Tuesday 10 December 2024: A group of US-based Ramsay Postgraduate Scholars with an interest in geopolitics and world affairs met with Australian Ambassador to the US, HE the Hon Dr Kevin Rudd AC, as part of a recent study trip funded by the Centre.
The Washington DC trip took place on the weekend immediately following the US Presidential election, ensuring timely discussions about the priorities of a second Trump administration and how this change would affect the US, Australia and the rest of the world.
In addition to meeting with Ambassador Rudd, the scholars visited the Washington DC offices of Australian think tank, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (APSI), where former Ramsay Scholar Dr Nishank Motwani works as a Senior Analyst heading the AUKUS portfolio. Nishank hosted the scholars for a conversation spanning Indo-Pacific security challenges, his personal journey as a scholar bridging academia and policy, and how the scholars might leverage their studies to influence key global issues.
Balancing these high-level meetings the scholars visited iconic US cultural and political institutions including the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the US Supreme Court and National Mall.
At the National Archives, the scholars viewed the nation’s founding documents including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. At the Library of Congress, the scholars received a guided tour from a resident librarian, enabling them to marvel at its grand architecture, and its impressive collections reflecting the nation’s literary and historical heritage. The scholars cited highlights as the Reading Room and viewing one of only three surviving vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible.
The scholars who participated in the tour included 2022 Scholar Jennifer Tridgell (University of Cambridge and a participant in the Faculty of Law’s Harvard Exchange Programme), 2023 Scholar Sarah Davis (Harvard Kennedy School), and 2024 Scholar Blaise Hanson who is studying a Master of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington DC. The group also included three 2024 scholars studying a Master of Arts in the Liberal Arts at St John’s College, Annapolis, namely David Cherian, Linna Jefferson and Dr Ted Scarr.
Blaise Hanson took advantage of having his fellow Ramsay Scholars in town to show them around Georgetown University. The scholars also visited two iconic DC establishments favoured by White House and Congressional communities for decades, Off the Record at the historic Hay-Adams Hotel, and The Old Ebbitt Grill established in 1856. Over dinner they reflected on their study experiences and shared their aspirations for contributing to the Australia-US alliance in their future careers.
2023 Scholar Sarah Davis is studying a Master in Public Administration degree at Harvard, focusing on public policy solutions to accelerate Australia’s technological translation. Reflecting on the study tour she said, “the experience exemplifies the importance of programs funded by the Ramsay Centre, not just in advancing academic excellence but in cultivating global citizens who are better equipped to navigate and contribute to the complexities of international relations.”
“The weekend excursion to the nation’s capital not only offered academic enrichment and cultural exploration but also provided opportunities for the scholars to bond and create lasting memories of their time in the US, complementing their Ramsay experience.”
“They are grateful for the ongoing support of the Ramsay Centre for such opportunities, the Australian Embassy and APSI for hosting visits, and to fellow scholars involved in organising the exceptional trip itinerary.”
Interested in learning more about the Ramsay Centre’s Postgraduate Scholarships? Applications open February 3. Visit: https://www.ramsaycentre.org/scholarships-courses/postgraduate-scholarships/
Media contact: Sarah Switzer 0407 816 098 / sarah.switzer@ramsaycentre.org