA to work for a better student life. They have a feeling of mission and urgency, because they’re suffering the same problems too. So naturally, they stay close to the other students.”
Other than the five regular events, Bai said SUPRA was also considering increasing the scope and visibility of their Social Impact Grant scheme.
“Social Impact Grant was introduced in 2023, and has continued to thrive in 2024 due to significant student engagement,’ she said.
SUPRA supported 13 projects last semester, including “A Bridge Between Cultures: refugee experiences in focus”, “Sumatran Dance Workshop” and “HDR Journal Club Wellness Session”.
Bai said equity networks are also constantly supported by SUPRA. SUPRA Women’s Officer Yiman Wu hosted a DIY workshop in August for female students to make bracelets. She plans to hold another workshop this month.
Through distributing surveys and talking to students during the event, she found that many female students feel unsafe walking on campus at night. She plans to work with other student representatives to push the installation of more street lights on campus.
“Events like this provide an inclusive and safe space for us to communicate with each other,” Wu said.
Bai argues that SUPRA and other student-led organisations deserve more funding to ensure decisions are “driven by student needs rather than institutional pressures”.
“Additional funding would enable SUPRA to maintain its autonomy, ensuring it can continue to advocate for students without relying on university resources or approval, which could limit its capacity to challenge policies when necessary,” she said.
By reaching out to students through the events, SUPRA communicates with students directly, gathers student voices, and uses them to negotiate with the university or other institutes.
The Fair Fares campaign, which demands travel concessions for all students, is an example where putting students together socially sparked something larger. Bai said students openly discussed the challenges regarding public transport costs at events like the wine and cheese parties.
“Because of the feedback we received at social events, we decided to put in our full efforts by setting up stalls, promoting the petition across campus, and travelling to other universities,” she said.
Through this way, SUPRA holds the university accountable and makes sure that student voices are heard in the decision-making process.
“SUPRA provides a direct line of communication between the student body and decision-makers,” Bai said.
More fundings can also allow SUPRA to launch more initiatives benefiting students such as the food pantry, and push more changes to deal with cost of living, accommodation, and other issues that postgraduate students actually concern.
Disclaimer: Kate Zhang is a member of SUPRA.
