Mullingar student new SU President at Dublin Business School

Mullingar student James Bourke is gearing up for a busy year when he returns to the Dublin Business School (DBS) in September.

In addition to his academic commitments, marketing student James’s time will be filled with duties he will perform as the incoming president of the DBS Student Union.
DBS is the largest independent college in Ireland and currently has more than 9,000 students from 70 countries. James, who has been an officer on the student union for the last two years, says he is looking forward to starting his new position.

“It will take up a lot of time and I’m studying full time on top of it, but I will try and get the best out of my day,” James said. “I am lucky that we have the biggest student union team that we’ve ever had – 12 officers and a volunteer crew of 17. They help ensure that events run smoothly.

“We’ve already sat down and started planning the year. I am lucky that the officers all look after their own fields.”

With such a cosmopolitan student population, the DBS Student Union run a number of events throughout the year that cater to the international students. James believes one of the union’s most important role is to look after the wellbeing of members from abroad.

“I think DBS is unique in the number of international students it has. I remember moving up to Dublin in 2014 and adjusting to that. It’s very different for someone coming from thousands of miles away to adjust to maybe another language and another culture,” he said.

“We run a lot of initiatives including an ambassador programme, where we select one member from each nationality. Their role is to feed information to their countrymen and provide information to us about any problems or concerns they have.

“We also have a international week to promote integration. All the different nationalities have stand sand they showcase their countries’ culture, food and music.”

Another one of the student union’s responsibilities is promoting positive mental health among members, James believes. “We have a number of initiatives, including resilience workshops. We also have guest talkers who come in, and a partnership with Jigsaw, the youth mental health organisation,” he continued.

James is spending the summer working in the family business, Mullingar Autos, where he puts the marketing skills acquired at DBS to good use. As for the academic year ahead, while he could do without the annual “dreaded” accommodation search in Dublin, he is looking forward to getting his teeth into his new role.

“It is rewarding [being involved in the student union]. I have made a lot of new friends from around the world and gained a lot of new skills. I would advise anyone going to college and moving away from home to get involved in a student union,” James said.