Scholars' Journeys

Today's guest on Scholars Journeys is Ciara Sheridan from Deakin University. Ciara is a science major with a passion for science communication - she's undertaking her NCP program in Borneo in Malaysia, and will also be undertaking internships in Indonesia. In this conversation we delve into why science communication is so important, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, and how our Western approaches to communication might not be the ones that are needed to reach communities across the region. We talk about the application and interview process and how being authentic, conveying one's emotions and interests, and not backing down from the challenges we've faced can all play an important role in helping to be successful.

Today's guest on Scholars' Journeys is Tea La. Tea is currently in Indonesia and spent part of her scholarship experience in South Korea. This is a powerful conversation. Firstly, because it's a lot of fun! If you love nature, sport and the mountains, I think you'll love this conversation because Tea talks a lot about her various adventures in the outdoors. But secondly, Tea shares a very challenging, personal experience that she encountered during her time in Seoul. She was right in the middle of a terrifying incident and fortunately was physically unharmed... however, she's had to face down the psychological aftermath. And I've got to say, I am massively impressed with her strength and resilience - there's a great lesson in her story for everyone!

Just when you think you understand something about the world, someone comes along and opens up a door to a new dimension of it that you hadn't yet seen. That's exactly how I felt throughout this conversation with Liam Holt. In it, we talk about his travels and experiences in both Nepal and Indonesia, as well as his wide range of professional and personal interests. Liam also gives me a good introductory education on menstrual discrimination, something that I'm a little ashamed to admit I didn't even know existed! (and that's coming from someone who prides themselves on being socially conscious!

When Julian Loh was invited for a beer by one of his professors during his overseas scholarship program in Hong Kong, little did he know how much impact it would have on his future career direction. Interestingly enough, I first met Julian around this exact time. He was one of the very first Scholars I ever interviewed, on locaton in their host destination. That interview (see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeuihExb9IM) is just as relevant today as it was back then. "Extraordinary doesn't mean easy" said Julian. And this is one of the reasons I really like this guy: he's down to earth, generous with his knowledge, articulate and ambitious. In this conversation I catch up with Julian to talk about his life and career trajectory since he finished his scholarship in 2018 and completed his degree. We talk about his work in sustainability, but also a lot about mindset and other elements of life that everyone can relate to. I think you'll love this conversation!

Welcome to Scholars' Journeys - on this week's show Rob Malicki talks with Katrina Couzens, one of the very first New Colombo Plan Scholars (NCP) from the very first cohort of students in 2014! Katrina shares her experiences of studying abroad in Singapore and Norway and reflects on her childhood experiences of living in England and how it contrasted with her life in Brisbane. She also discusses her decision to study linguistics, which was sparked by her interest in language policy, particularly in Singapore, and how it led her to a career in marketing and digital product design. Katrina shares insights from her internship at a branding agency in Singapore, where she worked on projects related to human branding and identity. She describes a memorable moment of presenting her work to colleagues, feeling a sense of achievement from distilling months of research and messy processes into a coherent presentation. Throughout the discussion, Katrina emphasizes the importance of understanding the needs and perspectives of end-users when designing products or services. She reflects on the challenges of finding and engaging with diverse user groups, particularly in digital project design, and the satisfaction of creating meaningful solutions that resonate with people. Overall, the conversation delves into Katrina's personal and professional journey, highlighting her passion for linguistics, her experiences abroad, and her insights into human-centered design principles in the digital age.

