I moved up to Canberra in July of 2018 to take the Master of Public Policy program at the Crawford School of Public Policy here at the ANU. Crawford is renowned in both Australia and Asia Pacific for Policy studies. Within the Master of Public Policy program, my specialization is Policy and Governance.
This is how I start my day at old Canberra house here at the Crawford School of Public Policy. Old Canberra house is a heritage-listed part of the University. Over 100 years old. Here, I work and study, come and follow me.
One of the biggest risks I actually took was leaving my job back in Melbourne, to pursue the Master of Public Policy degree here at the ANU. I was really fortunate that in my first couple of weeks of studying here, I was able to gain a project officer job with the Australia-Japan research center, which is an organization, which has been producing fantastic research for the last 40 years on Australia, Japan and its place within the region. It’s an incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of that research.
At the moment, I’m planning on an event later on, this year in Tokyo. I studied abroad 5 times during my undergraduate over in Japan, so my general knowledge of major cities in Japan is imperative for my work here.
For coming from Melbourne, I knew the best way to get involved on campus was actually to live there. I live among all sorts of Masters and PhD students in Burgmann College. Originally, I thought living and working and studying in campus might be a bit enclosed. But living so close to where I study provides me a great opportunity to meet people who are also from Crawford.
So, a lot of my lectures are actually in the morning this Semester. Our last semester, a lot of them were in the afternoon. And this is the Acton Theatre. Acton is actually the name of the suburb where the Australian National University is.
One of my most favorite things about studying at Crawford is the fact that I am exposed to so many different values and opinions from students. Not just in Australia, but from around the world.
Crawford is really lucky to host students as well as Diplomats, Civil Servants, and staff members from so many different countries. They have brought so many different perspectives to our tutorials, and as well as our lectures. It’s a completely enviable experience as a student to learn from lots of different voices.
As someone as myself who doesn’t drive a car or doesn’t ride a bike, being able to walk to class amongst Canberra’s amazing scenery, it’s something that I will definitely remember after I graduate from ANU.
Ever since starting at the ANU, I often come to the lake here, before I submit my assignments, to give them one last check. So, this area is between the Crawford School of Public Policy and Burgmann College. It’s right on the edge, you can see various major points in Canberra.
Canberra is the place to be if you want to do anything to do with policy. Last month, I was elected as part of the Young Australians in International Affairs – Young Leaders’ Series. I got to go each week to Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and hear from Key Academics and Policy workers on their engage with the ASEAN regions.
My completing my masters here in Crawford School, I have to genuinely come away from the degree with an in-depth knowledge about policy making and in various context.
Tips for Perspective Students:
If you are a perspective Interstate student, just take the risk. Come up to Canberra and you’ll be so surprised what it can afford you. Anything from being involved in Government, to working on campus, to meeting up like-minded students. If you’re an international student considering a future engaging with Australia, Crawford is the place to be.
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