• 31 exceptional young Australians will join Australia’s most generous scholarship program for postgraduate study overseas.
• 217 applications received – a 30 per cent increase from 2022, and nearly 130 per cent increase since the scholarship was first introduced in 2021.
• Scholarship valued at up to AUD$90,000 p.a.

Sydney, Wednesday 28 June 2023: The Ramsay Centre is proud to announce the 2023 recipients of our Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship – 31 outstanding, thoughtful, imaginative young Australians, committed to advancing a richer, deeper understanding of our civilisation through study at the world’s best overseas universities.

The 31 scholars will now form the third cohort of Australia’s most generous scholarship program for postgraduate study overseas. They will be supported with funding of up to AUD$90,000 p.a. for one, two and in select cases three years of coursework and/or research.

The scholars were selected from among 217 applications received by the Centre, close to a 130 per cent increase on the number of applications received for the first intake in 2021.

The surge in applications aligns with the scholarship’s growing recognition and prestige, and overwhelming popularity with young Australian leaders, eager to study at the world’s best overseas universities, and return to Australia to make a difference.

The 2023 scholars will study at premium global tertiary institutions including MIT, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Durham, McGill University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, Sciences Po Paris, the Royal Academy of Music, University of California Berkeley, and St John’s College, Annapolis.

These exceptional young people seek to make a difference in areas as diverse as novel immunotherapeutic treatments for gynaecological cancers; ending grand corruption by establishing an international anti-corruption court; and better integrating climate considerations into Australia’s aid program.

An archaeologist will be exploring what Australia can learn from ancient water management practices in East Africa; two neuroscientists will between them map the biological roots of psychiatric symptoms and decode abnormal brain activity to better treat neurological and psychiatric disorders.

An Australian Army Major will examine the relationship between science and statecraft in modern conflict; another scholar will explore Australia’s preparations for geostrategic futures in the Asia-Pacific. Humanities scholars include a classicist researching the fragmentary remains of Hellenistic epic poetry, and a historian researching the materiality of martial figures in Medieval Europe.

Musicians in the 2023 cohort include both an organist and violinist, and two musicologists who will research nineteenth-century musical form and twentieth-century musical modernism.    

Three scholars have a keen interest in improving the welfare of Indigenous Australians, one of them exploring how the concept of allodial land could be broadened to incorporate Indigenous peoples’ prior physical and spiritual connections, another being the co-founder of the first STEM mentoring programme for NT high schools.

One scholar will use his MBA to further create social venture enterprises to make it less risky for people to invest in poorer countries on Australia’s periphery.

Two of our 2023 cohort of scholars, a Sydney-based high school teacher and a Perth-based academic, will be supported to study the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts at St John’s College, Annapolis. Both are passionate about rounding out their education with the unique liberal arts model that St John’s offers, with its focus on sustained reflection about the human condition through the close reading and discussion of the great texts which have shaped the Western intellectual tradition.

The 2023 scholars have been awarded funding from one of two scholarship categories:

• the World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, for graduate study in any field or discipline at a prestigious overseas university of their choosing, or

• the St John’s College, Annapolis, Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, for study of the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts at this acclaimed US liberal arts college, as well as participation in an internship program in Washington, D.C.

The scholars were selected by a panel of eminent Australians chaired by Ramsay Centre Board Member, Dr Michael Easson AM, an esteemed business and community leader, with a deep passion for higher education. Dr Easson holds many degrees including a Master’s from Oxford and PhDs from two Australian Go8 universities.

Selection criteria included strength of character, leadership, and service; academic achievement; future goals; and a commitment to advancing a richer and deeper understanding of our civilisation. Applicants must have been accepted into a graduate program at a world-leading overseas institution before applying.

The scholarships have been made possible through the extraordinary generosity of our founder and benefactor, the late Paul Ramsay AO. Paul Ramsay founded Ramsay Health Care, now one of the largest private hospital operators, and was also a regional television pioneer, building stations that today form the Prime Television Network.

Known as a ‘man for others’, Paul Ramsay always wanted to give back to his country and his fellow Australians. He had a profound sense of gratitude for the opportunities Australia had afforded him, as one of many countries that have benefited from being part of the long continuum of Western civilisation. He wanted younger Australians to share that appreciation by learning more about our heritage and to take the lead in passing that knowledge on to others.

