Richard Kneen- Vice-President – 2022/2023
About me
I am Richard, a Scottish third-year IBEB student. I moved to Rotterdam from my hometown in Edinburgh in 2020 to start my bachelor’s degree. My first year here was anything but easy with covid restrictions and Brexit around every corner. In my second year, as the world started to open up again I joined the cultural committee at ESN, having had a fantastic time as a guide during the Summer Intro-days 2021. I’ve been interested in internationalism since a young age, and love to meet and help other people, which has made ESN such an enjoyable experience for me.
Why a board year?
After a cancelled exchange to Taiwan, I was looking at the possibilities to make the most of my time in Rotterdam alongside a minor. ESN board was already in the back of my mind for after my bachelor, so I thought why not do a part time position during my third year! As the first fully covid-free (touch wood!) year for ESN since 2020, the 15th board and I have the exciting task of bringing the organisation backup to full speed and exploring ESN’s full potential!
Function Description
The 15th Board is the largest in ESN Rotterdam’s history, having expanded to 7 people through splitting the VP/Partnerships role into two standalone functions. As Vice-president, I handle a lot of the internal functioning of the organization. From chairing board meetings to ensuring board- and committee-member well-being, to overseeing the direction of ESN as a whole, I get to experience a wide range of tasks every week. I also have the responsibility to step in for the president when they are unavailable. My role means that I have to always stay up to date with the many different parts of ESN, and help ensure they are all working together well and moving in the right direction.
This year, I have also been tasked with coordinating the cultural side of ESN’s events. Working together with the Cultural Committee and the various partners we work with is always a pleasure and a great opportunity to meet new students face to face. We aim to showcase and experience different cultures together, and of course, have a fun time along the way!