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History

ISA was founded in 2011 by the board of the RSU Student Union (Studējošo pašpārvalde, SP) board together with a group of international students, which included Massensen Izem Ayati. ISA was originally an extension of the Student Council and RSU SP, and an umbrella organisation for the various international student societies.

ISA was founded by students with a common vision; to improve international students' stay and study experience at RSU. There were initially 6 officers: President, Vice-President, Head of Academic Affairs, Head of Social & Integration, Treasurer and Secretary. During 2012, ISA already organised 24 activities and set up study support seminars, study process seminars, a syllabus, book lists, study materials, complaint forms, and helped resolve conflicts. A Facebook page was created as well as a mailing list through which a regular newsletter was disseminated. Other activities started to be organised, like Movie & Medicine, bar quizzes, paint ball, International Week, dancing lessons, Tamil New Year, and dentistry meetings with Latvian and international students. 

In 2013, ISA increased its board members to 12 - 10 roles, and 2 unspecified board members. The new positions included Human Resources, a Medical Science Director, a Liaison Officer and PR. Semester leaders for international students were initiated and ISA was to oversee their activities and help in case of any issues. ISA also helped in the transition from the “red book” to electronic grades and was involved in shaping the university's code of ethics. Since 2019, the ISA Head of Academic Affairs is present during the weekly Dean's Council meetings and at present ISA represents ~2,200 international students and has 12 board members. 

Previous ISA Boards

Current ISA Board (2024)
  • President: Bárbara Silva
  • Vice President: Yathin Sabu
  • Treasurer: Muskan E Muhemmed
  • Head of Academic Affairs: Ricardo Jorge Pires Corela
  • Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs: Muskan Khan Shakur Khan Pathan
  • Public Relations Officer: Pavithra Chandrasekara
  • Medical Science Director: Luxsana Mathiyalagan
  • Assistant to the Medical Science Director: Welpalle Arachchilage Chaniru Ranneth Ranasinghe
  • Head of Integration and Sports: Wafaa Farhath Valiyakathu
  • Assistant to the Head of Integration and Sports: Mazeen Mohamed Ahamed Mazhar
  • Liaison Officer: Sujeeka Sivapalan
  • Internal Collaborations and Human Resources Officer: Beatriz Lima Coelho
12th ISA Board (2023)
  • President: Lucas Risters
  • Vice President: Hanna Hjelt
  • Treasurer: Zahraa Merchant
  • Head of Academic Affairs: Bárbara Silva
  • Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs: Byron Granillo
  • Public Relations Officer: Pavithra Chandrasekara
  • Medical Science Director: Linda Vuong
  • Assistant to the Medical Science Director: Luxsana Mathiyalagan
  • Head of Integration and Sports: Wafaa Farhath Valiyakathu
  • Assistant to the Head of Integration and Sports: Mazeen Mohamed
  • Liaison Officer: Sujeeka Sivapalan
  • Internal Collaborations and Human Resources Officer: Yathin Sabu
11th ISA Board (2022)

rsuisaboard_2022.jpg

  • President: Mohamed Naleef Ahamed Mazhar
  • Vice President:  Nancy Starkengren
  • Treasurer: Zahraa Merchant
  • Head of Academic Affairs: Hanna Hjelt
  • Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs: Mihir Jani
  • Public Relations Officer: Hussaina Musaji
  • Medical Science Director: Hoshika Sivapalan
  • Assistant to the Medical Science Director: Maria Gonçalves
  • Head of Integration and Sports: Adam Bott
  • Assistant to the Head of Integration and Sports: Lucas Rhodes Risters
  • Liaison Officer: Dasitha Narangoda
  • Internal Collaborations and Human Resources Officer: Sadun Ruberu
10th ISA Board (2021)
  • President: Mohamed Naleef Ahamed Mazhar
  • Vice President: Anna Leonova
  • Treasurer: Katharina Waibel
  • Head of Academic Affairs: Manu Thomas Thoppuram
  • Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs: Annemaria Lange
  • Public Relations Officer: Hussaina Musaji
  • Medical Science Director: Stina Jantke
  • Assistant to the Medical Science Director: Jenna Johanna Vähäviita
  • Head of Integration and Sports: Theresa Margit Gsöllpointner
  • Assistant to the Head of Integration and Sports: Emma Maja Walfridsson
  • Liaison Officer: Priyadharshini Ravi
  • Internal Collaborations and Human Resources Officer: Nancy Louise Starkengren

RSU ISA board 2021

 