These scholarships in his name support our future leaders to do just that, by supporting their graduate study at the world’s best overseas universities.

A full list of names of the 31 Ramsay Postgraduate Scholars and their bios can be found on the following pages of this release.

For more information on our Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarships and how to apply visit: https://www.ramsaycentre.org/scholarships-courses/postgraduate-scholarships/

Media contact: Sarah Switzer 0407 816 098/ sarah.switzer@ramsaycentre.org

For more information on the centre please visit our website: www.ramsaycentre.org

2023 Ramsay Postgraduate Scholars

World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholars

ALICE BAKER

Master of Laws – University of Cambridge 

Alice Baker is a community-minded lawyer from Melbourne, currently working as a solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills. She holds a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from Monash University, where she topped four subjects. Alice is passionate about constitutional litigation, civil rights, and commercial litigation, as well as fundamental human rights and their protection in society. She wrote her honours thesis on the importance of free speech to Australian society, exploring the ability of public servants to speak freely and examining the merits or otherwise of constraints to their free speech.  Alice is also a dedicated cellist, currently learning Prokofiev’s Cello Sonata. With her World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Alice will study a Master of Laws at Cambridge, for which her subjects will include public law and international human rights. In the future she hopes to work at the Bar and in academia, seeking to uphold the fundamental principles of our legal system.

HOLLY BROADBENT

Master of Music (Organ) – Yale University

Holly Broadbent is an organist, currently employed at Christ Church, Perth. She has also held organ posts at St. George’s Cathedral, Swanbourne Anglican Church, and Wesley Uniting Church. Holly holds an undergraduate degree in Composition and a Masters in Teaching from the University of Western Australia, with First Class Honours in Organ from Edith Cowan University. Last year she achieved her ARCO (Associate of the Royal College of Organists) and performed in Sydney with the Australian Youth Orchestra. She has also competed as a finalist in the Sydney International Organ Competition. With her World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Holly will study a Master of Music at Yale University. Prior to her studies she will travel to the US after being selected to work with Juilliard’s Organ Professor, Paul Jacobs, for the Oregon Bach Festival. In the future Holly hopes to tour and perform as an organist as well as teach liturgical music in Australia.

BENJAMIN CHIDIAC

PhD in Psychiatry – University of Cambridge

Ben Chidiac is a Sydney neuroscientist with an interest in mental health. For the past two years, he has worked as a research assistant in the Ageing and Neurodegeneration Lab at Neuroscience Research Australia. Prior to that, he completed a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) at the University of NSW, majoring in neuroscience and psychology and graduating with a perfect GPA. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Ben will study a PhD in Psychiatry at Cambridge, working at its renowned Brain Mapping Unit. His proposed project aims to use advanced neuroimaging and machine learning techniques to map the biological roots of psychiatric symptoms. From this, he hopes to develop a more personalised approach to psychiatric treatment that will improve long-term patient outcomes. In the future, Ben plans to continue his research and enhance its impact through teaching and science communication; promoting scientific literacy to make important research more accessible to the public.

KING-HIM JOSEPH CHU

Doctor of Philosophy in Law – University of Oxford

Joseph Chu is a graduate teaching associate from Adelaide, currently reading law at Oxford for the Bachelor of Civil Law degree. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Arabic and Political Science from New York University Abu Dhabi, a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Adelaide, and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law. Joseph’s interests include fencing and piano, as well as foreign languages, of which he can speak four. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Joseph will undertake a Doctor of Philosophy in Law at Oxford, for which he plans to investigate the emergent influences of Chinese involvement in the historically Western-led efforts of transnational commercial lawmaking, as well as the diffusion of Western legal concepts into Chinese domestic law from 1980 to 2023.  In the future Joseph hopes to work as a law professor conducting research and teaching the next generation of legal scholars.

NOAH CORBETT

Master of Philosophy in Politics – University of Oxford

Noah Corbett is a political theorist and legal scholar from Sydney. He has completed a combined Bachelor of International and Global Studies (2020) and Bachelor of Laws (2022) at the University of Sydney, graduating with dual first-class honours and the University Medal in Government and International Relations. While studying, Noah worked as a research assistant to a barrister and in medical administration. He is presently a researcher at the University of Sydney Law School, contributing to a project investigating transnational regulatory networks. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Noah will study an MPhil in Politics at Oxford. He intends to pursue research exploring the consequences of the privatisation of regulation and public services for democratic moral psychology, inspired by his work in the law and the political theories of John Rawls, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In the future, he hopes to combine work as an academic political theorist and barrister in administrative law.

