Alex has been Vice President of Higher Education at the National Union of Students since July 2024. His main role is to represent students in Higher Education and to advocate and campaign for their best interests. Prior to NUS, he spent a year as the Education Officer at Exeter Students’ Guild and studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Exeter.

Alex loves enhancing the student voice and sees it as crucial that students have the ability to feed into and co-create the education system that they are so intrinsic to.

He sees student representation as a true privilege and a great opportunity to ensure that the concerns of students are not just heard but acted on.

I am passionate about supporting the enhancement and assurance of high educational standards, both in the UK and globally. The QAA’s approach to safeguarding academic quality through impartial, collaborative methods aligns with my commitment to fostering excellence in education and its real-world impact. With a clear focus on maintaining strong academic standards, helping institutions meet regulatory requirements, and building international partnerships, I believe in the transformative power of quality education for both students and society. I’m excited about the chance to contribute to QAA’s mission, strengthen the global reputation of higher education, and help shape a dynamic, future-focused tertiary sector. I look forward to the opportunity to help "aid the standard" or dare I say “raise the bar” for global higher education and drive meaningful change in quality assurance.

As a University of Cambridge alumnus, I’ve been fortunate to study at some incredible institutions, including diving into Law in London. My academic journey has also taken me across Asia and North America, where I’ve had the chance to experience a rich variation of courses and learning environments. After all, variety is the spice of life!?

I’m an avid squash player, thoroughly enjoy scuba diving and the usual adventure stuff like travelling and trekking. Surprisingly, though, I found skydiving a bit underwhelming.

I am a stakeholder of the University of London.

I’m Shani, a postgraduate student at Wrexham University studying Education Leadership. I’m also a student member for the Office for Students and Student Minds. Doing that work has made me want to do more to improve how students are represented in higher education.

I want to be on the committee because I care about how quality and standards shape the student experience. As a mature, neurodivergent, Black British Caribbean student, I bring a perspective that reflects both the barriers and opportunities within the sector.

Student engagement in quality is important because it keeps education accountable and ensures decisions are based on real experiences, not assumptions.

I’m most passionate about inclusion — creating spaces where all students, especially those who feel unseen or unheard, can share their views and influence change.

Being on the committee means I get to learn and exchange ideas that shape student participation in higher education with other like-minded individuals. It offers an unique opportunity for me to learn from UK national level policy on higher education governance frameworks, bridging my current expertise as an QA student expert from the European and Scottish framework, as well as my personal experience being an international student that has studied across five educational systems.

Student engagement in quality is vital because quality assurance in higher education is not a one-time evaluation, but an ongoing process of enhancing the relevance, inclusivity, and accessibility of learning. Involving students as active partners ensures that quality frameworks remain responsive to their evolving needs and experiences. Through meaningful participation, students help monitor how policies and initiatives translate into practice, bringing lived insight to areas of concern and innovation. In doing so, student engagement strengthens accountability, drives continuous improvement, and ensures that higher education truly serves the diverse communities it was designed for.

I am most passionate about student engagement in governance and global partnership space, where students can influence decision-making while connecting their higher education to broader social responsibility. In particular, I am passionate about seeing student co-creation, diversification of quality learning frameworks and cross-cultural and disciplinary student governance working together to advise the quality of HE frameworks.

I wanted to join the Student Strategic Advisory Committee to help ensure that the student voice continues to shape and strengthen the quality of higher education across the UK. Having studied through a distance-learning pathway, I’ve seen first-hand how different experiences and perspectives can influence what meaningful engagement looks like, and I’m keen to contribute to discussions that make higher education more equitable, inclusive, and responsive to student needs.

Student engagement in quality is essential because students are at the heart of education - they bring lived experiences that can highlight gaps, spark innovation, and ensure that decision-making reflects what truly matters in practice. When students are actively involved in shaping standards and processes, the entire education system becomes more transparent, accountable, and empowering.

I am most passionate about creating inclusive opportunities for engagement, especially for those whose voices are often underrepresented, such as distance learners, care-experienced students, and those from low-income backgrounds. I believe that every student, regardless of circumstance, should have the opportunity to influence the quality of their education and feel that their voice genuinely makes a difference.