9th ISA Board (2020)

board2020.jpg

First row (left to right):

  • Head of Academic Affairs: Max Zwartjes
  • Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs: Anna Leonova
  • Vice President:  Irina Mariotti
  • President: Hannah Katharina Schöberl
  • Public Relations Officer: Arathi Nair
  • Treasurer: Katharina Waibel

Second row (left to right):

  • Medical Science Director: Francesca Zanghi
  • Assistant to the Medical Science Director: Stina Jantke

 

Third row (left to right):

  • Internal Collaborations and Human Resources Officer: Avishka Wickramasinghe
  • Head of Integration and Sports: Simone Oliver Senica
  • Liaison Officer: Mohamed Naleef Ahamed Mazhar
  • Assistant to the Head of Integration and Sports: Theresa Gsöllpointner
8th ISA Board (2019)

ISA Board 2018-2019-1.jpg

From left to right:

  • Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs: Kate Helena Mulholland
  • Assistant to the Head of Integration and Sports: Sarah Liebner
  • Treasurer: Anna Curschmann
  • Head of Integration and Sports: Irina Mariotti
  • Medical Science Director: Catharina Clara Blaafjell Holwech
  • Internal Collaborations and Human Resources Officer: Johann Jungermann

From left to right:

  • President: Sten Andreas Davidsson
  • Assistant to the Medical Science Director: Sofia Maffei
  • Head of Academic Affairs: Hannah Katharina Schöberl
  • Liaison Officer: Rini Stella Roy Francis Xavier
  • Vice President: H.B. Roshika Fernando
  • Public Relations Officer: Arathi Nair
7th ISA Board (2018)

From left to right: 

  • Public Relations Officer: H.B. Roshika Fernando
  • Medical Science Officer: Vili Pehkonen
  • Head of Academic Affairs: Leonard George
  • Treasurer: Matthias Jan Sachteleben
  • Secretary: Iga Małgorzata Olejarczyk
  • President: Robert Olof Ekman
  • Vice President: Simon Scheibner
  • Social and Integration Officer: Karl Alexander Zeidler
  • Human Resources Officer: Karol Ardylewski
  • Assistant to the Social and Integration Officer: Philipp Paul Merkle
  • Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs: Margi Patel
  • Liaison Officer: Viboosani Murugaboopathy

ISA Board 2017-2018.jpg

6th ISA Board (2017)

From left to right:

  • Treasurer: Shalva Davrashivili
  • Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs: Maya Shina
  • President: Stav Brodsky 
  • Medical Science Officer: Rajenthini Varadarajah
  • Head of Social Integration and Sports: Vili Pehkonen
  • Assistant to the Head of Social Integration and Sports: Dita Dale
  • Advisor to President: Alexander Wyckoff-Mahler
  • Head of Academic Affairs: Leonard George
  • Vice President: Johannes Steibl
  • Public Relations Officer: H.B. Roshika Fernando
  • Secretary: Marit Bjørkum Gjerde
  • Liaison Officer: Shelly Bagelman Levinas
  • Not picturedHuman Resources Officer: Konstantin Levinas

ISA Board 2016-2017.jpg

5th ISA Board (2016)
  • President: Amanpreet Grewal
  • Vice President: Kavish Khatib
  • Head of Academic Affairs: Alexander Wyckoff-Mahler
  • Treasurer: Alexander Güllich
  • Medical Science Director: Rajenthini Varadarajah
  • Human Resources Officer: Shiamalee Kathirgamanathan
  • Public Relations Officer: Valeria Penna
  • Liaison Officer: Stephanie Strauven
  • Unspecified Officer: Shelly Bagelman
  • Unspecified Officer: Abelmoumen El-Kandri
  • Secretary: Mustapha Samy
  • EMSA Local Coordinator: Sohini Mukhopadhyay

 

4th ISA Board (2015)
  • President: Sohini Mukhopadhyay
  • Vice President: Amanpreet Grewal
  • Head of Academic Affairs: Nina Mee Hurum
  • Head of Social Integration Affairs: Hiroki Serasinghe
  • Treasurer: Kavish Khatib
  • Medical Science Director: Yunus Hueck
  • Human Resources Officer: Shiamalee Kathirgamanathan
  • Public Relations Officer: Marita Jeyarajan
  • Liaison Officer: Stephanie Strauven
  • Unspecified Officer: Mustafa Habibi
  • Unspecified Officer: Niels Rudnik
  • Secretary: Mustapha Samy