Hi everyone!
My name is Edoardo, and I am running for the position of Secretary in the current elections (Easter Term 2015) of the Cambridge University Italian Society’s Executive Committee.
Currently a second-year PhD candidate at the Faculty of History, I have previously studied International Relations at the University of Florence and University of Bologna. I have also spent a year abroad at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, USA), where I have been involved in the Exchange Students’ Association.
I have first made contact with the Italian Society by participating in some of its events in the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic years. In addition, I have been involved in the drafting of the new constitution of the Society, which is going to be voted during this week’s Annual General Meeting.
I fully share the Society’s aim to promote knowledge about Italy and its wonderful language and culture, and have immediately recognised its great potential to create bonds of friendship and support between the vast number of Cambridge students who are interested in Italy. However, I believe that this potential has not been fully exploited in the past, due mainly to a certain lack of clarity in the Society’s structure and to a degree of confusion and ineffectiveness in the definition and implementation of its objectives. For the Society to thrive, passion and creativity must be accompanied by organisation and strategy. These qualities are exactly what I intend to bring to the Society if I am elected Secretary.
In particular, some possible suggestions of the initial steps to take in order to improve the functioning of the Society include the following:
- Improve the efficiency and organisation of the heart of the Society’s management, i.e. the Executive Committee. By providing clearer rules on the Committee’s structure and meetings, and a better definition of each member’s role, the new constitution already represents a step in this direction.
- Improve the Society’s website, which should be a clear, attractive and constantly updated window on the Society and its activities.
- Ensure a better and wider publicity of the Society’s events.
Thank you in advance for your attention and consideration!
Edoardo Andreoni