Martina Chukwuma-Ezike is Chief Executive of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, Scotland’s only dedicated asthma charity, which she founded in 2009. The charity set up the first Asthma Support Centre in the UK in order to provide support services for people with asthma and allergies in the northeast of Scotland. The organisation now has offices in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh and supports 13,826 people with asthma annually.
Martina is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen, having completed her MBA in 2009, and has a longstanding relationship with the student body, offering mentoring, volunteering and work placement opportunities at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, enabling medical students to gain experience by working directly with asthmatics. Martina has attended the University Annual Meeting and General Council Meetings and understands the forums in which she can make the voice of the students heard.
Martina has a range of skills and experience occupying several management positions within the oil & gas sector and from her time leading a charity with national reach. She has demonstrated herself to be a powerful advocate in her professional role, she would be well placed to advocate on behalf of University of Aberdeen students, and make sure their concerns are heard loud and clear by those in positions of power.
Martina Co-developed the Grampian Respiratory Improvement Project for NHSG and is a sitting member of the Grampian Respiratory Improvement Group; She is a member of the Cross-Party Group on Lung Health at the Scottish Parliament and member of the Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations, mentoring and supporting newly appointed Chief Executive Officers. Martina is an ardent supporter of women in business and an active mentor of business owners across the UK.
Martina has won several awards for community service and was recognised alongside nineteen other women for making a significant contribution to the Northeast of Scotland by the Lord Provost of Aberdeen.
Manifesto
In these challenging times, the University of Aberdeen should have an accessible, approachable, and accountable rector who can dedicate their time to promote students’ welfare. A rector who is available and able to take a genuine interest in all aspects of the university, not jetting in for a Court meeting and disappearing until the next one.
I am committed to being a working rector; I will have regular ‘Rector Surgery’ where students could speak to me about their concerns and raise matters which I will seek to resolve with the University leadership.
My manifesto is built around the priorities I have heard from my discussions with students and reflects the very real issues they are facing.
Students have called for active leadership in areas such as Mental Health, Equality & Diversity, Student Safety, Employability Skills, and Climate Change.
If you want a rector who will listen to you, be accountable to you, and fight for the issues that matter to you, then vote for Martina Chukwuma-Ezike as your next Rector of the University of Aberdeen.
As your rector I will champion Aberdeen vision 2040, focusing on these key priorities:
Mental Health Support:
- Increased support for mental health, including a review of the University counselling services to ensure it is well positioned to provide the needed support to students facing multiple challenges in respect of their mental health.
Promote Equality & Diversity:
- The University of Aberdeen is a centre of teaching and learning where young minds are nurtured and mature minds sharpened, making them ready to take our world forward. We have a duty to encourage, support and mentor young people, regardless of where they come from, their beliefs or socioeconomic status.
- I will work with the University leadership to ensure the University is a safe space for students, and any issues of discrimination dealt with appropriately.
Student Safety and welfare
- As a CEO of an asthma charity, I have strong experience of advising on safety measures to ensure people can return to face-to-face environments while remaining protected, I would seek to bring this experience to bear in discussions with the University.
- I will focus on promoting student safety and welfare as they return to face-to-face learning.
- As a resident of Aberdeen, I will be available to hear the concerns of students on a regular basis, and ensure they are addressed and resolved
Employability skills
- Students want to be able to take their degrees into the world and get good jobs which help them make a difference. As a rector, I will work with the governing body to lay the groundwork for students to build employability skills.
- I have strong links with the business community. I will focus on building collaborative relationships between the University and Businesses to provide work placement opportunities and implement a mentorship scheme for our students to build skills and be work ready.
Climate change:
- I will work with the University leadership to address climate emergency and ensure the investments the University is making are ethical and appropriate.