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2024-2025 is coming to a close and there are so many people to thank for an amazing year, especially our Student Program Assistants!

The Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies (CENES) had an amazing year filled with excitement, fun events and a yearbook’s worth of memories. Many of CENES’ accomplishments are thanks to our student Work Learns and Program Assistants! Over the past year, these students have worked closely with the department leadership team on enhancing undergraduate programming and intellectual life across our German Studies, Nordic Studies, Modern European Studies and Slavic Studies programs.

These students are a major part of the CENES team spirit, and the department has been so grateful for all their hard work. Read on to learn more about who they are and what they’ve been up to this year.

CENES Work Learn Program Assistants

Ikra Aziz

Hej! I’m Ikra. I’m a fourth year student with a major in History and a minor in Nordic Studies.

Nordic Studies is a niche and smaller program, so I wanted to establish a social media and physical presence that would showcase our classes, students, and instructors. I also feel like our program has so much going on, whether it be field trips, class offerings, or collaborative events, so these things and showing them off to the student body would help expand the reach of Nordic Studies.

I am super grateful I was able to go on the Danish students trip this year to Santa Barbara and I made the most of it by showcasing it via daily vlogs… Check those out @ubcnordicstudies on Instagram. I also am really happy with how my ‘Lærerlivet Series’ turned out – this is where I interviewed Nordic faculty members and really got to know them and their work better. A big ‘tack’ goes out to Ann-Kathrine, Kyle, and Lena for allowing me to interview them and share that with the world! Read the latest one I did with Lena (<3).

Lina Pederson

My name is Lina, I’m a 4th year Human Geography and Modern European Studies double major, and this has been my second year working as the German Studies Undergraduate Program Assistant.

Being half Canadian and half German, I really wanted to connect with others who shared a similar cultural background. I was also drawn to the idea of working in a multilingual environment as I love learning languages. Joining the Department offered a unique opportunity to gain valuable work experience while continuing my studies. It felt like the perfect place to combine my interests with practical experience.

One of my biggest accomplishments this year was helping to organize and host visits from the Austrian honorary and German consulates. I also led Plauder-Treff, a weekly German conversation hour. It is always so rewarding to help language learners practice speaking and feel more confident.

Ann-Cathrin (AC) Muller

Hej! My name is AC (Ann-Cathrin) and I’ve been the Work-Learn for the Modern European Studies Programme Assistant for two years now. I’m finishing up my second year, and will hopefully major in International Relations with a minor in Political Science.

I had applied to this position in first year because I was looking for professional development and a better insight into the behind-the-scenes of academia, since I am considering pursuing a career in that field myself. Staying in touch with Europe was important to me (I’m German-British and only moved to Canada for my undergrad), so CENES was an excellent opportunity to explore the intricacies of this continent from afar, which is a truly unique opportunity. On a more personal level, I decided to continue this position for a second year because MEST gave me a second family. Being able to combine the joy I have in working with my fellow Work-Learns, faculty and staff in CENES with the opportunity to gain new skills is a unique opportunity that I simply will never take for granted.

I’m very proud of the community we’ve established over the past two years, with regular attendance at our events, that even led to friendships blossoming over time. But one specific accomplishment I’m very proud of was our Esperanto event in term 1. I was grateful to have Dr. Dexter Fergie from the UBC History Department come and hold a guest lecture about the emergence of this constructed language. After that, I gave a crashcourse in Esperanto to all our attendees. I really enjoyed this, since it gave me a chance to directly engage with such an important part of modern history, all while learning a new language myself, and getting to teach it to others.

Sherif Sav

My name is Sherif Sav, and I am the program assistant of Slavic Studies at UBC I’m a third-year student majoring in International Relations and Psychology. I’m originally from Istanbul, Turkey, and I play water polo for the UBC Water Polo Club.

As someone who speaks several Slavic and Turkic languages, I was naturally drawn to the CENES Department’s focus on multilingualism and cultural education. I started by volunteering at Slavic Studies events and saw firsthand how language and culture can bring people together. That experience motivated me to take on a larger role in helping the department grow and connect with more students. I wanted to create spaces where people feel excited to learn new languages and engage with different cultures.

This year, I helped grow the Slavic Tea event from a small gathering into a major community tradition with over 60 attendees. I promoted the Tallinn Russian Summer School through UBC Go Global, creating an opportunity for students to study Russian in Estonia. I also supported the creation of the Serbian Student Association and the UBC Balkan Club to expand cultural representation on campus. In addition, I’ve been serving as an event committee member for the Ukrainian Student Union, strengthening collaboration between AMS clubs and the CENES Department.