ASP News

The election for the ASP Study Board is soon upon us. As you may know, the Study Board is an important part of our study programme, as they have a lot to say regarding how the programme itself is constructed.  Renmin Shimbun invited the candidates to a talk about themselves and what they strive to accomplish by running for election. Five out of six candidates accepted the offer.

Tanja Fallentin is studying Chinese on Y1. She’s been in the Study Board for the past semester.

Why did you choose to run for election in the first place?

“I wanted to be part of the programme more than just as a student. I think it’s very interesting to see what’s going on behind the scenes (laughs). And I like it very much; taking part in the decisions about the future changes in the programme,” she says with a smile.

“We haven’t had that many student cases during this semester from our fellow students, but some of the things we agree on do affect our programme, and some changes have been made during the semester I have been a board member. You can actually already feel the changes on Y1.”

 What will you be working on if you get re-elected? What is the Board currently working on?

“I think the big thing coming up will be how to manage our programme combined with the candidate, you know, if you want to take a masters. And there might be some changes in the future, not in the near future though, about maybe adding another language to the programme.”

When discussing the possibility of adding a masters to the ASP, Tanja says it could be beneficial for ASP students to have the option of taking a masters of their own instead of having to take a different one, as it is possibly at other universities around the world. She points out, though, that such a change to the programme wouldn’t be achievable within the near future, as there are many other things the board has to deal with.

This year there are six candidates for the three available seats in the board. Why should people choose you over the other candidates?

“I’m very devoted to the programme and the students. If people have suggestions or problems with the programme, I definitely want to speak their case! I’m also sitting as vice president in the Student Council, so I’m definitely working the student case. Combining my work with both gives me a chance to devote myself completely.”

Jannick Friis Christensen is also studying Y1 Chinese. Apart from being chief editor on the Renmin Shimbun, Jannick has, as Tanja, been part of the Study Board since the start of this semester, as all three former members graduated.

When asked about the work he has been part of with the Study Board, he replies: “It’s been a rather short term, but I think we have some tangible results already. For instance, we’ve got some changes of the structure in the current programme, and also reserved some exchange places for ASP students, as it is  very important that we can go abroad to improve our Japanese and Chinese respectively.”

Jannick tells that another problem with the exchange programme is that you have to have an average of around seven for the better universities, which is a potential problem for some students. Since many want to go to China and Japan, it is important that ASP has some places reserved for its students. He mentions that he is also working on group exchange solutions, and that he and Tanja are discussing summer internships with the president of CBS Students – the umbrella student union at CBS – in order for the students to get their hands on some real job experience before going on exchange.

“I think it’s a really interesting study and I would like to make it even better, and I find that the best way to do that is to go for the body where you can change the programme in the right direction. I’ve always got some ideas about how I want my studies to be like, and I get a lot from my studies so I also want to give something back.”

Do you have other experience apart from this past semester in the Study Board?

“When I go into voluntary work I want to do it properly. I therefore chose not to stand for election for the ASP Student Council, but I still participate in all the meetings and have my say, even though I don’t have a vote. So I have my experience from the Study Board and throughout my studies – also those I did in London before starting at the ASP. Before I went there, I was the president of the National Federation of Business School Students in Denmark (Landssammenslutningen af Handelsskoleelever, red.), so actually I have some qualifications,” he says and laughs.

Is that why people should vote for you?

“Definitely, but also because I have some ideas about how to improve this programme even further, and the Study Board in general: I want to make it more transparent, to communicate out to the students what we’re doing.”

Just like Jannick, Mikkel Kruuse, studying Y1 Japanese, wants to make the Study Board more open in order to pass more information on to the students.

“It can be achieved in many ways, I believe, but the most simple would be to have a representative from each class. That person doesn’t have to have much to do other than read out emails they get from the Study Board. There is a lot of things getting discussed in the Study Board that doesn’t get passed down to the students,” says Mikkel.

One thing is the exchange during the fifth semester. By doing summer school in either Denmark or out in the world, you will have more time to focus on language and social relations during your stay, and as Mikkel explains, such things should not be kept just to the Study Board.

“They might (the students, red.) learn all the information later on,” Mikkel adds, “but I think it’s important to know it all as soon as possible.”

Since the Study Board meetings are open to everyone, if people want to know more, they could just show up. Do you disagree?

“Yeah, I kind of disagree, because the function of the Study Board is to serve the students, in my opinion, and the students should get the information whether or not they show up to the Study Board. For instance if it’s very important, the Study Board could use all the student mails and send out the information.”

Mikkel adds that the structure around the written exam also needs a check-up, as it seems it is hard for both teachers and students to figure out what you need to put an efforts into. The class itself is not satisfactory either, he thinks.

“On Y0 it’s always been the two Genki books (for the Japanese students, red.), but when you get to Year 1, it’s missing a whole lot of structure.”

Mikkel mentions that the way they study Kanji, for an example, isn’t efficient enough. Learning the required amount of  Kanji in just 4 years can seem like a lot of hard work, but if the right system is chosen, he tells me, it is achievable. Even with just two classes a week.

“On Year 1 we have a new thing this year, tutorial classes, and they seem to be really popular. I want to ensure that we have that, especially for the classes that evolve around math. It’s really important that you can do all your assignments so you can keep a good level at your exam.”

