“I believe that politics can impact lives. It can shape lives a lot, from the top-down approach.
A Republic Polytechnic (RP) graduate from the Class of 2022, Irdina Duran is currently the President for the Political Science Society (PSSOC) of National University of Singapore (NUS).
PSSOC mainly aims to bridge the Political Science Department in NUS to students. Some of their notable events include Singapore Model United Nations (SMUN), Singapore Undergraduate Policy Conference (SUPC), Political Science Camp, Singapore Foreign Policy Dialogue and NinetyPercent.
A Passion for Political Science
When asked why she chose to study Political Science, Irdina explained, “Studying political science was always a dream for me when I was a kid.” Her passion for studying politics stems from her secondary school years as a history student.
However, the Admiralty Secondary School graduate at that time discovered that there were no diplomas for Political Science. Hence, she decided to pursue a diploma for another field that she was interested in – Journalism.
“Through Mass Comm, you are more involved with current affairs – particularly through journalism. That propelled me further to stepping into political science,” adds Irdina. There were also other skills that Irdina learnt in RP that translated to her current studies in Political Science. For example, whether you hate or love them: Presentations.
Irdina holding her diploma during her graduation. (Photo:Irdina Duran)
Learning Valuable Skills
No student life in RP is complete without presentations. From Powerpoint to Google Slides to Canva, presentations are also a good way to show facilitators what you have learnt. However, it’s not just about the visuals. One’s voice matters too.
“How you speak is so important, because people know when you’re confident or not. Your assertive voice is what shows people that you know your stuff. I think that’s something RP prepared me well for.” Irdina concludes, smiling.
Working with industry partners is also one of the things Irdina recalls most fondly of her time in RP. “Now that I’m no longer in the Mass Comms field, I actually miss working on industry related projects. We used to work with DBS Bank, Singapore Red Cross. Writing articles for The Republican Post is also something I really miss.”
Her portfolio in RP was varied and impressive, showing that she enjoyed what Mass Communications had to offer, be it PR/Marketing or Journalism.
In the 2020-2021 school year, Irdina was involved in the EXCO of three different interest groups. These positions included being President of the RP-IPRS Student Chapter, being the Pillar Lead of the Pop Culture Desk of DMC’s in-house PR Agency, RePResent, and Lifestyle Editor of The Republican Post. Irdina’s numerous accomplishments resulted in her recently being featured on the school’s Instagram page!
Speaking of her time in RP-IPRS Student Chapter, Irdina mentioned that she was proud of several events that she and her team helped to host virtually during the pandemic. “So two were virtual events and then one was a Teacher’s Day event targeting SMC students.”
One of the events was called ‘Are You PR-Ready?’ where RP-IPRS Student Chapter invited speakers from companies such as SPH, IBM and Google, and the event aimed to inform students on how the working world in the PR field was like, and basic guidance, such as the Dos and Don’ts of being a PR practitioner.
A photo from IPRS-RP Student Chapter’s Event:‘Are You PR-Ready? (Photo:Irdina Duran)
Being in RP DMC has helped shape me into an innovative problem-solver, as well as give me a headstart on the working world, helping me intertwine my purpose with the work that I do.”
Irdina Duran
Forging a new path
Moving forward, Irdina plans to use PSSOC as an accessible platform where NUS students can be more politically aware, regardless of faculty. This came up at the Student Life Fair, an annual event at NUS. (The Student Life Fair is a showcase event for various student groups.)
“During the Student Life Fair, there were a lot of students who came to PSSOC’s booth, and they were actually non political science majors, And they told me, hey,, I’m a business student…I’m an electrical engineering student,… I am an economics student,… but I am very interested in politics. Where do I start? Frankly, I just told them that this is where you start.”
She also emphasises that now in University, she’s learnt the importance of one’s personal values in being the key determinant to success.
“How do you show potential employers that you deserve this job? The portfolio is important, but it’s not just that.It all really boils down to your character. What do you stand for? What do you want to help with? This is very important, because frankly, anyone can study, but not everyone can be innovative.“ Being in RP DMC has helped shape me into an innovative problem-solver, as well as give me a headstart on the working world, helping me intertwine my purpose with the work that I do.”
Last but not least, she left a piece of advice on seeking opportunities. “You have to be uncomfortable with the knowledge that challenges will come your way, but it will catapult you further if you transform them into opportunities. I strongly and firmly believe in that. I think this is also how I navigate through tough times.”