It's a perfect afternoon in Perth, lingering afternoon warmth under a cloudless blue sky. I'm sitting in a shaded beer garden on the edge of the city centre, there's a hum of conversation as tables of relaxed, t-shirt wearing locals kick back over pints of cold beer. Opposite me is a young environmentalist, Lucas. He's tall and blond with a huge smile that rarely leaves his face. We're recording a podcast, but something has me perplexed, because I have a nagging feeling that there's a contradiction at play. We're talking about the ocean, surfing and how important it is for us to step up and mitigate climate change. But Lucas works for… a mining company. I must say, I don't like mining companies. They rip up the earth in favour of profits. Their influence and wealth frighten Governments and can stall meaningful change. I'm wondering how someone so openly passionate about the environment could work in mining? So I ask him about it. Lucas considers his beer for a moment then asks: “When you were flying to Perth from Sydney, what did you pass over?” That's easy. Once you leave the coastal fringe, almost all of Australia either desert or is divided up into a patchwork of farmland. Out the window of the plane it's a neat expanse of green, brown and yellow rectangles of all sizes. “And how many open cut mines did you see?” Lucas asks. I hesitate: Umm, none. I feel our conversation, and my attitude, shift. Lucas' company doesn't dig up coal. It mostly digs up the raw materials needed to create both bulk and precious metals. “Metals” Lucas says “That we need to build the wind turbines and solar panels for the energy transition that is so urgent”. He then explains the detailed restoration planning that goes into working out how to close a mine… before the first truckload of earth has been moved. He tells me how good ideas to protect the environment are rapidly adopted, faster than any government could ever move. And he shares how his generous salary allows him to donate money to environmental causes that are important to him. “When people think of mining, they picture a dirty open-cut hole in the ground,” he says, “When they think of farming, they picture a happy cow chewing on grass in a meadow” “Yet farming is responsible for 100x more land clearing than mining, and huge volumes of emissions… but we don't treat farming as bad” I know he's right. Billionaire mining magnate, Andrew Forrest, has become one of Australia's leading green advocates… and he's got the resources to back it up with action. Yes, we urgently need to move away from coal and gas. But we also need the right types of mining companies, with the right approaches, to help do that. I raise my glass. “Thanks for helping my attitude to evolve” I say to Lucas and he nods. Clearly he's been thinking about this in detail for a lot longer than I have. And it turns out I was right – there was a contradiction at play: it was a contradiction between my expectations and reality.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Scholars Journeys podcast, and today's episode came about by pure chance. I was up on campus at Bond University and had organised to have coffee with Conor Gould (https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorgould/) to talk about an AI-based project we'd been chatting about online. But as the conversation started, it was so interesting I had to say "Hang on mate, can we record this? I reckon people in the network will be fascinated to hear how AI is evolving." So that's exactly what we did! Throughout this conversation, not only do we talk about the future of technology and Conor's interests in it, but also about his New Colombo Plan experience. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!

Welcome to Season 2 of Scholars' Journey... and I couldn't have found a better place to launch this season!

G'day and welcome to the Scholars Journeys Podcast. This is a very special episode, recorded on location in Vanuatu with three fantastic scholars: Ella Sinclair, Lily Kennedy, and Paul Kaletsis, who are currently studying, interning and doing language training. This is a fantastic conversation that I think you'll enjoy! We dive right into the detail of what it's like to live and study and work in Vanuatu. This episode is perfect for you if you: - Are thinking about making Vanuatu your NCP destination - Have been there and want to revisit some of the good memories, or - Have never been to Vanuatu, but you're curious as to what it's like. We have a lot of fun in this conversation. A lot of good laughs and a lot of really great information. These guys are fantastic and I hope you enjoy this awesome conversation with Ella, Lily and Paul live on location in Vanuatu.

Welcome to NCP Journeys, the unofficial podcast of the New Colombo Plan Scholar community.This show is dedicated to uncovering the stories and impact that this community has on the fabric of Australia and the Indo-Pacific region.Join me, Rob Malicki, one of the original co-architects of the NCP, as you get to know current and former NCP Scholars from across Australia.We explore their careers, projects, experiences and advice across the full breadth of the NCP.✅ Business and entrepreneurship✅ Arts✅ Culture✅ Politics and International Relations✅ Development✅ Education✅ Travel✅ Science and technology✅ Diversity and inclusion✅ First NationsAnd much more!But what's even better?This is your community, your network. We're all bound by this incredible program, the New Colombo Plan. Use the connections you make through this show to connect with others in the network, incubate your ideas, and further your career and impact.