GENEVIEVE DAMMERY

Master of Philosophy in Population Health Sciences – University of Cambridge

Genevieve Dammery is a Research and Administrative Officer at Macquarie University’s Australian Institute of Health Innovation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Medical Science with First Class Honours from the University of Sydney. Genevieve has a broad research background spanning functional genomics, health services research and eating disorder prevention, for which she has worked as a mentor and advocate for the Inside Out Institute, a national institute for eating disorders research and clinical excellence. Genevieve is passionate about improving access to healthcare for all and reducing the carbon footprint of global healthcare systems. Her current research focus is primary care research; how to keep people out of hospital and improve the sustainability of healthcare interventions. With her World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Genevieve will pursue a Master of Philosophy in Population Health Sciences at Cambridge. In the future, Genevieve wants to advocate for an improved healthcare system, balancing work in academia and industry.

SARAH DAVIS

Master in Public Administration – Harvard University

Sarah Davis grew up in Canberra and Washington, D.C. and studied a Bachelors of Advanced Science (First Class Honours) and Arts (with Distinction) at the University of NSW, with majors in biotechnology and international relations. After this, she worked as a strategy consultant across the public and private sector. She is studying an MBA at Stanford, focusing on commercialisation of leading Australian scientific and technological research. Sarah is passionate about social justice, has worked in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory (NT) and is the co-founder of the first STEM mentoring program for NT high schools. With her World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship Sarah will undertake a Masters of Public Administration at Harvard, focusing on public policy solutions to accelerate Australia’s technological translation. In the future Sarah hopes to combine her public and private sector knowledge to drive cross-sectoral mechanisms to capture and translate scientific and technological advances from the laboratory to Australian society.

RAFAEL ECHEVARRIA

PhD in Musicology – Durham University 

Filipino-born and Australian-raised, Rafael (Ardi) Echevarria is a musicologist and musical theorist specialising in nineteenth-century musical form and musicology’s disciplinary debates. His research examines how music theory and analysis enhance our aesthetic experience and engage wider historical, cultural, and philosophical discourse. Initially trained as a pianist, Ardi earned First Class Honours and Master’s degrees from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and his ongoing PhD in Musicology at Durham University examines the socio-political relevance of ‘Breakthrough’. He has taught a diverse range of students as a tutor and academic with the Sydney Conservatorium’s musicology division and the Australian National University’s School of Music. Ardi has presented his research at national and international conferences and serves as secretary for the Musicology Society of Australia’s Sydney chapter. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Ardi will continue his PhD studies at Durham. In the future, he hopes to enrich Australia’s musical and musicological life by working in academia. 

DALTON FOGARTY

Master of Business Administration – Harvard University

Dalton Fogarty is a Sydney ex-banker turned business strategist, with a passion for helping others. A Knight in the Order of Malta, he volunteers for the sick and poor in both Timor Leste and Sydney, and is both non-executive director of a Timor Leste medical clinic, and executive director of a Timor Leste newborn nutrition outreach program in pilot phase. Dalton holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney. Upon graduating, he worked for Deutsche Bank in Hong Kong and Singapore. Dalton now works as a strategic advisor to Prezzee, a digital gift card company, and has founded his own company, inspired by the ‘montes pietatis’ model, to help forgotten nations in Australia’s periphery. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Dalton will study an MBA at Harvard Business School. He intends to use learnings from this degree to help further create social venture enterprises to make it less risky for people to invest in poorer countries.

JACK HAMILTON

Master of Science in Neuroscience – University of Oxford

Jack Hamilton is from Newcastle, NSW. He was recently awarded a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) from the University of NSW, with First Class Honours and the University Medal in Neuroscience. His Honours thesis – awarded the Paxinos and Watson Neuroscience Honours Prize and the highest mark in the past five years – investigated a new implantable device capable of delivering electrical current to nerve fibres to improve the treatment of neuropathic pain. He is currently working to publish this research. Outside of neuroscience, Jack’s interests include rugby union and piano, oil painting, and ocean swimming. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Jack will study the Master of Science in Neuroscience at Oxford. Here he will explore how neuroscientists can use cutting-edge technology to decode abnormal brain activity, to better understand and treat various neurological and psychiatric disorders. In the future, Jack plans to pursue a PhD and a career advancing the frontiers of neuroscience.