Why should people vote for you?

“Because I really care about this whole study and I want to improve and make it more popular, because if it gets more popular we get more funds, and I want to make sure that everyone can go on exchange.”

How?

“Well, there is a lot of basic stuff that needs to be figured out before it can undergo the big changes. Actually, in the Study Board right now they had, and I’m taking a bit part of it, a meeting about how to get the ASP out in the world. But that’s a whole other story, of course.”

I meet with Bina Kehlet, Y1 Chinese, in Dalgas Have’s crowded canteen. From the start of the interview, Bina puts great emphasis on her previous work experience, having been educated as an office trainee. She worked for the same company for three months in China.

“For the last year I was mostly working with education, courses and stuff. So I know a bit about  planning all that. And I’ve also worked with working environment, I know what the rules are and what you can expect from them. That’s what I did the year before I started ASP.”

So why do you run for election?

“Because I wasn’t elected last time (laughs). I really want to be one of the board members because I have a lot to say, and I am not afraid of speaking my mind. We have a lot to work for, because we are a small study. That’s why we need someone who’s not afraid to say her opinion about the things that need to be done, for an example the exchange reservations, which is something that concerns the Chinese especially,” she remarks with a smile.

“I don’t mind the group exchange, if it means that our education will be better. When I moved to China, I didn’t know anyone because I was going alone for my company so I didn’t have any colleagues. I had to get to know someone or I would be really lonely. But if you’re in groups, you’re having just the opposite case. You have to figure out how to be on your own so you don’t speak Danish or English all the time. But I’d rather have the group than not going at all.”

What would you be working for if you were elected?

“I would fight a little bit for the structure of our schedule. Y0 is quite OK, but in the other years it’s so messy and you have a lot of courses in the beginning of the semester and nothing at the end. And the exam is all mixed up. So that’s what I will fight for. That the circle will stop now, so we can make a better Y0, Y1 and so on.”

Both the Study Board and the Student Council can be difficult for people to understand an involve themselves in. Other’s are talking about making it more transparent. Do you think that is necessary?

“I don’t think it’s necessary; if people want to have an understanding about those things, they have to do an effort themselves. Come to the ASP Hours, look on Facebook. I didn’t know any of this stuff either, but the meetings are open, so I went to almost all Student Council meetings last year to see what they were talking about. Because they hear your opinion, even though you don’t have a vote.”

So actually doing something in the Study Board is better than putting an effort into getting people involved in it?

“Definitely, because we have ASP Hours, and people can just come.”

A little shout out to the students there?

“Yeah, come to the ASP Hours people!”

Why should people vote for you?

“Hm, why me? Because I’m a person people can come to with their problems, and I would make sure that the right people get to know the problem. I’m not afraid to have my say, and not afraid to be unfriendly to some people to make my point.” she laughs. “Sometimes you have to be a bit forceful, but that’s part of the job.”

Last up is Chris Lundshøj, Japanese Y2, who also happens to be part of the mentor programme. When asked how he would manage being in the Study Board and the mentor programme simultaniously, Chris replies he is very good at planning his time, so that he has tie for friends, job and his martial arts. It doesn’t get hectic. Simply because of time management.

Would you say you are good at that?

“Well, since I have to teach others on the subject (laughs). I mean, it is also a part of being a mentor. My job as a mentor started in August and will continue until March. I think it’s nice to meet newcomers and help them get an academically good start. And of course also to contribute and enjoy the social life at CBS.”

Does it give you an advantage when running for Study Board that you get to meet a lot of students who come with their problems?

“Obviously. Of course I’m not going to take the issues and problems of the individual to the Study Board, because I have a duty of confidentiality as a mentor. So I will take the general issues and problems of the students and take them to the Study Board. Also, I already have to address study director Michael Jacobsen as a mentor, and he is the president of the Study Board too, so in that way.”

It would make sense to elect you?

“Exactly,” Chris says with a smile.

He points out that both as a Y2 student, as administrator of the intro programme and as mentor he has a good deal of experience on the study and its administration, as well as an understanding of how the Study Board and Student Council work.

Chris also says that he wants to create more equality between the languages, since the Chinese GBA is higher than that of the Japanese.

“Not that I want to drop the level, but just lean it out. We sort of have an elite class, which isn’t fair.”

Why should people give you their vote?

“People should vote for me of two reasons: One, I’m a Y2 so I have experience from both the propaedeutic year and Y1, and my year has been the first on this new reform, so we can go through all courses and see what works and what doesn’t, and then take it back to the Study Board and change it. So we can keep using what I will call 改善(Kaizen, red), which means continuous improvement. The second reason has got something to do with me being a Japanese student. To create diversity, not only through the years. Because we need both Japanese and Chinese to be present in the Study Board.”

The last candidate in the election is Rasmus Futtrup, Y2 Japanese, who didn’t respond to our invitation.

Who will be get elected to the prestigious Study Board? Which candidates will be able to woo the voters? Only time will tell. Remember to use YOUR vote between 28 Nov. – 2 Dec. 2011 at www.e-vote.dk, and contribute to your study. We wish all candidates the best of luck in the elections.