MR Colman Byrne has been elected president of the Union of Students in Ireland at the union's annual congress in Galway.
Mr Byrne, currently the overall president of the Students' Union in the Dublin Institute of Technology, defeated Mr Bob Jordan, deputy president of USI, by 100 votes to 55 in the election held yesterday.
Mr Byrne said he was "absolutely delighted" at his election and his first task would be to deal - with USI's internal operations.
"We have to consolidate our own membership and make them happy in what we have and in what we do," he said. "Then we must hit out at those issues which we must fight on and to which other officers over the years have shown their commitment."
Among these issues, he said, were the inadequacy of maintenance grants at third level, proper access to education, particularly for the lower socio economic classes, and increasing the involvement of USI in the political life of the country.
Mr Byrne's election was widely seen as a vote of no confidence in the current executive of USI, which earlier in the day had its officer reports rejected by congress.
The new USI president clashed with USI officers on a number of occasions in the past year, most notably over issues relating to women's rights, and could now face disaffiliation referendums from member colleges in USI.
Ms Noeleen Hartigan, currently welfare officer of USI, was elected deputy president, while Ms Helen Ryan, convenor of the Students' Union in the Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, becomes welfare officer.
Mr Malcolm Byrne, a postgraduate student of law in University College Dublin, defeated USI's western convener, Mr Ollie Moody, to become USI's new education officer. Mr Dermot Quain, president of Limerick RTC Students' Union, defeated Mr Eoin O Cathain, president of Portobello College Students' Union, Dublin, to become union development officer.