USU Candidate Profile: Jiale (Wayne) Wang

Pulp interviewed all 10 candidates in the running to become USU Board Directors. Over the next week we’ll be posting a profile on each of them in the randomised order drawn by the Returning Officer. Here’s Jiale.

Name: Jiale (Wayne) Wang

Studies: Commerce (Finance and Business Analytics) II

Faction: Panda

Colour, slogan, manager: mint green, Wayne is the Way, Maria Yue Ge

Jiale is running on a platform demanding more transparency within the USU, better treatment of small clubs and societies, and more meaningful cultural interactions. These policies, while not especially novel or transformative, arise from his own personal experiences and he seems passionate about them. However, recent revelations about him offering his Board Director’s honorarium to his faction, Panda, against the USU regulations call his credibility into question. His quiz score was the second lowest, at 47%. Some mistakes in his quiz were simply misremembered, however, his lack of knowledge about USU programs - for example, not knowing the approval criteria for clubs and societies and not knowing what Incubate is - is problematic. 

Jiale’s emphasis on fairness for small clubs and societies stems from his experience in the Chinese Martial Arts Club, which he says can’t afford a venue to train, and therefore practises in Victoria Park. He told us he had consulted with the Presidents of a number of small societies, and believed that a closer relationship needs to be established between these clubs and the USU to allow them to access more funding. 

He also reflected on his role as an SRC Councillor, where he observed that cultural festivals often lacked meaning. He pointed to an SRC event last year where he helped hand out “mooncakes and hotdogs”, suggesting that festivals should instead try to “improve knowledge” of other cultures. Although enhancing cultural knowledge is certainly valuable, Jiale’s description of how this could be enacted lacked detail and specificity. 

With regards to transparency, he suggested the USU needed to broadcast their decisions more effectively. This policy is hardly new, and it is unclear what exactly Jiale would do to make it happen. He did emphasise the need to open feedback channels up, for instance through the USU’s “online platforms”. Nonetheless, he is more committed to transparency than most, openly saying he would consider leaking if something problematic was happening in the USU. Confusingly, he also defended going in camera, arguing that the content of Board meetings should largely stay confidential but that students should be informed of decisions in other ways. 

Jiale argued that political beliefs did have relevance within the USU, but that its primary focus should be on student life. He said that the USU engaging with “social justice”, for instance by supporting international students during the coronavirus crisis, was an important role of the organisation. He argued that political statements should be made when they help students. Regarding controversial clubs and societies, he erred towards non-intervention, suggesting that even if he personally disagreed with a society, he would not try to “control them”. 

When asked how he would approach managing the USU’s finances, he was resistant to “saving money” through cost-cutting, instead suggesting that finding new sources of revenue is more important. He suggested this could occur through collaborating with other companies. While Jiale’s policies are not especially costly, it is unclear whether corporate partnerships would be sufficient to address the USU’s revenue shortfall. 

Jiale’s platform is largely feasible and drawn from his personal interests. It consists of bureaucratic changes to the USU’s communications and relationships with C&S, along with an emphasis on cultural exchange. However, it does not appear to be especially novel and he lacked ideas about how to rebuild the Union from its current difficult position. These flaws will be further complicated by his recent suspension from campaigning, which may well undermine both his visibility as a candidate and the electorate’s faith in him.

View Jiale’s full interview here.

Note: Pulp Editor Ellie Stephenson is a former member of Grassroots.