Aris Katzourakis (University of Oxford)

Aris Katzourakis (University of Oxford) 

Election address 

I am a Professor in Evolution and Genomics at the University of Oxford. My research focuses on viruses, both ancient and modern ones, such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2.  

My involvement in the branch committee began in 2018 after the USS strikes, and has seen me take on roles including in the joint committee, vice-president, co-president and honorary secretary. At national level, I have served on NEC and various subcommittees, been a branch delegate, sector conference, and congress delegate. I am a caseworker, and have trained and recruited new caseworkers. I have helped grow our branch membership by more than 50%, expanded its network of reps, health and safety reps, committee, and strengthened its position within the university.  

I believe strongly in member engagement and participation, and have successfully led ballots over the 50% threshold on both the four fights, and the USS pensions disputes. During the 2019-2020 strikes, I chaired our strike committee and co-ordinated industrial action, maintaining pickets across the city, organising lively teach-outs, rallies, marches, and forged lasting links with the broader regional trade union movement.  

I have been a main negotiator in a new grouping between management, UCU, UNITE and UNISON. We have been pushing for changes to best represent our members interests. During the initial years of the pandemic we pushed through robust changes to health and safety. I also successfully negotiated the first ever facilities time agreement for our branch, giving substantive paid time off for trade union activities, and led a working group to co-ordinate our branch response to its first section 188 notice for redundancies. I successfully negotiated the first ever facilities time agreement for our branch, giving substantive paid time off for trade union activities.  

My professional interest in virology has seen me become engaged in public outreach, including regular media appearances, been co-opted onto the executive of Scientists for Labour, and joining independent SAGE in 2022. I strongly believe in working with broad networks and the wider trade union movement to best represent the interests of our members. Together with my experience of negotiating at the highest level with the University of Oxford, and two terms of service on the NEC, I want to use this background and contribute to the largest fightback our union has seen.  

We are in the most challenging period that UK universities have experienced in our lifetimes. The sector is facing unprecedented challenges, and shaping the model of the future of higher education is crucial. We need to be at the centre of this and to transform the educational landscape within this evolving situation. A strong union that has the capacity for collective action is at the centre of this.