Manifesto & Priorities

Hello, I'm Amr and I'm running for SASS Officer because SOAS deserves to be a university, not a data-harvesting terrarium. Students come here to study liberation, justice and the dynamics of power; it is slightly absurd that we do so while walking under cameras that multiply like particularly humourless mushrooms. If we don't act now, SOAS risks drifting into a kind of soft Palantir-adjacent ecosystem where everything is tracked "for our own good". I'd rather we stopped that before it becomes normal.

My interest is rooted in what I study: how institutions shape behaviour through surveillance, subtle or otherwise. Once you learn how these systems work, it becomes impossible not to notice their presence; and once you notice them, it becomes impossible not to ask whether they're necessary. What motivates me is hearing students quietly admit they feel watched, risk-assessed or singled out. A campus can't be intellectually alive if students are busy self-monitoring.

I've been observing political organising at SOAS and have seen how quickly marginalised students feel the impact of these systems. Racialised students, Muslim students and student activists often meet the most aggressive forms of "safety policy". As SASS Officer, I'll support the work that already exists instead of parachuting in with a saviour narrative. The job is to amplify, not overwrite.

If elected, I will prioritise three things that students consistently care about:

• Make surveillance visible. Most monitoring only survives because students don't know it's happening. We need full clarity on cameras, data-tracking and monitoring systems; not sensationalism, just transparency. I will push the university to disclose its surveillance infrastructure, create a public map and report changes to students so they can challenge them early.
• Challenge discriminatory security practices. Security policies do not fall evenly. Some societies face layers of scrutiny that others never see. That isn't safety; it's suspicion disguised as procedure. I will gather evidence, take cases to committees, demand consistency and represent students who feel targeted.
• Build a student-centred model of safety. Students keep saying the same thing: safety comes from support, accessibility and community, not more guards and lenses. I will work with Officers campaigning on welfare, accessibility and community spaces, and develop proposals that reflect what students actually ask for.

SOAS likes to say it values critical thinking. That requires an environment where students can question power without feeling like they're being recorded for quality assurance. We have a chance to draw a line now and protect the atmosphere that makes SOAS what it is.

Please vote for me, Amr, for SASS Officer. Together we can keep SOAS curious, open and genuinely safe for everyone.