In this sharp and outcomes-focused episode of Better Student Leaders, Josh Farr is joined by Gabriel Boyd, 2025 President of the Auckland University Students’ Association, to unpack how student leadership can drive real policy change at scale.

“I spent a lot of time walking around campus holding a sign above my head, saying, 'What would you like to see at the university? What would improve your university experience?' See the gap, see where things can be improved.”

Gabriel shares the inside story of how coordinated advocacy, data, and negotiation helped save students more than $5 million annually in fees, challenging the idea that student voice is symbolic rather than structural. The conversation reframes student unions as serious power brokers when they are strategic, disciplined, and willing to play the long game.

Three reasons to listen

• Understand how student leaders can influence policy and funding decisions at a system level
• Learn what it actually takes to negotiate with institutions and governments successfully
• See a real example of student leadership delivering measurable, life-changing outcomes