TRENT HARRON

Master of Studies in History (History of War) – University of Oxford

Trent Harron is a Major in the Australian Army, originally from Adelaide, but recently living in Canberra where he is serving in Army Headquarters in Global and Regional Operations. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Classics) from the University of Adelaide, a Master of Military and Defence Studies from the Australian National University and is a graduate of the Australian War College. He is passionate about education and in 2010 spent a year working in the Northern Flinders Ranges with Operation Flinders, a not-for-profit organisation providing direction to “at-risk” youth. He has a keen interest in ancient and modern history, and enjoys many sports including cricket, rugby, and rowing. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Trent will pursue a Master of Studies in History (History of War) at Oxford University, focusing on the relationship between science and statecraft in modern conflict. He aspires to work in leadership roles in the military, academia, or public office.

JACK JACOBS

Master of Studies in History – University of Oxford

Jack Jacobs is an historian and political theorist with a keen interest in cultural reform. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Sydney, with First Class Honours in Philosophy. His thesis focused on how the political thought of Edmund Burke could help us think about reform today. Jack is currently Yindyamarra Research Fellow at Charles Sturt University, working with Stan Grant on ways to improve Australian democracy by achieving better outcomes for Indigenous people. Previously, Jack worked on the Australian Human Rights Commission’s review of Federal Parliament’s workplace culture, and on culture reviews of university residential colleges. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Jack will undertake a Master of Studies in History at Oxford, comparing Edmund Burke and Mahatma Gandhi’s approaches to reforming Empire. In the future, Jack hopes to be a writer and public intellectual working in universities, think tanks, and the media to shape values and attitudes on key cultural issues.

CECILIA KENT

Master of Architecture – University of Notre Dame

Cecilia Kent is a student of classical architecture, originally from Brisbane. In 2017, she moved to study at Campion College in Sydney, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts and a Diploma of Classical Languages. In 2022, Cecilia completed a Bachelor of Architecture and Environments at the University of Sydney. She is currently working as a studio assistant at PTW Architects and in administration at the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. With her World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Cecilia will study a Master of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend Indiana, focusing on Classical and Traditional principles of design. She is passionate about grass-roots movements towards traditional urbanism and in 2022 founded the Sydney student chapter of Street Level Australia. In the future, Cecilia hopes to serve Australian communities by combining her architectural training with her background in philosophy and history to create beautiful, durable, and sustainable homes and neighbourhoods.

YAEL LEFKOVITS

Master of Science in Precision Cancer Medicine – University of Oxford

Yael Lefkovits is a medical registrar at Royal Melbourne Hospital. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery with First Class Honours from Monash. She also holds an intercalated Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree through Monash and Cambridge, for which she was awarded Dux. Her research into the artificial pancreas has been published in numerous peer-reviewed articles and textbooks. Yael has a strong interest in public health, having worked for the World Health Organisation in Geneva and she has also co-founded a health literacy course for refugees and asylum seekers. More recently she became the youngest steering sub-committee member of Australia’s National Gynaecology Oncology Registry, and she has also served as secretary of the AMA’s Women in Medicine Committee. With her scholarship she will study a Master of Science in Precision Cancer Medicine at Oxford. Given the paucity of effective ovarian cancer treatments she hopes to develop novel immunotherapeutic options for gynaecological malignancies and improve life quality for Australian women with cancer.

ALEX MACDONALD

PhD in Theology and Religious Studies – University of Cambridge

Alex Macdonald, from Sydney, is preparing for ministry in the Anglican Church and finishing a Bachelor of Divinity at Moore Theological College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Research in Ancient History from Macquarie University and has worked in church ministry as well as university teaching, research, and academic publishing. For his Master’s Alex examined early Christian and Jewish appropriations of the biblical exodus story. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Alex will undertake a PhD in Theology and Religious Studies at Cambridge University, specialising in Patristics. His research will consider educational ideologies and practices in early Christianity, focusing on Clement of Alexandria, a major figure for the history of Christian pedagogy and for the synthesis of classical and biblical traditions which have informed Western culture and institutions. In the future, Alex hopes to work in theological education and to enrich both the academy and the church by promoting dialogue and engagement between them.

