Scholars emerge with career links

Humanities

An Arts degree at the University of Adelaide is opening doors to some of Australia's leading intelligence, crime prevention, diplomatic and political organisations.

Thanks to a thriving internship program and strong connections with bodies such as the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA), Arts students are getting a taste of life in the highest echelons of public office.

In 2010, five students served internships with the Institute, relishing the opportunity to undertake research in a wide range of areas, including politics, social media, cyber crime, people smuggling and human rights.

Research papers written by four of these students - Jade Cooper, Henry Lawton, Rose Grantham and Emily Thwaites-Tregilgas - also feature in the AIIA's Emerging Scholars series for 2011.

The students' supervisor, Professor Felix Patrikeeff from the School of History and Politics (and President of the South Australian Branch of the AIIA), said given that only 10 papers were accepted nationally each year for the publication, this was an outstanding outcome for the University of Adelaide.

"The AIIA first took on interns from the University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in 2007. Since then, the scheme has gone from strength to strength, with interns providing important support for Institute forums and conferences," he said.

In 2010, Bachelor of International Studies student Jade Cooper served an internship with the AIIA's sister organisation, the Japan Institute of International Affairs, as the inaugural recipient of the Prime Minister's Australia Asia Endeavour Award.

Her Emerging Scholars paper looked at the dynamics of the United States-Australian alliance. Jade is now serving an internship with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Tokyo while completing her Bachelor of Laws.

Final-year Politics student Henry Lawton wrote his paper on the impact of digital media on human rights around the world. Other fellow BA students to appear in publication included Rose Grantham (crime prevention and human rights) and Emily Thwaites-Tregilgas (people smuggling in the Mediterranean and the Pacific).

The latter two, along with Arts student Bomi Chun, presented their internship reports at an international conference on crime prevention in the Asia-Pacific region, held in Adelaide earlier this year.

"The AIIA internship program with the University of Adelaide has provided our students with great scope to develop their thinking and writing skills in the area of international affairs," Professor Patrikeeff said.

"It has also given them the opportunity to create some very useful and important career links along the way."

Story by Candy Gibson

For more information about studying Arts at the University of Adelaide go to: ua.edu.au/programs/2011 or visit Open Day Sunday 21 August. adelaide.edu.au/openday