PhD candidate Medha Majumdar of the School of Politics and International Relations has been awarded a prestigious Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship.

The Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship offers $120,000 to fund postgraduate studies that will contribute to one of the Westpac Scholars Trust’s focus areas: Australia-Asia ties, technology and innovation and positive social change. Undertaking international experiences and completing a nine-month leadership development program are central to the scholarship.

Medha’s focus is on Australia-Asia ties, particularly Australia’s relationship with India:

“I am excited to use the Westpac Scholarship to gain international experience that will help me to develop the skills to lead our presence in Asia in the future.”

During her PhD, Medha plans to undertake a Higher Degree Research exchange at the National University of Singapore (NUS), facilitated through a unique research exchange partnership between the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences and the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Studying at the NUS is an opportunity for Medha to work with leading academics in governance and policy, and will allow her to be immersed in a country that has succeeded in becoming strong international and business partners with India.

Medha is keen to use the Westpac Scholarship to complete short courses in social science research methods, such as at the University of Essex or University of Michigan, and an innovation and entrepreneurship course at Stanford University. Completing such courses at leading research universities abroad will help me to stay up to date in research methods and develop research with a global focus.

One highlight of the scholarship that Medha is particularly focused on is the leadership development program, which has so far included a week-long residential leadership development program in Sydney curated by leadership experts from The University of Sydney Business School. Over the coming months, participants will be attending the Westpac Scholar’s Summit and another residential leadership development program in Canberra, during which attendees will participate in the Australia 360 Seminar.