AIDAN MCGARTLAND

PhD in Music Theory – McGill University, Montréal

Aidan McGartland from Melbourne is undertaking a PhD in Music Theory at McGill University, Montréal. He holds a First-Class Honours degree in Musicology and Classical Voice, together with a Diploma in Languages, from the University of Melbourne, and a Master of Studies in Musicology from the University of Oxford. In addition to studying music theory, Aidan is an active classical singer, enjoying a wide range of repertoire from Franz Schubert to Benjamin Britten. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Aidan will continue his PhD at McGill University focussing on the works of Elisabeth Lutyens, Margaret Sutherland, and Igor Stravinsky. Through the close examination of compositional processes, employing both archival research and music analysis, the dialectic between tradition and modernity in twentieth-century musical modernism will be explored. Aidan aspires to become a professor of music, with a view to increasing cultural literacy and advocating for universal access to music education.

SAMUEL MURISON

Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology – University of Oxford

Samuel Murison is reading for a DPhil in Anthropology at the University of Oxford. He holds a master’s degree from King’s College, London, where he graduated with Distinction and was ranked first in his class. He also received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Adelaide, where he was awarded the Jefferis Memorial Medal and Professor Sir William Mitchell Prize for distinction in philosophy. He will use his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship to complete his DPhil at Oxford. His thesis explores how Australia is preparing for geostrategic futures in the Indo-Pacific, focussing specifically on the role of wargames and scenario planning expertise. Samuel is passionate about public service and currently serves as Principal Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition in South Australia. Previously, he advised the Minister for Education in South Australia and two senators in the Australian Senate. In the future, Samuel aspires to a leadership role in Australian government.

STUART NICHOLLS

Master of Advanced Study in Theoretical Physics – University of Cambridge

Stuart Nicholls is a quantum physicist from Adelaide. He completed an undergraduate degree at Yale University in the US, in the intensive track of the physics major, with a certificate of advanced language study in Chinese. He is currently pursuing research in quantum computing at the University of Sydney. Outside of research Stuart enjoys hiking, tennis, and poetry. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Stuart will pursue a Master of Advanced Study in Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge. In this course he will study subjects such as gravitation and relativity, particle physics, quantum computing and quantum information. In the future he would like to pursue PhD studies in quantum computing and then work in research in the quantum computing field; working on how to build quantum computers and how to better understand the features of quantum mechanics that will make it possible to apply them to future technologies. 

STELLA QUAST

Master of Philosophy in Archaeological Science – University of Cambridge

Stella Quast is a heritage consultant who grew up in a farming family in northern NSW. She graduated with a BA (Hons) from the University of Sydney, receiving First Class Honours for her thesis examining the archaeological evidence of past water management practices in the Ethiopian highlands. As an undergraduate, Stella served as President of the Archaeology Society, sang in numerous choirs, and represented the university in rowing. Stella is passionate about investigating water management strategies in past societies, including through the study of physical remains of dams, wells and other water harvesting and storage facilities. She has a particular interest in East Africa given its climatic similarities to areas of Australia. With her World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Stella will study an MPhil in Archaeological Science, to gain world-class scientific training in preparation for a PhD in this field. In the future, she hopes to work as both an academic and advocate to help inform water management in Australia.

SAMUEL SAUNDERS

Bachelor of Civil Law – University of Oxford

Sam Saunders is an international lawyer at the Office of International Law in the Attorney General’s Department and a Sessional Academic at the Australian National University (ANU). Sam was a Tuckwell Scholar at ANU, graduating with a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and the Supreme Court Judges’ Prize for placing equal first in his Honours cohort. With an interest in social justice and advocacy, Sam is Secretary and a Director of the charity Donate-A-Dollar-A-Week and has volunteered for the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT and the Refugee Advice and Casework Service. He is also a classically trained pianist and clarinettist. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Sam will undertake a Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford. He will study international law and dispute resolution, and research the law and history of economic coercion. In the future, Sam hopes to undertake further study before advancing his career as an international lawyer.

