From the Vice-Chancellor

A scholarship can help change a student's life.

I was lucky enough to receive a Gibson Scholarship at undergraduate level, and a Queen's University scholarship supported my subsequent PhD studies. So I fully appreciate the importance of this sort of support for students, especially those from rural and sometimes remote areas.

The Gibson Scholarship was valued at £200 per year. That seems a small sum today, but in rural Ireland in the 1960s, it was a substantial sum. It really did help to change a student's life.

I recently welcomed our new undergraduate scholarship winners to the University of Adelaide at a ceremony in Bonython Hall. We are blessed at this University with some of the most gifted young students in the nation. It is very pleasing to be able to say to the hundred or so students who attended the function that we are giving them every opportunity to succeed in their studies, thanks to the financial support they are receiving.

As well as being academically talented, many of these students have also made major contributions to their schools and their local communities.

On the day, it was pleasing to see so many family members and friends - even teachers - helping to celebrate the students' success. With their support, and the financial support afforded by the range of scholarships (see story on page 4), these students already have a solid foundation at this crucial early stage of their university studies.

Also attending the event were Principals of secondary schools who nominated their students for the University of Adelaide Principals' Scholarship. Their support for students and the scholarship program is greatly appreciated. The Principals' Scholarships are only in their second year, and already they have proven their value to our University - and, hopefully, to the schools and the students themselves.

In awarding these and other scholarships, the University of Adelaide is continuing its long history of attracting the brightest young people to study here - as shown by our 101 Rhodes Scholars and three Nobel Laureate graduates.

Scholarships act as an incentive for students to achieve excellence in their studies. They also, very importantly, provide support for those students who might otherwise be unable to take up a University place - a situation that was very true for me.

Past experience suggests that some of our scholarship students will go on to become the next generation of Rhodes, Fulbright, General Sir John Monash or Menzies scholars, earning them a rightful place in the University's history. In turn, these scholarships will offer our graduates opportunities right around the world, and experience that will help them to make an impact on our society in a wide range of fields.

Scholarships are an investment in our future. The University of Adelaide is pleased to be making such an investment, and I thank everyone who has contributed generously in support of our scholarship programs. Your assistance has made a great difference.

PROFESSOR JAMES A. McWHA
Vice-Chancellor and President