Sydney, 26 March 2025: The Australian Catholic University (ACU) held a special reception last week to welcome the fifth cohort of Ramsay Scholarship recipients into its Western Civilisation degree program.
Thanks to a partnership between the Ramsay Centre and ACU worth approximately $50 million over eight years, high-achieving scholars are supported to complete ACU’s Western Civilisation degrees through scholarships worth up to $32,000 p.a. The Ramsay Scholars are taught in small class groups and receive academic mentoring. The agreement also funds the hiring of world-class educators to teach the courses.
Since its launch in 2021, ACU’s Western Civilisation degree program has more than doubled in size, with students enrolled in its Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation), the double degree with a Bachelor of Laws, the vertical double degree with a Master of Teaching (Secondary) and Master of Liberal Arts.
The Western Civilisation program provides students with the opportunity to engage with western philosophy, history, literature, politics, art and culture, and develop a deep understanding of the great works, ideas and movements within the Western intellectual tradition. The program is led by renowned philosopher Professor Peter Anstey, who recently joined ACU from the University of Sydney.
The 36 new scholars were presented with their awards by ACU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Zlatko Skrbis and Ramsay Centre Academic Director Professor Diana Glenn. Several members of both the ACU and Ramsay Centre Executive and Board were also in attendance.
ACU Vice-Chancellor Professor Skrbis congratulated the new scholars and thanked the Centre for its support for ACU to offer “…coveted scholarships to the brightest minds exploring the biggest questions.”
“The bright individuals who participate in this program are genuinely fortunate to spend time in an academic environment that encourages robust engagement with the tradition of which we are a part, as they gain a deeper understanding of its impact on the wider world,” Professor Skrbis said.
Centre Academic Director Professor Diana Glenn acknowledged the extraordinary generosity and vision of our founder, leading Australian businessman and philanthropist the late Paul Ramsay AO, for creating opportunities for the study of great works produced as part of the long continuum of Western civilisation.
Professor Glenn also praised the course academics and curriculum which fostered “interdisciplinarity and transferable skills, high-order critical thinking, independent thought and adaptability to diverse environments.” She said small cohorts helped build students’ confidence and enable diverse perspectives to be expressed.
“I like to think that the students in the program, undergraduates and postgraduates alike are inspired by a critical and questioning spirit, that they are imbued with a strong curiosity and desire to understand our world, to delve into the Western intellectual tradition and face the future with confidence,” Professor Glenn said.
Ramsay Centre board member Professor Ann Brewer spoke of Paul Ramsay’s emphasis on leadership and community and helping others to flourish. She implored the scholars not to see the scholarship as a solo pursuit but rather an opportunity to “listen deeply, connect meaningfully, take joy in the communion with others and lead by listening with both intellect and empathy.”
For information on ACU’s Western Civilisation program visit: https://www.acu.edu.au/course/bachelor-of-arts-western-civilisation
Media contact: Sarah Switzer 0407 816 098/ sarah.switzer@ramsaycentre.org
For more information on the Centre please visit our website www.ramsaycentre.org