ZARA SMITH

Master of Laws – The London School of Economics and Political Science

Zara Smith is a trial prosecutor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in South Australia. In her role, Zara conducts criminal trials on behalf of the State. She has appeared as junior counsel in the Court of Appeal and as an instructing solicitor in the High Court. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (with First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (double major in Pathology and Human Reproductive Health) from the University of Adelaide. Zara will complete a Master of Laws at the London School of Economics, specialising in criminal law and justice.  She will focus her dissertation on the jurisprudential underpinnings of post-sentence preventative detention orders in Australia. She is passionate about improving this and other areas of the law through study of legal theory. Upon the completion of her course, Zara will return to the ODPP where she will continue to develop her advocacy skills and make contributions to law reform.

DILAN SRIDARAN

Master of Business Analytics – Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dilan SriDaran is an actuarial manager for Ernst & Young‘s Health and Human Services team in Sydney, with extensive experience across health and aged care. Born and raised in Botswana, Dilan moved to Australia to pursue a Bachelor of Actuarial Studies (Honours) at the University of NSW, for which he earned First Class Honours and the University Medal. Dilan’s research background focuses on using statistical techniques to improve mortality projections, however he is passionate more broadly around the use of data to inform evidence-based policies. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Dilan will pursue a Master of Business Analytics at MIT, where he will study applied data analytics within a business and health context. Dilan hopes his studies will enable him to return to Australia with sharpened skills to help promote the innovative use of data to support evidence-based policies that enhance patient outcomes and promote the sustainability of the health and aged care system.

ANNA SZABO

Master of Development Studies – University of Cambridge

Anna Szabo is an international development and climate policy adviser. Originally from Sydney, she is currently working in Canberra as an Assistant Director at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Anna is passionate about better integrating climate change considerations into Australia’s aid program, and equipping women in developing countries to be at the forefront of climate change efforts. Anna holds a Master of Human Rights Law and Policy from the University of New South Wales, a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. As a classically trained singer, she has represented Australia in five international tours with the World Youth Choir, including at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo. With her World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Anna will pursue a Master of Development Studies at Cambridge University. In the future Anna hopes to work for a multilateral development bank.

MICHAEL TAURIAN

Master of Philosophy in Classics – University of Cambridge

Michael Taurian is a classicist and law graduate from Sydney. His undergraduate degrees were at the University of Sydney, where he completed a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Latin and Ancient Greek and graduating with First Class Honours and the University Medal. Michael is also an experienced rower and a classically trained oboist and pianist. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Michael will study an MPhil in Classics at Cambridge. His research will focus on the fragmentary remains of Hellenistic epic poetry and examine how civic discourse and shifting political climates shaped the genre’s poetic reception of an even earlier classical past. Michael intends to follow his MPhil with a PhD, and a career in research and teaching.  Through his work, he hopes to share some of ancient literature’s abiding insights into the human condition and its crucial lessons on how we might develop our cultural and political life.

JACK TAYLOR

Master of Public Policy – Sciences Po, Paris

Jack Taylor is from Sydney and recently graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Literature from Harvard. For his senior thesis, he received the Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize for outstanding undergraduate work. While at Harvard he enjoyed being co-president of the Undergraduate Law Review and his ongoing work for U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf and the organisation Judge Wolf founded, Integrity Initiatives International (III). In his III work, Jack has assisted global leaders who are working to end grand corruption through the establishment of an international anti-corruption court. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship Jack will pursue a two-year Master of Public Policy taught in French at Sciences Po in Paris where his studies will cover a range of disciplines, including law, political science, and economics. He will also continue his III work with French government officials. In the future Jack hopes to have a career in public service and foreign policy.

JAMES TUDBALL

Master of Arts (Performance) – Royal Academy of Music, London

James Tudball is a Brisbane violinist, passionate about musical outreach and advancing Australian music through performance and education. He holds a Bachelor of Music (Performance) and Graduate Certificate in Music (Performance) from the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. He also holds AMusA and LMusA Performance Diplomas in Violin. He has performed with the Australian Youth Orchestra, Opera Australia, and Opera Queensland. He has also performed at St Peter’s Basilica, and in France for the Centenary Commemoration of WWI on Anzac Day. In addition to musical outreach in regional Queensland, James has presented pre-concert talks for the Australian Chamber Orchestra. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, James will study a Master of Arts at the Royal Academy of Music with Émile Sauret Professor, Jack Liebeck. In the future, he hopes to work in London-based orchestras and then in performance, education, and outreach in Australia, increasing music accessibility in a sustained way in places with limited exposure.

