Our Story
The International Student Association was initiated in 2011 by the RSU Student Union board together with a group of international students to serve as an extension of the Student Council and the Student Union. ISA was to be the 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 help seminars, study process seminars, a syllabus, book lists, study materials, and complaint forms and helped resolve conflicts. A Facebook page was created as well as a mailing list to which a regular newsletter was disseminated. Other activities started to be organised, like Movie & Medicine, Bar quizzes, Paintball, International Week, Dancing lessons, Tamil New year and dentistry meetings between 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 Public Relations Officer. 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, in 2022, ISA represents ~2500 international students and has 12 board members.
Boards throughout the years
- 12th ISA Board (2023)
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Left to right - first row
- Treasurer Zahraa Merchant
- Assist. to Head of Academic Affairs Byron Granillo
- Assist. to Medical Science Director Luxsana Mathiyalagan
- Human Resources Yathin Sabu
- Head of Sports & Integration Wafaa Farhath Valiyakathu
Left to right - second row
- Medical Science Director Linda Vuong
- Assist. to Head of Sports & Integration Mazeen Mohamed Ahamed Mazhar
- President Lucas Risters
- Vice-President Hanna Hjelt
- Public Relations Officer Pavithra Chandrasekaran
- Head of Academic Affairs Bárbara Namora e Silva
- Liaison Officer Sujeeka Sivapalan
- 11th ISA Board (2022)
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Left to right - first row
- Vice President Nancy Louise Starkengren
- Head of Academic Affairs Hanna Thando Klaesson Hjelt
- Public Relations Officer Hussaina Musaji
- Medical Science Director Hoshika Tharni Sivapalan
Left to right - second row
- Head of Integration and Sports Adam Bott
- Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs Mihir Shaileshbhai Jani
- Assistant to the Head of Integration and Sports Lucas Risters
- Liaison Officer Dasitha Ravinaka Narangoda
- Internal Collaborations and Human Resources Officer Sadun Ruberu
- President Mohamed Naleef Ahamed Mazhar
Absent - Treasurer Zahraa Merchant
- 10th ISA Board (2021)
Left to right - first row
- Treasurer Katharina Waibel
- Internal Collaborations and Human Resources Officer Nancy Starkengren
Left to right - second row:
- Assistant to the Medical Science Director Jenna Vähäviita
- Liaison Officer Priyadharshini Ravi
- Public Relations Officer Hussaina Musaji
- Medical Science Director Stina Jantke
- Assistant to the Head of Academic Affairs Annemaria Lange
Left to right - third row:
- Assistant to the Head of Integration and Sports Adam Bott
- Head of Integration and Sports Theresa Gsöllpointner
- President Mohamed Naleef Ahamed Mazhar
- Head of Academic Affairs Manu Thoppuram
Absent - Vice President Anna Leonova
- 9th ISA Board (2020)
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Left to right - first row:
- 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
Left to right - second row:
- Medical Science Director Francesca Zanghi
- Assistant to the Medical Science Director Stina Jantke
- Assistant to the Head of Integration and Sports Theresa Gsöllpointner
Left to right - third row:
- Internal Collaborations and Human Resources Officer Avishka Wickramasinghe
- Head of Integration and Sports Simone Oliver Senica
- Liaison Officer Mohamed Naleef Ahamed Mazhar
- 8th ISA Board (2019)
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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
- 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)
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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
- 6th ISA Board (2017)
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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
Absent - Human Resources Officer Konstantin Levinas
- 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
