Angelos Sofocleous
Student members of Humanists UK have elected the next President of Humanist Students, the section of Humanists UK representing non-religious students at universities throughout the UK.
The winning candidate was Angelos Sofocleous, who is also President of the Durham Humanist Students Society. He will work as as President-Elect until September 2018 alongside current President Hannah Timson and President Emeritus Hari Parekh. In September, he will take over as President, with Hannah taking Hari’s place as President Emeritus for a final year.
Each year, students signed up for free Humanists UK student membership have the option to run to for President of Humanist Students. Student members of Humanists UK then choose their next President via an online vote.
In recent years, Humanist Students has been at the centre of national discussions around free speech at universities after a number of incidents where its societies were censured, censored, or banned on campus. MPs appear increasingly inclined to act on this issue in 2018. In November, Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson relayed the experiences of Humanist Students societies to the Joint Committee on Human Rights in Parliament, who will pass on their findings to the Government. The hearing was prompted by Universities Minister Jo Johnson MP announcing he will take action to bolster protections for satire and free expression at universities.
Commenting on his election, Angelos said:
‘It’s my great pleasure to be elected the next President of Humanist Students. We are currently facing great challenges to humanism, challenges which pose a threat to notions of freedom, human rights, and reason.
‘We need to work together as a cohesive movement to tackle these challenges and take action at our universities to ensure that voice of reason, rationality, and critical thinking is heard.
‘We are going to make sure Humanist Students grow and develops across UK universities, and foster a sense of community between all Humanist Students societies, as we act to fulfill our common aims.’
You can find out more about Angelos’ aims for Humanist Students in his candidacy statement.
Notes
Humanist Students is the student section of Humanists UK, the national charity representing the non-religious. At Humanists UK, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. Our work brings non-religious people together to develop their own views, helping people be happier and more fulfilled in the one life we have.
Leadership of Humanist Students is provided by three-person executive (troika) composed of a President, who serves as the section’s principal leader and spokesperson, a President-Elect, and a President Emeritus. Together they work to ensure continuity, stability, and development for the section as it champions the interests of non-religious students.