ANU postgraduate scholarships to draw Canberra’s best and brightest back into the classroom

The Australian National University’s (ANU) College of Business and Economics (CBE) has just announced a commitment to fund 60 postgraduate scholarships over the next two years, aimed at drawing Canberra’s best and brightest people back into the classroom.

Students in the first round of a new ANU scholarship program are not just settling into, but thriving in their new postgraduate world, paving a bright pathway to their future.

Dr Bronwen Whiting, Associate Dean of Education at CBE has announced thirty scholarships available each calendar year, covering 50% of the domestic postgraduate student tuition fee.

“We are offering these 50% fee waiver merit-based scholarships to attract the best students. It is a signal of our commitment to ensuring excellence,” Dr Whiting says.

For Dr Whiting, reducing financial barriers to postgraduate study through scholarships is a key strategy in CBE’s commitment to providing equitable access to postgraduate study.

“We want students who will add value to our discussions in class, who can draw upon their experience from their career and who are prepared to be challenged to take their education to the next level.”

For Masters of Finance student David Wallace, a Postgraduate Merit Scholarship recipient, it’s been a surprising transition to postgraduate study.

“I felt a bit weird having gone a couple of years without study, so it’s a lot of fun to be learning something new again,” he says.

Since completing his ANU Law and Science Degree with honours in 2015, David has been working for Boettcher Law at Forrest.

Work, life, and now study are running to a new routine for David, but with technology and the support of ANU, it’s a routine that fits.

“Lectures are filmed so I can watch them at any time, even the finance lectures where they’re writing down the equations and solutions, you can stop, pause it, and do the problems as you go.”

With his passion for science front and centre, David is back at ANU with a scholarship and a clear vision for his own future and for Australia’s future.

“Our country has amazing research and amazing scientists, but what we do usually gets sold off overseas to big biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

“So my long-term goal has always been to help provide funding that gets experiments out of the lab and develops products. My ideal job would be working next to science as a venture capitalist.”

Only recently embarking on a Masters of Finance through the ANU, David already believes his master’s degree is key to making that future a reality.

“I want funders down the line to have confidence in me so that together we can fund biotech.”

Providing scholarships to students like David with a belief in his future is the driving force behind the College’s scholarship program.

For David, the Postgraduate Merit Scholarship was key for him being able to pick up postgraduate studies.

“It’s really made the cost something I can manage and has helped me balance my commitments at work.”

CBE’s mission is to develop leaders who will transform business, society and economies, and as Australia’s National University it takes this mission seriously.

CBE offers a range of program choices to suit all life situations at all stages of your career.

With a suite of programs at the Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters level, postgraduate study can be tailored with a commitment of one, two or four years part-time.

All of ANU’s Research School of Management program offerings are designed around lectures and tutorials held in an after-hours study model from 6-9 pm weekdays.

The ANU Business and Economics Postgraduate Pop Up Advisory Session takes place on Thursday 7th of June from 5-7pm at the Coffee Lab in Civic. Register today to speak to a student advisor about how a Postgraduate Merit Scholarship can take your career to the next level.

What do you think are the barriers in undertaking postgraduate study while working full-time? Join the conversation below.

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