Alex Zheng, a bioeconomy major in the Faculty of Forestry, says he is running for AMS VP external to be part of “the force that makes something good happen.”
Zheng said one of his priorities is to unite student voices ahead of the 2026 Vancouver municipal election and to advocate for issues that affect them, such as providing more affordable housing options. Zheng did not specify what types of affordable housing options he would push for or how he would accomplish this. He also mentioned wanting to reduce rental rates for student residents; however, advocating to UBC about on-campus housing is not part of the VP external’s portfolio; instead, it is the role of the VP academic and university affairs.
“I can't get too deep into the nitty-gritty, because it's all wishful thinking. I think if you make a super detailed list right now, it will backfire,” said Zheng.
He also wants to expand job opportunities for students and explained that with rising costs and affordability concerns, financial security is an important part of student well-being.
“We have talents from the entire nation, if not the entire world, and I think many of them are currently in a state where they don't necessarily see a clear, defined path to possible job outlooks,” said Zheng.
From his time at UBC, Zheng said found student voices were being underutilized. “I want to form additional coalitions in British Columbia, OK, just so we can actually get our voices heard, not just on a municipal level, on a provincial level, or, dare I say, a federal [level]” he explained.
There are already several B.C. coalitions — like the B.C. Federation of Students and the Alliance of B.C. Students — who bring together student unions to advocate for shared goals like making universities more affordable. While the AMS is not a formal member of these two organizations, they have worked alongside the groups to raise awareness on things like the new provincial post-secondary review. The AMS has also been part of the federal lobbying group the Undergraduates of Canadian Research Universities. Zheng did not mention any of these groups and did not explain what his coalition would do differently.
In terms of experience, Zheng is currently the VP finance of the Forestry Undergraduate Society and worked at the B.C. Ministry of Forests as a bioeconomy analyst. During his time at the ministry, he said he witnessed the effects of B.C.’s strained budget.
Zheng feels that student life and well-being are not an area in which many financial compromises should be made. He is adamant that it is vital to consider the long-term consequences when making decisions about funding for students.
“Because once again, the people who are currently at this institute, if you think about it, they are the future of this country. They are going to be the pillars that's going to hold this country for the next one or two decades,” he said.
Despite this optimism, he understands that finances and budget cuts will continue to be an ongoing concern during his term. Other than more student jobs, Zheng failed to mention what he’d like to see more funding go toward, and how he plans to persuade any level of government to allocate more for universities.
“It's sort of a march in the rain, if you will … we do what we can, we get what we can. We'll do our best,” Zheng said.
He said that he has been impressed by current VP External Solomon-Yi Kieran’s push for media exposure, but that if there is something he intends to do differently if elected it is to try to include the entirety of student voices.
“One of my current plans within the platform is … [to] do a student survey.” The AMS’s VP AUA already oversees the annual academic experience survey and the student union launched a student engagement survey starting in 2022 — Zheng did not make mention of the pre-existing surveys or how his survey would differ.
Having volunteered himself during the campaign for the SkyTrain to UBC led by Yi-Kieran, Zheng said that he will continue to pursue progress on that front. “The most important thing is to hold [the government] accountable [and to] keep the pressure on.”
He reiterated that to do this most effectively, students need to be united and organized in their advocacy. Zheng said that he recognizes that if elected, his term will only last a year, but he intends to pursue projects that are sustainable beyond his term.
“I understand in a lot of these fields. I may not be the biggest expert, but I am more than willing to learn,” he said.