CELESTE VAN GENT

Doctor of Philosophy in History – University of Oxford

Celeste van Gent is a medievalist from Mudgee, NSW. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in History at the University of Sydney, graduating in 2020 with First Class Honours and the University Medal. In 2022, she completed her Master of Studies in Medieval History at the University of Oxford where she researched the experience of travel in late medieval England. Currently, she lives in Oxford where she has researched for the National Trust, works for the University and engages with the academic community by presenting at seminars and conferences. With her World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Celeste will study a DPhil in Medieval History at Oxford in which she will focus on late medieval martial figures and their relationships with animals, exploring how real and imagined animals shaped their identity. Celeste is passionate about ensuring history is made more accessible to a wider audience, and in the future hopes to pursue a career as an academic and public historian.

VICTOR WANG

Master of Development Engineering – University of California, Berkeley

Victor Wang is a data scientist working in international development, currently based in Delhi, India. He grew up in Sydney and is a first-generation immigrant from China. He holds a Bachelor of Philosophy with First Class Honours in Mathematics from the Australian National University. He has varied work experience in Africa and South Asia with governments and not-for-profits at the intersection of machine learning, public health, and policy. He is passionate about innovations in technology policy and its interactions with public health and maintains a blog focusing on issues faced by type one diabetics. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Victor will study a Masters of Development Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, a program which focuses on engineering solutions to complex social issues. In the future, Victor hopes to build on his international experience in applied machine learning and causal inference to help Australian policymakers use data and evidence to shape policies and improve lives. 

HARRISON WAUGH

Master of Philosophy – University of Oxford

Harrison Waugh is a Sydney historian. He holds undergraduate double degrees in Commerce (Finance) and Advanced Studies (History) from the University of Sydney, graduating in 2021 with First Class Honours and the University Medal in History. Since then, he has worked as an associate in private wealth management and has continued to write about the history of allodial land, writing the winning essay for the Venour V. Nathan Prize (2022) and receiving feedback for, and an invitation to revise and resubmit an article to, the Journal of Australian Colonial History. With his World Universities Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarship, Harrison will study a Master of Philosophy in British and European History at Oxford University. In the future he hopes to work with Australian universities and Indigenous groups to help support claims for land rights by examining how the concept of allodial land could be broadened to incorporate Indigenous peoples’ prior physical and spiritual connections to land.

St John’s College, Annapolis, Ramsay Postgraduate Scholars

MARK LOVELL

Master of Arts in Liberal Arts – St John’s College, Annapolis

Mark Lovell is a Sydney English teacher. He holds a Bachelor of Education (Secondary: Humanities and Social Sciences) and a Bachelor of Arts (English and Latin) from the University of Sydney. He is currently completing a Diploma of Biblical Theology with Moore Theological College. In 2022, Mark joined Barker College as an English teacher, where he also serves as a Lieutenant (AAC) in the School’s Cadet Unit. Before Barker he worked at Shore as an assistant boarding housemaster and chaplaincy intern. Mark has particular interest in character formation, outdoor education, and the explicit teaching of academic writing. With his St John’s College, Annapolis, Scholarship, Mark will undertake the College’s renowned two-year Master of Arts in Liberal Arts degree and be mentored to secure and participate in an internship in an area of interest in Washington, D.C. After his studies, Mark intends to return to Australia to pursue a career in school leadership.

DR SHIRLEY QUO

Master of Arts in Liberal Arts – St John’s College, Annapolis

Dr Shirley Quo is a Perth academic, specialising in commercial, corporate, and competition law. She holds a Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, and Doctor of Juridical Science from Monash University. For her doctorate she investigated the misuse of market power under the Competition and Consumer Act. Shirley has been a senior law lecturer since 2010, working at various universities including Monash and the University of Auckland. As a teaching and research scholar, Shirley is interested in St John’s adherence to the original idea of liberal education through the Great Books of Western Civilisation. With her St John’s College, Annapolis, Scholarship, Shirley will undertake the College’s renowned two-year Master of Arts in Liberal Arts degree and be mentored to secure and participate in an internship in an area of interest in Washington, D.C.  In the future Shirley hopes to incorporate a more interdisciplinary approach to her academic writing and contribute to thought leadership through think tanks.