CENES Advisory Council Members celebrating CENES community achievements at the 2024 Cenies.
The Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies (CENES) is looking for undergraduate student colleagues to join the 2026-2027 CENES Undergraduate Student Advisory Council.
CENES understands the value of cultivating community, which has been a primary focus for our department over the last number of years. Our Council members are students helping students, while being guided and supported by CENES faculty and staff.
As education is an ever changing environment, members have the chance to provide their important student perspective and feedback to CENES leadership on undergraduate matters. In collaboration with the department, this Council supports and enhances the CENES student experience to provide opportunities for professional development, academic resources, and engagement with peers through various events and initiatives.
“We’re currently working on fostering conversations regarding Artificial Intelligence and accessibility, and looking at how classroom practices can be adapted in order to support students during rapidly evolving technologies. It’s been very exciting to experience the dialogues emerging working with other students, as well as faculty, to improve students' wellbeing and learning.”
Some additional endeavors of the Council include organizing the CENES Undergraduate Research Symposium, which provides a platform for undergraduates to showcase their class projects, independent research, as well as their work-in-progress on topics related to central, eastern, and northern European Studies. The CENES First Year Language Lesson event has also become an annual tradition wherein Council members and CENES faculty visit First-Year residences to meet and offer language lessons to students with the aim of highlighting unique course opportunities in CENES and Arts.
Why join the Council?
Beyond a mere line on a resumé, experience on the CENES Undergraduate Student Council will allow students to sharpen and practice their engagement with institutional matters, organizational psychology, practical strategies in communication and marketing, and critical issues in higher education planning. There will also be ample opportunities to work alongside like-minded colleagues who have a passion for multicultural, multilingual education.
What can students expect of their role on the Council?
Council members will draw on their unique perspectives to help the CENES Department connect with current and prospective students on our diverse Majors, Minors, and language programs. The Council will also support initiatives that promote knowledge sharing and community around our German, Modern European, Nordic, and Slavic and Eastern European Studies programs.
Some of the tasks Council members can expect include the following:
Members are expected to attend three 1-hour council meetings per term with CENES Directors of Undergraduate Study and the Undergraduate Program Assistant. Depending on projects, Council members might need to meet or communicate more frequently as needed with their fellow members between official council meetings.
Council members will visit CENES undergraduate classes to provide short presentations about CENES classes and programming. These ambassadors will be representatives from each of our programs, and can answer questions from peers about particular CENES programs.
This event is scheduled to take place in January, with the official date coordinated at a later time by the CENES Undergraduate Program Assistant.
Council members support with event planning and administration, including creating the call for applications, reviewing submissions alongside the CENES Directors of Undergraduate Study, and panel moderation.
Interested members may be asked to provide ad-hoc support to CENES staff as needed on various alumni-focused campaigns or projects
This student-led research cluster creates space for undergraduates interested in publishing and research to dedicate time to their projects, learn new skills, and have access to resources for academic success. Interested council members will coordinate cluster meetings by connecting with partners like CENES faculty, the UBC library, and potentially alumni.
Council members will support with the annual First-Year residence event in Winter Term 1.
Council members may be called upon to provide support for networking events such as CENES undergraduate mixers, Careers Night, and more.
Members are welcome to present their own ideas that the Council may be able to support!
Due to the nature of these tasks which require further networking with UBC staff and faculty within and outside of CENES, work on the Council will engage students to articulate their views on some of the key challenges and questions of higher education for the present and the future. We intend to engage students’ wisdom and insights, and to recognize and credit students as equals in this planning process.
“One of the projects I helped organize this semester was the inaugural CENES Undergraduate Research Symposium, a hybrid one-day symposium that showcases undergraduate work related to Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies. I’m very passionate about making research—particularly undergraduate research—more visible.”
How to apply
Please complete this brief online application form. Applications will be accepted until June 21, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT.
Current UBC students must have completed at least one CENES course (either in CENS, DANI, GERN, GMST, NORD, POLS, RUSS, SLAV, SWED, UKRN, and/or YDSH) to apply.
If you have questions, please email the Undergraduate Program Assistant, Ashley Samsone, at cenes.undergrad@ubc.ca.
Interested students may be asked to support the creation of social media content in consultation with CENES staff.